How a Team of 2 Turned Their Bubble App Into a $468k/Year Business

From Zero to $39K: The Remarkable Journey of a Team of 2 Building a Game-Changing AI Customer Support Solution

Defying conventional wisdom about no-code development limitations, a team of 2 entrepreneurs has masterfully orchestrated their way to building a thriving AI-powered customer support platform. Their extraordinary journey from experimental beginnings to generating $39,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) showcases how strategic thinking, customer-focused development, and lean operations can create remarkable success stories in the competitive SaaS landscape.

We strongly recommend that you check out our guide on how to take advantage of AI in today’s passive income economy.

The Genesis of an AI-Powered Revolution

In the bustling world of technology consulting, where corporate giants often dominate innovation, a team of 2 visionaries emerged with a different perspective on building software solutions. Their story begins not with massive funding or large development teams, but with a shared vision of leveraging no-code tools to create enterprise-grade solutions. The founders’ diverse backgrounds in technology consulting and product development created a perfect storm of complementary skills that would prove invaluable in their journey.

The early days were marked by intense experimentation and learning. Having witnessed the limitations of traditional development approaches during their consulting careers, the team of 2 recognized that the future of software development needed to be more agile and adaptable. They spent countless hours mastering Bubble, pushing its boundaries, and discovering ways to create sophisticated applications without writing traditional code.

Their initial journey through the travel sector, though ultimately impacted by the global pandemic, served as a crucial learning experience. The challenges they faced during this period shaped their understanding of building resilient businesses and the importance of being able to pivot quickly in response to market changes. As a team of 2, they had the advantage of making swift decisions without the bureaucratic overhead that often slows larger organizations.

The Evolution of an Idea

The transition from their travel venture to AI-powered solutions wasn’t a straight path. It involved numerous experiments, failed attempts, and continuous learning. The team of 2 initially explored various AI applications, including an innovative university writing tool. This experience proved invaluable as it helped them understand the potential and limitations of AI language models.

Their work with GPT-3 fine-tuning opened new horizons. They discovered that while the base model provided decent results, fine-tuned models could deliver exponentially better outcomes. This realization led to their first pivot – creating a B2B solution for model fine-tuning. However, the market had different plans. Through careful observation and customer feedback, they noticed that their clients weren’t actually interested in fine-tuning models – they wanted to interact with their data in natural language.

This insight proved crucial. As a team of 2, they had the flexibility to quickly adapt their product strategy. They shifted their focus to developing a solution that could process multiple PDFs and enable natural conversation with the contained information. This capability, while common today, was revolutionary at the time and positioned them at the forefront of the retrieval augmented generation (RAG) movement.

The Strategic Pivot to Customer Support

The journey to finding their perfect market fit wasn’t immediate. Despite reaching $10,000 MRR with their generic chat-with-data product, they faced increasing competition and market saturation. Many similar products were emerging, creating a crowded marketplace where differentiation became increasingly difficult.

This critical juncture required careful analysis and bold decision-making. The team of 2 took a deep dive into their user data, analyzing patterns, usage statistics, and revenue sources. Their discovery that 60-70% of their revenue came from customer support applications wasn’t just a statistical insight – it was a revelation that would reshape their entire business strategy.

Making the decision to pivot wasn’t easy. They had invested significant time and resources into their generic solution, but they recognized that success in the SaaS industry often comes from solving specific problems exceptionally well rather than trying to be everything to everyone. This team of 2 made the courageous decision to fork their product and focus exclusively on customer support, particularly targeting SaaS companies.

Breaking the No-Code Scaling Myth

One of the most remarkable aspects of their journey is how they’ve managed to scale their solution using primarily no-code tools. While conventional wisdom suggested that no-code platforms couldn’t handle enterprise-level demands, this team of 2 proved otherwise. Their platform, with approximately 80% built on Bubble, successfully processes 75,000 conversations monthly – a testament to the power of properly optimized no-code solutions.

