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Turns plain language into managed business automations, with high-ticket implementation work funding the product.
contractor automation quoted at $5K–$8K · BYU projects in the $5K range · nonprofit builds around $1K–$2K
“The product is the vehicle; you still have to step on the gas”—their early revenue came from relationships and selling real workflow outcomes.
Fewer bars = easier, cheaper, or faster for an AI-assisted solo builder. Editorial judgments based on the case details.
Jacob Zandell and Grant Hill started Instance AI after seeing nontechnical operators struggle with the complexity of n8n. Their product turns a plain language description into an automation workflow, shows which integrations need setup, and lets the user publish triggers from a visual editor. The founders built the product with Lovable, including its frontend, backend, and connectivity, and said they had begun the work only a couple of weeks before the interview. Their first customers came through relationships already in their networks: Grant contacted a university team he knew, and Jacob messaged an electrical contractor owner he had met through networking. Those engagements included HR automations for the contractor and licensing department workflows for Brigham Young University. They also had presales with nonprofits. The founders said they were on track to generate $10,000 that month, but described a mix of signed projects, ongoing management, and presales rather than a mature subscription base. Their sharper opportunity is using a reusable automation product to make high-value implementation work faster and easier to maintain.
For Instance AI, the shortest route to the first customers is trust-based outreach to organizations with visible, repeated workflow pain.
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Data credibility: Jacob Zandell and Grant Hill report that Instance AI was on track to generate $10,000 in revenue during the interview month. They describe signed contractor work, several university projects in the $5,000 range, and nonprofit presales. These are founder statements in a YouTube interview; the transcript provides no invoices, financial dashboard, or third-party verification, and the $10,000 is a target rather than confirmed month-end revenue.
The first dollar for Instance AI came through paid implementation work attached to the product, rather than a reported self-serve subscription. The founders described a contractor engagement priced at roughly $5,000 to $8,000 depending on the HR automation scope.
Instance AI can build a self-reinforcing growth loop when each delivery becomes a repeatable pattern and a credible customer story.
A new enterprise automation business often spends its early stretch waiting for internal stakeholders to review a demo, security questions, and integration details.
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