22-Year-Old Immigrant Made $700K in 3 Months with AI

[@appsumo]

Afforai is back exclusively for Sumo Day, but it won’t last long. Get it here! social.appsumo.com/yt24-brand-alec-afforai

[@afforai]

We're glad to be back!

[@AnthonyRussell-w8l]

Right on!!!! If no one feels you're worthy of an interview, start your own firm. All the best.:)

[@afforai]

🥰

[@strawberries217]

I admire people like him. Take the matters with his own hands, no whining no blaming.

[@UnfilteredLifeJourney]

Yeah, totally. He is so inspiring. The world needs more action takers.

[@UnfilteredLifeJourney]

It is inspiring to see young people are not waiting around to be handed job and waiting on other peoples consensus to decide what the outcome of their financial future should be. We are taking the power back into our hands and building our own future, and carving out a space for ourselves. Best of luck!

[@CancerZodiacAstrologyHoros-k7z]

That's NICE, but keep in Mind that NOT everyone Who Starts a Business will Succeed, and most People Are Struggling to PAY those bills while they try to figure Out A Business; So They NEED A JOB meanwhile and that Keeps them busy and energy drained, bills don't wait to be Paid, it's a FACT of Life. Some times College Students Can Focus MORE.

[@JenniferFernandez-72]

After so much struggles I now own a new house and my family is happy once again everything is finally falling into place!!🇸🇮🇸🇮

[@LyraChannel8]

Congratulations

[@firewatermoonsun]

He came to the US 5 year ago from Vietnam and his English is excellent!

[@afforai]

Thank you!

[@icanduo]

He probably has a background with speaking English.

[@anthonywright5275]

@@afforai That's the first thing I noticed! I was like holy crap, his English to be a Vietnam native is excellent! 👍🏾

[@wpn-k8d]

Not excellent but ok

[@JCizzleSoCal]

@@wpn-k8dHis English is excellent especially in comparison to 99% of people that just came to the US within the past few years. Make sense little buddy?

[@alllifetimedeals]

00:02 22-Year-Old Immigrant made $700k in 3 months with AI 01:16 Aori provides an AI-powered platform for managing research papers and conducting literature reviews. 03:50 Immigrant student finds success with AI startup 05:01 Struggling to stay in the US as an immigrant student, facing challenges in finding sponsor or employer 07:49 Achieved 4th place product with minimal marketing cost. 09:08 22-Year-Old Immigrant Made $700K in 3 Months with AI 11:55 Creating an impressive pitch deck for VCs 13:15 Immigrant entrepreneur finds unconventional sleep solution 15:53 Value creation is crucial for startups to succeed

[@Lemariecooper]

Making money should be a routine. The secret to making a million is making better investment.

[@Erikkurilla01]

Consistent and smart investing is key to building wealth. Making informed investment decisions regularly can significantly increase your chances of reaching that million-dollar milestone.

[@jessicasquire]

You're right! I've been in touch with a financial advisor ever since I started my business. Knowing today's culture, The challenge is knowing when to purchase or sell when investing in trending stocks, which is pretty simple. On my portfolio, which has grown over $900k in a little over a year, my adviser chooses entry and exit orders.

[@tahirisaid2693]

Please who is the consultant that assist you with your investment and if you don't mind, how do I get in touch if you don't mind

[@jessicasquire]

Julianne Iwersen NIemann is the licensed advisor I use. Just research the name. You’d find necessary details to work with a correspondence to set up an appointment.

[@tahirisaid2693]

Thank you so much for your helpful tip! I was able to verify the person and book a call session with her. She seems very proficient and I'm really grateful for your guidance

[@yamchayaku]

This is the way to go. If employers won't hire you or if your current boss is trash, you're better off using AI and becoming a competitor

[@takenokosan6627]

Alec, I’m so happy to see this as a friend who used to spend time a lot during high school. I hope I can see you soon maybe visit your office 😆 congrats man

[@KentBrono]

I think it's important to stick to stocks that are immune to economic policies. I'm looking at NVIDIA and other AI stocks that have the potential to power and transform future technologies. It seems AI is the trajectory most companies are taking, including even established FAANG companies

[@BaffySchenck]

Well all i know is that you cannot go wrong taking profit at near high. No one ever went broke taking a ~20% profit. It's best if you consult with a fiduciary advisor in situations like this so you can make informed decisions.

