“Let’s add AI” = rabbit hole. Here’s the lean path I took last quarter.
Step 1 – Find the 30-second task users repeat
For us: typing the same support macro over and over. Boring, measurable, perfect.
Step 2 – Mock it with Zapier + GPT
One afternoon, one webhook, zero infra. Users typed /smartReply, got a draft back. Conversion tracked via a hidden button.
Cost: $18.44 in OpenAI credits
Insight: 67 % adopted in first week → green-light.
Step 3 – Hard-wire it
Moved from Zapier to a tiny FastAPI service behind our own auth.
Latency dropped from 8 s to 1.9 s. Users noticed.
“Feels like it was always part of the product.” — beta tester
Step 4 – Price it separately
Usage-based $49 / 1 000 AI replies. Net new MRR last month: $3 800.
Mistakes I’d dodge next time
- No guardrails early → one joker tried it on PII. Add filters day 1.
- Chose a huge context window; cut tokens by 60 % = ½ the bill.
- Forgot analytics events around errors; blind spot for a week.
TL;DR
- Prototype with no-code & keys.
- Ship the smallest repetitive win.
- Track adoption before infra.
- Charge once it’s fast and trusted.
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