Key Lessons After 1 Year of AI Innovation

Time flies.

It’s been exactly one year since we started working on Rapid Visual, and it’s been a ride. As we take a moment to reflect, we’re struck by the speed, the serendipity, and the strange (but beautiful) chaos that often defines the early days of a new venture.

Here are 7 key highlights from our journey so far. We’re sharing them in the hopes they’ll inspire, inform, or simply entertain those of you building something new with AI.

1. We Monetized the Platform in 4 Days

Let’s be clear: not 4 days after launching the platform. Four days after the idea.

It started with a call to the superstar AI developer Mathias Maisberger. I said, “Hey man, do you think we could build something that does this one thing? And do you think we can have it ready by tomorrow?”

Four days later, someone paid to use it.

Speed doesn’t mean recklessness. It means momentum. We didn’t wait for perfection. We built, tested, and sold.

2. Customer Feedback Drove Our Development

Our earliest users didn’t just use the platform; they became our advisors.

We leaned in hard: What features do you need versus those you wish you had? What’s holding you back? Then we went to work, delivering upgrades within 24–48 hours.

This co-creation loop helped us evolve Rapid Visual faster than we ever imagined.

3. One Developer, Many Agents

There was just one warm body in the room. But it looked and felt like an army.

Mathias spent 5–7 hours a day talking to his computer, literally. Using AI agents to simulate a development team, he created systems and automations that replaced what would’ve otherwise kept us up at night.

When people say AI accelerates productivity, this is what they mean.

4. We Built a Community (Not Just a Tool)

When we launched our Workshop Facilitator Mode, it was more than a feature. It was an invitation.

Consultants who wanted to level up their workshops with AI got access to a self-serve platform where they could create team workspaces, design experiences, and run full sessions with the tool.

We offered VIP support through private WhatsApp groups, got on debrief calls, and asked questions that helped us improve. The trust we built with these early adopters is one of our proudest achievements.

5. We Avoided Focus (On Purpose)

There’s a quote on a wall in our office:

“The successful warrior is the average man with laser-like focus.” – Bruce Lee

We look at it every morning and IGNORE it.

Why? Because when you’re still in discovery mode, blinders are dangerous. Exploration is everything.

Focus only makes sense when the market tells you what to focus on. One year in, we’re finally arriving at that decision point.

6. We Ate Our Own Dog Food

We’ve always told clients to innovate at the business model level, not just the product.

So we did the same.

Take our collaboration with Michael N. Wilkens. We built an AI Twin of Michael, a world-class expert on resilient revenue. Through our Strategic Lenses feature, users can tap into Michael’s brain while assessing their own business models.

We gave him a white-labeled platform and he's now successfully selling it to his clients.

It’s the Tupperware model: empower those with networks and let them sell. We’re just getting started.

7. We Forged a True Partnership

Some things go beyond business.

Mathias, thank you for picking up the phone a year ago and saying “yes” to this mad rollercoaster. Thank you for relocating your family to Cyprus so we could build this... and still enjoy the occasional beer.

A good idea is just a spark. Partnership is what makes it burn.

🚀 Up, Up, Up from Here

One year in, Rapid Visual has evolved from a scrappy prototype into a growing platform with real users, real communities, and real traction.

And yet, it still feels like Day One.

We’re not done exploring. But if you’re curious to see what we’ve built and how it might fit into your workflow, we invite you to take it for a spin.

👉 Explore Rapid Visual (Free Trial)