[@MagdaleneM-f3q]

That's a great analogy and I love the insight. Professionals could make a really big difference in investing, and I think everyone should have one. There are aspects of market trend that is difficult for the untrained eyes to see.

[@PajinakStanovska]

That's a great tip. I'm setting out 50k to invest in the market this year. Any particularly useful tips you could offer to me?

[@MagdaleneM-f3q]

My CFA JULIANNE IWERSEN NIEMANN' a renowned figure in her line of work. I recommend researching her credentials further... She has many years of experience and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to navigate the financial market..

[@PajinakStanovska]

Thank you for sharing this. I took the time to Google the individual you mentioned, and after reviewing her resume, it is evident that she is a seasoned professional. I have reached out to her and am eagerly awaiting her response.

[@niharikapatil902]

I came here from Alec’s Reddit! I loved listening to his and as an international graduate who didn’t get into any fancy tech companies this made me very hopeful 🥺

[@afforai]

Omg, glad to see you here :)) - Alec

[@anhominh1058]

Cool man, wish you all the best! From Vietnam :)

[@afforai]

Oh awesome! thanks for watching.

[@MarcusDiana]

I wasn't financial free until my 40’s and I’m still in my 40’s, bought my third house already, earn on a monthly through passive income, and got 4 out of 5 goals, just hope it encourages someone's that it doesn’t matter if you don’t have any of them right now, you can start TODAY regardless your age INVEST and change your future! Investing in the financial market is a grand choice I made.

[@ConorONeil-]

That's awesome!!! I know nothing about investment and I'm keen on getting started. What are your strategies?

[@SarahGarbeth]

Investing with an expert is the best strategy for beginners and busy investors, as most failures and losses in investment usually happen when you invest without proper guidance. I'm speaking from experience.

[@strawberries217]

Keep it going, the world especially the whole north america needs more ppl like you.

[@noahkagan]

Yes!!!!. More please

[@afforai]

tacos on me, Noah & Mitchell - Alec at Afforai

[@eujin9709]

Wow you're here.❤

[@trickyplays240]

Just bought your book!

[@AKA96369]

@@eujin9709 he sponsors this channel

[@byronomboy]

Nice List: 1. The Mom Test 2. Digital Marketing for Dummies 3. Get Backed 4. Shoe Dog AppSumo

[@anthonyheak3479]

Can't land a job, start your own firm! Great job!

[@superAweber]

Good health and prosperity Alec. Your product has changed what I think is possible in my life. It's a big enabling product. From an ethical health writer/copywriter in the UK.

[@afforai]

I'm really glad to hear that! We'll continue to make Afforai even better. - Alec

[@TXanders]

Investing into Alec and Hung's values was probably one of my favourite decisions this year. So much potential

[@afforai]

Thank you a ton! We in it to build something meaningful. - Alec

[@spengfxtrades2044]

@TXanders what’s your IG?

[@trickyplays240]

@@afforaihow can we invest in your business ?

[@Alanek567]

Love the energy. All the best to your collaboration, guys

[@wilso3697]

That is amazing. International student here living in Madison WI.

[@afforai]

Cool! I used to live in Appleton - Alec

[@Cambellioso]

NGL, I got a lot of value from hearing your journey. Bought The Mom Test. Diving in tomorrow. I didn’t buy Afforai on AS, but I’ll follow the brand now thx to this founders grit. Kudos to AS & Afforai for a dope collab top to bottom. Rock out team!

[@afforai]

Enjoy the book, it's fantastic! - Alec

[@veneta72]

This guys unique and impressive. Seems comfortable in his own skin all the while presenting with a lot of maturity as well as humility

[@Vin-u5p]

I am sending this to all of my relatives. Keep up the great work em 💪🏼

[@afforai]

Oh my! That'd be great. Thanks - Alec

[@pusa81]

Nice story, but it would be nice to hear more about the technical aspects of building the application and how they did it, and actual 'mechanics' of building up the business.

