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Free workshop replay · 95 minutes

My AI MVP is stuck at 80%: fix it, rebuild it or sell it by hand?

You fix the login and the dashboard breaks. Here's how to decide what to do next, how to brief a developer and check the quote, and how to keep earning while it gets fixed.

With Kale Miller, fractional CTO, and Matt Ainsworth, The Lean CPTO

Workshop replay: My AI MVP is stuck at 80%. Fix it, rebuild it, or sell it by hand?

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Free. You'll also get the replay link by email, plus the worksheet we use in the session. Privacy

The answer, in short

When an AI-built MVP stalls at 80%, you can fix it, rebuild it, or pause it and sell it by hand. Before you spend more:

  • get a developer to look at the code and give you a simple price for the fix
  • avoid a full rebuild if you can, and work out what you need for the last 20% instead
  • sell it by hand in the meantime: a one-page offer, a payment link, and you do the work behind the scenes
  • if you pay a developer, use small fixed-price milestones and keep everything in your name

And get a second opinion on any quote, the same way you would with a doctor or a tradesperson.

What you'll learn

  • Why AI builds stall. AI is trained to solve the problem in front of it as quickly as possible, so one fix can break something else.
  • How specs stop the breakage. Write down what has to keep working, so every change can be checked against it.
  • Fix it, rebuild it or sell it by hand. How to decide, and what to do when you can't sell it by hand.
  • What each path costs. A fix, a rebuild or a pause, and how to keep hosting and payments simple at the start.
  • The one-page developer brief. What it does and who it's for, what's broken, what done looks like, and where it lives.
  • How to check a quote. Fixed or variable, the fine print, paying by milestone, and why fixed prices carry padding.
  • How to keep it in your name. The code, the repositories, the GitHub account, the domain and the hosting.
  • Selling it by hand. Real examples, including a business that started with a spreadsheet and phone calls instead of an app.
  • A 7-day plan to decide what happens next and make one clear payment ask.

Who it's for

  • Your AI-built MVP is nearly done, but it won't get over the line.
  • You keep fixing one thing and breaking another, and every attempt costs credits.
  • You're about to pay a developer or an agency and want to know what to ask first.

Chapters

Sign up above to watch, and each chapter becomes a link that jumps straight to it.

  1. What this session covers
  2. Easy to build, hard to sell
  3. What the last 20% really is
  4. Why AI MVPs stall
  5. Mechanical Turk: do it by hand first
  6. Necessary, nice to have or unnecessary
  7. Using specs so AI stops breaking things
  8. Fix it, rebuild it or sell it by hand
  9. "Can I just click around?"
  10. When you can't sell by hand
  11. Strategic partners as funding
  12. What each path costs
  13. The one-page developer brief
  14. Keep the IP in your name
  15. How to check a quote
  16. Selling it by hand: real examples
  17. Your 7-day plan

Your hosts

Kale Miller, fractional CTO.

Kale builds internal software for his clients' businesses, such as ERPs and CRMs. He works mainly with small businesses and established founders.

Matt Ainsworth, The Lean CPTO.

20+ years across product, tech and sales in Australia and Japan, and 10 years mentoring founders in both countries. Matt helps business owners sell as they build.

Start with Workshop 01

How to keep your AI MVP costs down. Where the money actually goes, how to cap it, and how to price so your customers cover it.

Watch Workshop 01

Questions

Should I rebuild my AI-built app from scratch?

Usually not. Work out what you need for the last 20% first, and get a developer to look at it before you decide. If someone tells you straight away that it needs a full rebuild, get another opinion.

Can I give a developer my AI-built prototype as the brief?

Often, yes. Most modern developers are happy to use one as a specification. Keep it to the features you want in version 1, or say clearly which part you want them to work on.

Should I pay a developer a fixed price or by the hour?

Kale's advice in the session is a fixed price in small milestones, so you can check the work piece by piece and leave after the first one if it isn't working. With a single developer, time and materials can also make sense, because fixed prices usually include padding.

How do I sell an MVP that isn't finished?

Put a simple one-page offer on a landing page, take payment with something like a Stripe link, and deliver the result by hand behind the scenes. Bring the product in over time as you build it out.