Discover how solo founders use AI tools to build and ship products faster, smarter, and with real momentum in 2025. Get inspired to ship your next MVP today.
The game has changed for indie founders.
You don't need a team to build and launch a product anymore. You don't need a huge budget or years of coding experience. You just need smart AI tools designed to accelerate solo building — and the mindset to ship fast.
Let's be honest, building products solo means juggling every role. From coding and designing to testing and marketing, the workload never stops. Without the right tools, speed grinds to a crawl.
That's exactly what Built This Week focuses on. Every week, Sam and Jordan share real-time builds using the latest AI-powered development tools. They show you how solo devs ship smarter, not harder.
Here's how today's indie founders are using AI to build products solo and move faster.
AI coding assistants are the secret weapon for solo developers. Tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor write, debug, and refactor code alongside you.
Why we use them: They cut down development time by up to 40%, eliminating tedious boilerplate so you can focus on the unique parts of your product.
Tabnine is another favorite, especially for builders who want on-premises AI code completions with enterprise-grade privacy.
On Built This Week, Sam demonstrated how GitHub Copilot powered rapid feature prototyping in Next.js — shipping features in hours instead of days.
Platforms like Bolt.new and v0.dev make bootstrapping functional apps a breeze. Just provide your idea in natural language, and the AI spins up prototypes.
Why we use them: They let you validate ideas fast without committing to full-stack builds.
Replit’s AI-assisted IDE offers holistic support for coding, documentation, and debugging all in the browser — an all-in-one tool for solo dev workflow efficiency.
Integrating AI models is no longer complex. APIs like OpenRouter and Claude provide plug-and-play access to powerful language models without vendor lock-in.
Why we use them: They let you build smart assistants and intelligent features in hours, not weeks.
Vercel AI SDK simplifies serverless deployments for AI, crucial for solo devs shipping production-ready AI features quickly.
No-code platforms like n8n empower solo builders to automate repetitive tasks and APIs without writing complex logic.
Why we use them: They free up time to focus on user experience and product growth.
Combine these with Google AI Studio’s real-time AI assistance, and you get a development flow tailored for speed and flexibility.
Solo builders using AI can match or exceed the output of larger teams. They launch minimum viable products weeks faster, iterate rapidly, and test ideas with real users sooner.
The Built This Week approach demonstrates the power of combining AI coding assistants, rapid app generators, and backend integrations to accelerate solo builds.
Speed wins in indie product development. The right tools are your unfair advantage.
Built This Week isn’t theory. It’s raw, weekly builds with real tools and real code.
Each episode dives deep into how solo founders like Sam and Jordan use these AI tools to ship products every single week. You get to see demos, code walkthroughs, and the honest ups and downs of building in public.
This transparency helps you avoid the hype and focus on what truly accelerates your workflow.
Building products solo is no longer about struggling through every step alone.
AI tools have leveled the playing field and shifted the advantage to speed, iteration, and learning quickly.
Built This Week proves that when you combine discipline with the right tools, you can ship meaningful products week after week.
That momentum is everything.
🎧 Subscribe to Built This Week
If you want to learn how solo founders are using AI to build, ship, and iterate faster without the fluff, Built This Week is your frontline resource.
Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you build your playlist.
Because if you're solo, your speed is your edge. Ship something this week.