[@afforai]

We did talk about that too, but it was a 2 hour conversation.

[@realcareers]

​@Afforai so you leave out the most important part? I agree with the original comment. Thanks for marketing your company to us on KZbin but did you program the original application yourselves or did you use the $10,000 to pay a programmer? Is your background in software development or physical education? If you're not a researcher how did you know about the problem? Who did the coding or was it paid for? What was the product like before the funding came in, how far did you get coding this yourself, or did you even code it yourself. Are you an engineer? At 21 or 22 what did you know about research? How much programming experience did you have? Can anyone do this or did you pay a programmer? Thanks for advertising your company to us but to lend value you skipped everything in the HOW TO side.

[@afforai]

@@realcareers Everything is built in house by me and my co-founder and CTO. And we did research back in college so I can say we have expertise in this topic. I wish the video addressed the rest of your questions but the editing and post-prod was done my AppSumo, we didn't have control over that. Maybe in another video we address these.

[@user-tz9jh6pv2j]

@@realcareers He's not the one who posted this. Pay attention.

[@jhay_vine5083]

happy for you man! love your content !!

[@theautomomma6750]

Love it! Congrats Alec! Happy Afforai user 😎

[@afforai]

Appreciate it! Afforai just got better with the newest version launch. How have you found it so far?

[@recepby]

Aori built a research workflow platform to help researchers manage citations, references, and conduct literature reviews. The credit to their success to factors including: Starting with a student project and focusing on solving a real problem for their target audience. Continuously iterating on the product based on user feedback. Not focusing on revenue but on building the best product for their customers. Three books that had a big impact on him: The Mom Test, Digital Marketing for Dummies, and Get Backed.

[@recepby]

The Mom Test: Focus on asking the right questions to validate your business idea and avoid confirmation bias. Talk to potential customers about their lives and past experiences, not future desires. Digital Marketing for Dummies: Learn the basics of online marketing strategies like SEO, social media marketing, and email marketing to reach your target audience effectively. Get Backed: Securing funding for your venture. It emphasizes building strong relationships with potential investors and providing value to them.

[@LaidbackAL]

Good summary

[@ToanLe-vv4mw]

The American dream is just an idea. I am 44 and feeling like I am over this rat race and wanna be free of the trap. I've lost everything a year ago and feel like I have to start over again but all these young people are so motivating

[@streakurt]

Oh my friend I'm 30.5 years old and when i watched this guy i thought %100. same thing what you thought...I really wish back to my 22 years old.

[@afforai]

@@streakurt It's never too late. So many amazing entrepreneurs started in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Just go do it! - Alec

[@vladonutueu]

I know the feeling I often feel this myself and I’m not even in USA so much less opportunity down here in Europe but at the same time I tried to remember Colonel Sanders who founded KFC franchise at 60+ something years old, so anyone who is 30, 40 even 50 I think has decent chances to get up a start up and succeed. It’s actually much more probable to succeed as a start-up founder if you are older than if you’re 20, at least according to the stats..

[@jaisandhu26]

Proud of you guys!

[@afforai]

❤❤❤

[@NickChristensen09]

🔥🔥🔥 more content like this!

[@afforai]

😃

[@simplyme9336]

something really weird... i have refreshed the webpage noumerous times and it always freezes at 0:59 without loading further

[@1neMoreDay]

Awesome young man. Bright future ahead of him and his co-founder.🎉

[@afforai]

Just doing our best everyday! - Alec

[@GeorgiaMoore.]

If you wanna be successful, you most take responsibility for your emotions, not place the blame on others. In addition to make you feel more guilty about your faults, pointing the finger at others will only serve to increase your sense of personal accountability. There's always a risk in every investment, yet people still invest and succeed. You must look outward if you wanna be successful in life>>

[@afforai]

True words spoken. Take responsibility for your own life basically. I vibe with that. - Alec.

[@Joegolberg1]

The first step to successful investing is figuring out your goals and risk tolerance either on your own or with the help of a financial professional but is very advisable you make use of a professional like I did. If you get the facts about saving and investing and follow through with an intelligent plan, you should be able to gain financial security over the years and enjoy the benefits of managing your money.

