The Startup Ideas Podcast

The best businesses are built at the intersection of emerging technology, community, and real human needs.

Vertical Personal Software Agency

For: Small to medium businesses in specific verticals needing custom internal tools

Buildability

The Problem

Companies need custom internal software tools but can't justify hiring full development teams or expensive consultants for small, specialized applications

The Solution

Use Cursor AI agents to rapidly build custom, disposable software solutions for specific business verticals at dramatically lower costs and faster timelines

Why Now?

AI code generation makes custom software development economically viable for small, specific use cases that were previously too expensive to address

Build MVP in 7 Days

Day 1

Choose specific vertical (healthcare, fintech, etc.)

Day 2

Build 2-3 demo applications solving common problems

Day 3

Create pricing structure for rapid development

Day 4

Launch simple landing page with case studies

Day 5

Reach out to 10 potential customers for feedback

How to Validate

Interview businesses in target vertical about custom software needs

Build one real application for pilot customer at cost

Time development process to establish pricing model

Get testimonial and case study from pilot

Test demand through cold outreach with concrete examples

Revenue Model

Fixed-price project fees for rapid custom tool development, potentially subscription for maintenance/updates

Competitive Moat

Deep vertical knowledge, proven workflow templates, established customer relationships within niche

Risks to Consider

AI agents may not handle complex business logicMaintenance burden could scale poorlyVertical knowledge barrier to entryCompetition from established development agencies