1st-time founder grows AI headshot app from $0 to $10M ARR in 2 years—with no funding. | Wesley Tian, Founder of Aragon

A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

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5d ago 53:26

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Wesley turned a simple AI headshot generator into a $10M ARR, profitable company—in just two years.

He was fired from his job, broke in San Francisco, and, after getting rejected by 30 VCs, down to his last few thousand bucks. But Wesley saw a moment: generative AI was taking off, and no one was tackling AI headshots.

Fast-forward two years, and he’s doing $10M in revenue, profitable, with just 10 employees. He shares every bold tactic—bundling random AI packs, hacking Google rankings, landing affiliates, and manually doing customer support until there was no time left. Wes shares insights that every founder should know, including how he navigated intense competition, handled burnout, and maintained growth without a sales team. You’ll walk away with clear, actionable strategies you can apply immediately.

If you want a raw, practical take on zero-to-10M product-market fit in the AI era, this one’s unmissable.

Why You Should Listen:

• How Wes grew Aragon to $10M ARR—without burning any money.

• The guerrilla marketing tactics Wes used to turn a $30 idea into millions of revenue.

• Why starting early let him outrun lookalike competitors.

• How one affiliate blog post drove more than 50% of early sales.

• How he managed high early churn in the early days until the product improved.

Keywords:

AI startups, early-stage growth, product-market fit, AI headshots, founder stories, affiliate marketing, startup tactics, SEO for startups, guerrilla marketing, startup growth strategies
(00:01:54) Zero to $10M in Two Years

(00:02:34) Exploring Ideas Before AI

(00:05:25) Discovering the AI Headshot Opportunity

(00:07:37) How Getting Fired Led to a Startup

(00:18:31) Doubling Down on Professional Headshots

(00:24:11) Early Guerrilla Marketing and Traction

(00:27:59) From $2K to $200K a Month

(00:32:13) Affiliate Marketing as a Growth Lever

(00:43:18) The Moment of True Product Market Fit

(00:47:18) Surviving Near-Failure and Burnout

Send me a message to let me know what you think!

Chapters

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Zero to $10M in Two Years (00:01:54)

3. Exploring Ideas Before AI (00:02:34)

4. Discovering the AI Headshot Opportunity (00:05:25)

5. How Getting Fired Led to a Startup (00:07:37)

6. Doubling Down on Professional Headshots (00:18:31)

7. Early Guerrilla Marketing and Traction (00:24:11)

8. From $2K to $200K a Month (00:27:59)

9. Affiliate Marketing as a Growth Lever (00:32:13)

10. The Moment of True Product Market Fit (00:43:18)

11. Surviving Near-Failure and Burnout (00:47:18)

181 episodes

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