[@Justinfred11]

The stock market rally run is gone, >

[@Joegolberg1]

Making touch with financial advisors like Walter James Henry who can assist you restructure your portfolio, would be a very creative option. Personal financial management will be crucial to navigating the next difficult times.

[@Joegolberg1]

HE'S MOSTLY ON TELEGRAMS, USING THE USERNAME...

[@VinhPham-hz8ny]

wow congratulations to both of them for founding a company and providing service

[@afforai]

🙏🏼 Appreciate it! - Alec

[@bikotheanimator6169]

Here I am still searching for animation jobs. I graduated in December 2018 after going to school for ten years. -___- I hardly have any money.

[@afforai]

Everything will happen at the right time. I can tell you it's not all rainbow and sunshine in my life, even now. Still grinding working hustling non-stop. - Alec

[@janetvasquez610]

Co out voiceover 123

[@stansmith9293]

Great story wishing them all the best!

[@firewatermoonsun]

You have the same hair styling. I love it)

[@TheDigitalGrowthHacksClub]

Okay Appsumo. I see you... this was nice.

[@afforai]

Glad you enjoyed our story! - Alec

[@Anonymint-vj7bt]

At a 59 years old s/w dev and seat-of-my-pants serial entrepreneur I can relate to this, including sleeping under my desk, lol. I am still in this game, not just as a mgr. I love getting my hands dirty still. And sleeping next to my desk!

[@afforai]

Yup, that's the life! - Alec

[@Anonymint-vj7bt]

@@afforai we need to eventually put your data on a blockchain so that there is a trustless model. And btw, there are no smart contract decentralized blockchains currently. I could explain why. For one, no blockchain has legitimate public randomness. We could have some deep convos if I am around Austin. Kudos friend. - Shelby

[@mohdjibly6184]

Congratulations Alec …great job

[@Brian-lb3zo]

Good work and congratulations!

[@afforai]

Thank you! Still have a lot more things we want to do to make Afforai even better!

[@_danahmed]

I was just amazed that they both had the exact same haircut. 🤯

[@PainAmvs_]

i just noticed that too lol

[@evaz1383]

Just wow, well done! I wish this tool existed when I did my PhD. It would have saved me a lot of time.

[@afforai]

Appreciate it! And yea, I wish I had this during my research time too. - Alec

[@evaz1383]

@@afforai 😃

[@drianytb]

Appleton, WI mention took me by surprise. Watching it from here!!

[@afforai]

Oh hello! Been a great 5 years living in Appleton. - Alec

[@guccihammer]

If you wanna be successful, make sure to have a lil ponytail like these guys

[@afforai]

haha man bun for the win! Although I did changed my hair style now recently

[@akane8615]

They've skill that took years to learn before this setup.

[@afforai]

definitely many things I learned throughout my life converges to help me build this startup now. - Alec

[@mi81tkne47]

Maybe I missed it but who did the programming for the software?

[@afforai]

My co-founder and I did. - Alec

[@mi81tkne47]

@@afforai Very cool, thanks. Great job man.

[@aquelaquelaquelaquel]

Love this kind of content! Great job guys! Wish you good luck! Thanks for the book recommendations!

[@afforai]

Thank you so much! - Alec

[@hoodhunter3262]

With the skillset and knowledge he has, it's shocking to hear him unable to land a job after applying for over 500+ jobs. Job market has been super tough in the past 16 months. My son recently graduated from UCLA in Statistics and DataScience and he is having a hard time finding any position. It is brutal out there for new college grads. Congrats to Afforai for making this far and to the founders for continuous grinding.

[@KristjanK_]

This was extremely well made video, much better than Starter Story for sure

[@afforai]

Appreciate it! - Alec

[@tech.startups]

Congrats team!

