One Million Goal.
Can AI help a solo founder hit €1M? Let's find out together!
by Marco Santonocito on 29 Jan 2025
Hey, I'm Marco.
On January 1st, 2025, I asked myself a question: "Can AI help a solo founder hit €1M?"
Instead of just wondering, I decided to put it to the test. With AI as my co-pilot, I set out to build a €1M business from scratch—all while keeping my day job.
No fluff. No shortcuts. Just the raw, unfiltered reality of my One Million Goal. I share everything—the wins, the struggles, and the lessons that actually make a difference.
Are you curious about what's possible when you go all-in with AI?
It was 2017 when I launched Ammesso.it, a simple app to help my friends prepare for their medical school entrance exams. What started as a side project eventually grew into the most popular exam prep app among Italian students, leading to a 6 figures acquisition. That moment changed everything - it showed me that the path from side project to success wasn't just a dream. It was possible.
Today, I'm embarking on an even bigger journey, and I want to bring you along for every step.
One Million Goal.
On January 1st, 2025, I asked myself a bold question: "Can AI help a solo founder hit €1M?"
Instead of just wondering, I decided to put it to the test. With AI as my co-pilot, I'm setting out to build a million-euro business from scratch—all while keeping my day job and raising a one-year-old daughter with my partner.
Why now? We're at an unprecedented moment in history. AI isn't just another tool—it's potentially the greatest leverage multiplier founders have ever had. I've already seen its impact firsthand with babytales.ai, where we're creating personalized children's books using artificial intelligence. What once would have required a team of illustrators, writers, and developers can now be accomplished by two people: me and my partner.
This technological revolution is democratizing entrepreneurship in ways we've never seen before, and I want to document exactly how far it can take us.
The Three Summits
I've broken down this ambitious journey into three distinct milestones:
First Summit: €1 Million Total Revenue
The initial goal is to generate one million euros in combined revenue from my various projects. This first milestone is about proving the fundamentals - that I can create products people want and are willing to pay for, with AI accelerating both development and go-to-market strategies.
Second Summit: €1 Million ARR
Once we hit that first million, the focus shifts to sustainability. Can AI help build something that generates one million in annual recurring revenue? This isn't just about one-time sales anymore - it's about creating lasting value with systems that can scale without proportional human input.
Final Summit: €1 Million MRR
The ultimate challenge: scaling to one million in monthly recurring revenue. This is the kind of growth that transforms side projects into legitimate enterprises, the kind that could redefine what's possible for entrepreneurs in the AI age.
Why Share This Journey?
The entrepreneurship space is filled with success stories told in retrospect, carefully curated to show only the highlights. But that's not what we need. We need real stories, told in real-time, showing both the triumphs and the failures.
As I write this, I'm sitting in my home office in Pordenone, Italy. It's late evening, and I've just finished putting my daughter to bed. Like many of you, I'm building these dreams in the margins of my day.
What You'll Find Here
This blog will focus on three core areas:
- AI-Powered Indie Projects
I'll share detailed breakdowns of how I'm using AI across my projects - from Babytales.ai to new ventures I haven't even conceived yet. You'll see exactly which AI tools I'm using, how I'm integrating them, and most importantly, where they fall short and require human intervention. - The Zero to Million Journey
Every milestone, metric, and method will be documented. Whether it's how AI transforms customer acquisition strategies, pricing decisions, or technical architecture choices, you'll get the unfiltered truth about what works and what doesn't when you're building with artificial intelligence as your co-founder. - The Work-Life Integration Challenge
Building a seven-figure business while maintaining a full-time job and being present for family isn't just about time management - it's about strategic leverage. I'll share how AI helps me navigate these waters, automating what machines do best so I can focus on what humans do best - creativity, relationships, and strategic thinking.
The Journey Begins
In 2022, Annalisa and I spent time as digital nomads, exploring Southeast Asia. That experience taught me something crucial: the most meaningful journeys are the ones we share with others. One Million Goal is my way of sharing what could be the most significant journey of my professional life.
Will I reach these ambitious goals with AI as my co-pilot? Honestly, I don't know. But I do know that the pursuit itself will be worth it, and the lessons learned along the way could help define what's possible.
If you're building something on the side, dreaming of financial freedom, or just curious about what it really takes to scale indie projects or startups with AI, I invite you to follow along.
Subscribe to get regular updates, detailed breakdowns, and honest reflections from the journey.
No fluff. No shortcuts. Just the raw, unfiltered reality of my One Million Goal.
Your turn: What's your million-dollar goal? Share it in the comments below, and let's build something extraordinary together.