The scaling journey wasn’t without its challenges. They faced numerous technical hurdles and had to make significant optimizations to their Bubble implementation. Through careful analysis and optimization, they achieved a remarkable 70-80% reduction in CPU usage. This improvement didn’t come from switching to traditional coding – it came from deeply understanding how to leverage Bubble’s capabilities effectively.

The Power of Integration-First Architecture

Instead of trying to replace existing customer service platforms entirely, the team of 2 made a strategic decision to position their solution as a complementary AI layer. This approach allowed them to integrate seamlessly with popular platforms like Intercom and Zendesk, effectively becoming the intelligence layer that enhances these established solutions.

This integration-first strategy proved brilliant for several reasons. First, it reduced resistance to adoption since companies could maintain their existing workflows and tools. Second, it allowed the team of 2 to focus on excellence in AI-powered support rather than rebuilding features that already existed in established platforms. Finally, it created natural distribution channels through marketplace partnerships.

Mastering Market Penetration

Their growth strategy extended beyond product development. The team of 2 developed a sophisticated marketing approach that leveraged multiple channels while maintaining their lean operation. They built a strong web presence through strategic SEO, creating content that addressed specific pain points in the customer support industry.

Their presence in major platform marketplaces became a significant revenue driver. By establishing themselves in the Intercom and Zendesk ecosystems, they gained access to a pre-qualified audience actively seeking solutions to enhance their customer support capabilities. This approach allowed them to scale their reach without scaling their team.

Revolutionizing Customer Support with AI

As they approach $39,000 in monthly recurring revenue, this team of 2 continues to innovate in the customer support space. Their solution has evolved to handle complex support scenarios, learning from thousands of interactions to provide increasingly accurate and helpful responses. They’ve maintained their edge by focusing on continuous improvement and rapid iteration based on customer feedback.

Their platform now handles everything from basic product queries to complex technical support issues, demonstrating that AI can effectively augment human support teams rather than replace them. This approach has resonated particularly well with SaaS companies, where support queries often require both technical knowledge and contextual understanding.

The Art of Lean Operations

Maintaining their structure as a team of 2 has been more than just a practical decision – it’s been a philosophical one. This constraint has forced them to think creatively about automation and efficiency, leading to the development of sophisticated internal tools and processes that allow them to operate at a scale typically associated with much larger teams.

Their lean approach extends to every aspect of their operation. From automated onboarding processes to self-service documentation, they’ve built systems that scale without requiring additional human resources. This efficiency hasn’t come at the cost of quality – if anything, it’s enhanced their ability to deliver consistent, high-quality service to their customers.

Lessons for Future Entrepreneurs

The success of this team of 2 offers valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. First, it demonstrates that small teams can compete effectively in enterprise markets by focusing on specific problems and solving them exceptionally well. Second, it shows that no-code platforms, when properly utilized, can support significant scale. Finally, it highlights the importance of being willing to pivot based on market feedback while maintaining a clear vision of the value you want to provide.

Their journey also illustrates the importance of choosing the right tools and platforms. By leveraging Bubble’s capabilities and integrating with established platforms, they’ve created a solution that punches well above its weight class. This strategic use of existing tools and platforms has allowed them to focus their energy on innovation rather than reinventing the wheel.

Conclusion

The remarkable journey of this innovative team of 2 from concept to successful SaaS business represents more than just another startup success story. It’s a blueprint for how small teams can achieve extraordinary results in today’s technology landscape. Their success in building a scalable, AI-powered customer support solution demonstrates that the future of software development isn’t limited by team size or coding expertise – it’s defined by vision, execution, and deep understanding of customer needs.

As they continue to grow and innovate, they’re not just building a business – they’re challenging fundamental assumptions about what’s possible in software development. Their story serves as an inspiration for entrepreneurs everywhere, proving that with the right approach, a team of 2 can compete and succeed in the enterprise software market. The future of software development is being reshaped, and this team is at the forefront of that transformation.