[@afforai]

🥳

[@chiawildy563]

If I didn't have to put a comment, I would. But, you guys have such an effective ad campaign that I just keep seeing your ads whenever i'm on youtube. For this, you guys did damn well. But.... its just simply too well done that it has gotten very annoying to see your usual colleague recite the same lines "I used to.... *blah blah blah* website" or "have you read about the 4 day work week?" It was quite catchy and funny at first, until it gotten so repetitive that I can recite the lines too. Seriously folks. You have a good effective ad campaign without doubt. Now, the same lines are simply "spammy". Consider this a compliment for your ad campaign. But, also for you to start refreshing your ad campaign.

[@sorosfox3801]

Very inspiring! Very impressive

[@afforai]

Appreciate it!

[@FlorentBonlong]

It's interesting to see the opportunities created by AI Now you can start a business Disrupt a business Grow a business Pick a NICHE and go all in

[@afforai]

Yup! - Alec

[@littlebrit]

Is it working ? I can't do anything in the app. I am a researcher. It shows blank page and menus on the side.

[@fabhosted]

amazing success story!

[@jerryfuentes3100]

Instinct for survival kicked in

[@CorazonDesignsandpeople]

Amazing job👌👌👌❤❤❤

[@afforai]

🥰

[@maloukemallouke9735]

Thank's for video, But 700K are revenu or Fundraising?

[@XIYIREN2006]

700k lie

[@afforai]

revenue - Alec

[@NelsonGhee-kj7ms]

I'm in the same situation. I'm going to do the same thing.

[@annhillary9491]

Does the app write papers for students? Is that considered cheating?

[@chriswe67]

How much was profit?

[@Dracstar]

SaaS companies typically have much higher profit margins than traditional companies. I'd estimate 70-80% of gross revenue is profit.

[@Daniel.Alexander]

What were the skills that you had to acquire to get to you coming up with the idea, was it certain programming languages?

[@Raz-o2o]

If you read "The Hidden Goldmine Taken From The Richest" and don't succeed making a business, you never will.

[@mandarinacontent]

Cool! What the technology stack behind? The interface looks like a flutterflow design

[@WilsonDuarte-dk7ck]

can this success be duplicated?

[@Technie87]

You either need the technical skills, or the leadership/ sales skills so you can convince someone to join your team. In this case the average person is not very likely to be able to replicate the scenario as he is the technical person as well as his buddy. Whereas here it seems he also had the leadership/ sales skills as he thought on capitalizing on his product The average person (visionary) is more likely to be able to hire others to do what he and his co-founder did. If I was to replicate this I would do everything they did except work on the app myself as I do not have technical knowledge. Then I would focus on the direction of the company and what the VC is going to want in return as they are typically very needy. Once the VC achieves its break even point they may request him to sell his company in which case he and the VC receive a big fund and he stays as the CEO, or they hire a board to choose another CEO for it. If you get to that point though you are already set for life and he can focus on other ventures That being said, Alec once you guys reach that point can you guys reach out would love to stay in contact as I have a few ideas my self.

[@KungFuChess]

The secret to a successful startup is sumo hair ✊

[@afforai]

Maybe, just maybe! - Alec

[@dhulkiflsani4292]

Can someone outside the US invest in this project?

[@chumleyk]

It's crazy how many AI startups are doing this.

[@tomha9884]

How you guys have the same exact haircut 😂

[@afforai]

I really don't know. Call it fate. - Alec

[@recursion.]

This is a fake video. All pre planned and coordinated.

[@afforai]

@@recursion. 😂😅

[@76ers]

11:09 - Why do you both have the same shaved pony tail hair?

[@afforai]

Haha that was pure coincidence! I don't know either. - Alec

[@YesitisDex]

where is your focus?

[@afforai]

@@YesitisDex My focus is keeping my hair not getting too long haha. Just joking, Afforai's focus is creating best tools to enhance researchers in the age of AI rather than replacing them - Alec

[@pgfputgod1st]

Always invest in self 🎯💎💎💯🙌

[@mkbusiness3561]

whats his work services??

[@imagine1st381]

how does he start a business and pay tax without ssn in the US since he said he's an international student?

[@HuyNguyen-in2hg]

we as international student can get ssn

[@preciousnwaoha3123]

This is inspiring

[@msh104utube]

10:50 Alrite, who copied whose hairstyle first? LOL.

