5 AI-Powered Steps That Changed How I Build Businesses

I’m standing here near London Bridge, and I want to share something that’s fundamentally changed how I approach business and life. Over the years, I’ve built companies, sold software, and mentored entrepreneurs—but these five lessons came from hard-won experience, not theory. Some involve AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT. Others are about psychology and market positioning. All of them, I believe, can help you get where you want to be faster than trying to figure everything out alone.

Key Takeaways

Use AI to reverse-engineer a 10-year roadmap by modeling people already living your desired life
Read one hour daily in your field—this compounds to roughly 10 years of accelerated progress
Your subconscious belief about money determines your ceiling more than your skills do
The UK market rewards problem-solving software with acquisition offers, not just subscription revenue
Act from calm confidence, not panic—opportunities arrive when your energy attracts them

Step 1: I Used Claude to Reverse-Engineer My 10-Year Roadmap

Here’s a prompt I now give every entrepreneur I mentor. Open Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini and write something like this:

“I enjoy [X], I’m [Y] years old, and my life purpose is [Z]. Who in the world is currently living where I want to be in 10 years? Give me 5 key steps they took, as if they were my life coach.”

What happens next is powerful. The AI doesn’t just give generic advice—it maps a specific path. In my case, it might say: “You enjoy content creation and helping people. Your best path is building software that facilitates social connection. Someone doing this successfully for 20 years started by seeking investors rather than working for others first, then built email campaigns and reached out via social media. One person invested £10 million. That’s how they reached where they are.”

Is it really this simple? I used to think “life hacking” was exaggerated. But the truth is: your life isn’t long enough to solve everything through trial and error. This prompt gives you a roadmap. I’ve shared the original version in my School community (link below), but you can build your own with that framework.

Step 2: I Read One Hour Daily—And It Compressed a Decade of Learning

The biggest mistake I see now? Outsourcing all thinking to AI. Yes, I run an AI and automation blog. But I still read physical books—one hour every day.

Here’s why: a single book often contains 30-50 years of someone’s distilled experience. The more lives you experience through reading, the better your decisions become. I’ve seen people who read daily in their field advance what feels like 10 years ahead of peers who don’t.

Most people say they don’t have time. Yet they spend three hours on social media watching random videos. This is a choice. If you’re not happy with your results, something needs to change.

Critical caveat: Don’t become dependent on any single book. The author gives you their formula—X led to Y profit in Z time. Understand the logic, but adapt it. If they made money from coffee shops and you want to open a restaurant, extract the principle, not the exact tactic. The formula must be customized to your direction.

Step 3: I Had to Rewire My Brain to Believe Money Was Achievable

This was the hardest lesson. Years ago, I was making significant daily income—actual money hitting my bank account, paying for meals, covering expenses—and I still couldn’t believe it was real. I’d think: “Money this easy can’t be possible.”

I was wrong about “easy.” I don’t mean get-rich-quick schemes. I mean: people who understand the value of their knowledge earn more. I give consulting at what some might consider high rates—£5,000 for strategic guidance. Why? Because I know the roadmap I provide will earn my clients far more than my fee. When I was earning over £10 million monthly, I knew my consulting fee was conservative.

Here’s the psychological shift: once you earn £10,000 and see it in your account, your brain starts asking “Why not £100,000?” The taboos break. Your brain self-educates. You’ll wonder why you spent years on other approaches.

But this only works from a state of calm and security—not panic. When you’re desperate, you repel opportunities. When you’re centered, the universe (or let’s say: your pattern-recognition) starts showing you videos, books, and connections that were always there but invisible to anxious eyes.

Know your value. A gold seller doesn’t negotiate at the bazaar. They know the price. If you know your worth, you don’t need to bargain—opportunities find you.

Step 4: I Built Software to Solve One Problem—Then Sold the Company

The UK, in my experience, is one of the world’s best environments for this strategy. The mindset here is different. People doing million-dollar deals don’t obsess over minor details. They think: “This person built something. If I buy it for £5 million, I can sell for £25 million.” They’re aware of value.

Here’s the exact playbook I see working with young UK entrepreneurs I mentor (and use myself):

Find one problem people have
Study existing solutions and identify their gaps
Build a simple system—using Claude, AI coding tools, or no-code platforms
Share it on social media, do PR, offer it free
Collect feedback from 50-100 users
Iterate based on real usage
List on Flippa or Empire Flippers

I started my own software free this way. The world’s biggest companies—Autopilot, OpenAI, Google, major AI firms—acquire these businesses. Why? For the data. For the customer base. They buy the users.

Manus AI is a perfect example. I made one of the first videos about it, reached hundreds of thousands, other creators shared it—and Facebook acquired it for millions. The formula: provide value first, let purchase follow naturally. Every major startup operates this way now. Don’t sell small subscriptions to small customers. Optimize, then play for the big acquisition.

That software you might sell for £20/month? A company will buy for cash—serious cash—and put it in your pocket.

Step 5: I Learned to Treat Life as a Journey, Not a Sprint

Life goes up and down. What matters is your reaction. Two people face identical situations; one thrives, one stalls. The difference? Perspective.

Your brain can be trained. Hard times pass. As long as you don’t lose internal belief, things align with that belief. Ask yourself: if today were your last, what would you do right now? Start doing those things—life gains meaning when you do.

Here’s what I observe: people working 10-hour days aren’t all billionaires. The wealthiest often work the least. Why? They spend 30 hours thinking through what problem to solve, then solve it once and sell that solution forever. The other person just works more hours.

Act as if you’ve already achieved what you want. It arrives faster that way. Otherwise, the math doesn’t work—everyone grinding 10 hours daily would be rich. They’re not.

FAQ: Common Questions About Building AI-Powered Businesses

Which AI tool works best for the 10-year roadmap prompt?

I’ve tested this across Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. The results are similar if your prompt is specific. The key is including your genuine interests, age, and stated life purpose—generic inputs produce generic outputs.

How much can I realistically sell a micro-SaaS for in the UK?

Based on what I’ve observed on Flippa and Empire Flippers, problem-solving software with verified user data and feedback history typically lists from low six figures to several million pounds. The acquisition price depends on data quality, user count, and strategic fit for buyers—not just revenue.

Do I need coding skills to build software for acquisition?

No. I use Claude and AI coding tools to build systems. The critical skill is identifying a genuine problem and validating it with real users—not writing code yourself. Many successful exits come from founders who focused on problem-validation and user acquisition.

Why give software away free instead of charging £50-100/month?

Because user data and verified feedback are worth more to strategic acquirers than subscription revenue. Fifty free users providing detailed feedback creates an asset that platforms like OpenAI or Google will pay to acquire. Immediate revenue often caps your ceiling.

Conclusion

These five steps aren’t theoretical. I’ve lived them—from disbelieving my own success, to reading my way ahead, to building and exiting software. The tools are here. The UK market is unusually favorable for this approach. What remains is your belief and your willingness to start.

Freedom is the goal. Money is a tool. Everything else follows. If you can achieve that freedom, I’m genuinely happy for you. Share your own experiences in the comments—I’d love to hear what’s working for you.

Watch the full video (in Turkish — English subtitles available):

Tools & Community

TurkoLister — the AI listing tool I use to turn Amazon products into optimized eBay UK listings in about 60 seconds (from £4.99/month, £1 one-week trial).
AI & E-commerce Community — my Turkish-speaking community ($19/month) with weekly live sessions.
Subscribe on YouTube — new experiments every week.

Blog