The #TinyEmpires challenge
Join the build-in-public challenge
Having recently sold my remaining businesses, I have found myself in a familiar position.
Looking for the next idea.
Every business I’ve built has been a solo business. My goal has always been to automate as much of the work as possible and make the remaining parts as streamlined as I can.
As AI has developed, the percentage of automated work has increased. This got me thinking. Would it be possible to build a fully automated business?
To test the theory, I’m building my next project fully in public.
But I don’t want this to just be about me so I’m inviting you to join me in building-in-public. More details below 👇
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What Is #TinyEmpires?
It’s simple: Build your tiny empire in public.
You don’t need to automate everything like I’m doing. You don’t need to use the same tools or follow the same playbook. You just need to build.
The only rules:
Small business
One business (whatever you want to build)
Built in public (share your journey)
That’s it.
Some of you will build SaaS products. Others will create content businesses, coaching offers, or e-commerce stores.
It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re building, you’re sharing, and you’re learning from others doing the same thing.
Why Build in Public?
I’ve built six businesses. Five of them I built in private. One I built semi-publicly.
The public one worked better.
Here’s what building in public gives you:
Accountability – When you post your progress every day, you’re less likely to quit. There’s something about making public commitments that keeps you moving forward even when motivation dips.
Audience before launch – Every update you share builds an audience of people who are already invested in your journey. By the time you launch, you have customers waiting.
Real-time feedback – Share an idea and get feedback from other builders. Show a prototype and get actual opinions from potential customers.
Network effects – When you engage with other builders, you naturally grow your network.
A track record – Your build-in-public posts become proof of your ability to execute. Future customers, partners, or opportunities can see what you’re capable of. This actually makes monetization easier, particularly on the B2B side.
My Experiment: The Fully Automated Business
While you’re building your business your way, I’ll be documenting my attempt to build something that runs completely on its own.
What I’ll be sharing every weekday:
The ideation process and why I choose what to build
Every tool, platform, and integration I use (and what they cost)
Every automation and workflow I create (with screenshots and walkthroughs)
What works and what fails
The actual revenue and costs (when they exist)
The problems automation can’t solve and how I handle them
This is a real experiment for me. It might fail.
But either way, we’ll learn something about what’s possible with AI and automation in 2025.
How the #TinyEmpires Challenge Works
This is designed to be simple and sustainable.
How to Join
Post this on LinkedIn
I’m joining the #TinyEmpires challenge.
Building a one-person business in public.
Starting now.
That’s your commitment. Tag me if you want but it’s not required.
The Daily Practice
Post every weekday with an update and the #TinyEmpires hashtag.
Your updates don’t need to be long. They don’t need to be polished. Just share what you did, what you learned, or what you’re stuck on.
Examples:
“Day 3: Spent 2 hours researching payment processors. Narrowed it down to Stripe vs. Lemon Squeezy. #TinyEmpires”
“Day 12: Launched landing page. Got first signup. #TinyEmpires”
“Day 20: Spent all day debugging. Made zero progress. #TinyEmpires”
The point is consistency and transparency, not perfection.
Engage With the Community
Like and comment on others’ posts in the #TinyEmpires hashtag.
This isn’t just about your journey. When you engage with other builders, you:
Learn from their approaches
Build relationships with potential collaborators or customers
Create goodwill that comes back to you
Make the community stronger for everyone
Aim to engage with at least 2-3 other #TinyEmpires posts each day.
This practice will build your own engagement with the LinkedIn algorithm, but also boost the reach of others posts. Consider connecting with other builders too as you go.
What You Get
Light accountability – The daily posting habit keeps you building even when motivation wanes.
A community of solo founders – You’re building alongside others who understand the journey. Support, ideas, and encouragement from people in the trenches with you.
Grow your LinkedIn presence – Consistent, valuable posts grow your audience on LinkedIn. Some people will follow you for your journey. Others for your insights.
Launch momentum – By the time you’re ready to launch, you’ll have an audience that’s been following your progress.
Feature opportunities – I’ll be watching the #TinyEmpires hashtag. The most interesting builds, biggest wins, and best lessons will get featured in this newsletter.
Who Can Join
Not everyone is starting from the same place. You can still participate regardless of stage.
The Active Builder – You’re already building your business.
Preparing to Build – You’re not ready to launch yet, but you’re following along, learning, and getting ready.
Starting Next Week
I’m kicking off my fully automated business build next Monday.
If you’re joining the #TinyEmpires challenge, post your commitment and start your daily updates.
There’s no formal start date. You can join anytime.
The challenge isn’t a sprint. It’s a practice. Some of you will launch in 30 days. Others will take 90 days or longer. That’s fine. The point is to keep building and keep sharing.
Join #TinyEmpires
Ready to build your one-person business in public?
Step 1: Post this on LinkedIn: “I’m joining the #TinyEmpires challenge. Building a one-person business in public. Starting now.”
Step 2: Share what you’re planning to build in the comments below (optional but encouraged).
Step 3: Start posting daily updates with #TinyEmpires.
Step 4: Engage with other builders using #TinyEmpires.
That’s it.
I’ll be sharing my progress here every week, and I’ll be watching the #TinyEmpires hashtag for interesting builds to feature.
Let’s see what a community of focused solo founders can build.
P.S. - If you’re thinking “I’m not ready yet” or “I need to plan more first,” just post the commitment anyway. You’ll figure it out as you go.
How can we help?
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let's go!
LFG Jt🚀🚀🚀
I'm building my first react native iOS & Android mobile app with Ai, using Cursor and Expo.
It's a social app for people to share their journeys with diary posts...basically an app for building in public.
I finished off the design last month, I start with dev this monday💪🏾🔥