[@afforai]

He copied me :))) - Alec

[@Mscmaharaj]

Awesome information!

[@afforai]

Glad to hear!

[@Cecilia-v7o5d]

What did he study?

[@fullbound]

So... at what stage did he get funded

[@dfkgjdflkg]

good luck, like marriage partners break up. I you two stay, you have done great!

[@tracybodinaar]

Thanks for continuing updates. I'd rather trade the stock market as it's more profitable. I make an average of $30,100 per week even though I barely trade myself.

[@chaiwat7393]

I'm in a similar situation where should I look to increase income? Do you have any advice? What did you do? Thank you

[@fullbound]

Its true because they said it online

[@QuanVu-nm6yn]

chúc mừng mấy em!!

[@afforai]

Cảm ơn bạn - Alec

[@philipsantos5526]

Great story but title is misleading

[@ihuomakings8298]

Notice how they both have the same haircut 😅😊

[@afforai]

a 100% coincidence - Alec

[@craigarchibald230]

Bro I was an immigrant like yourself but my story didn't turn out how you did I was sent back home but not because of any criminal offense my case was badly handle and even put into the hands of a fraud lawyer. Now I'm struggling very very bad and I need help. I have an opportunity to go to another country for a good job but I can I'm asking bro please for help anyone please help me

[@Luno_Referral_Code_ZJBS3P]

Nice ❤❤❤

[@afforai]

🥰

[@rayne8158]

Amazing. Never know AI can do it.

[@DavisFreeman-nu1cu]

Retirement is now more difficult than it was in the past. I've been saving for a long time instead of investing, and right now I only have about $400K. considering all the inflation, i'm thinking of investing in stocks, i dont just have idea on market strategies.

[@WeweAke]

The increasing prices have impacted my plan to retire at 62, work part-time, and save for the future. I'm concerned about whether those who navigated the 2008 financial crisis had an easier time than I am currently experiencing. The combination of stock market volatility and a decrease in income is causing anxiety about whether I'll have sufficient funds for retirement.

[@cuongcuong4669]

maybe HUNG NGUYEN and ALEC NGUYEN from in Viet Nam, because the Full Name same same the human Viet Nam

[@jayvelliott]

And that is why i say "fuck LinkedIn" and "fuck recruiters"

[@afforai]

😂😅

[@jayvelliott]

@@afforai I'm serious I'm making shirts. Going through what you went through since December, LinkedIn job postings aren't even real, companies are just harvesting data.

[@hoodhunter3262]

so true. I find them to be not so quite useful. Linked used to be effective back in the early days, but past few years, all I see are postings of people updating their interest as if they are on Facebook.

[@swipecreator]

Just at USA

[@heromiIes]

I wonder how many of those companies would hire him now.

[@jasonRhawt]

I invested 20mill in this company.

[@mdfirosjohnny6235]

What pesos or rupees?

[@neurorelationships]

The only Question is - how much Alec is taking home after the cut of the GREEDY Appsumo? Its may be only $70k. :) Trust me, this is the FACT!

[@davidkocsis9728]

Spot on :D

[@Amirealestateinvest]

You could make this much with turnkey assets as well like I have

[@johnnny9]

noah be like yes more ! no shit LOL dude made 630k from the 700k the vietnam dude made like 70k from ltd customers that he have to service forever till he close down 🤣

[@ashenjydev]

CAP dont believe , he must have a trust fund back home funding him for multiple startups no way he hustled

[@afforai]

Haha nope. Hustled with the last of my savings. Or else why would we try to go raise from VCs. We had no connections or backing in the US. I was broke in college too. Alec, co-founder of Afforai.

[@sanchi3944]

This is inspirational and informative well done Alec! Impressed with how chill you are as well. Hope you guys keep succeeding.

[@afforai]

@@sanchi3944 Holding onto my hunger for success the same as when I was in college. It doesn't really change.

[@paulhan7770]

funny how, they both have a similiar hair style.

[@bravo1oh1]

honestly id rather work at jack in the box and b-ng latinas..

[@afforai]

Yea building a startup takes everything out of me so I don't blame you :) - Alec