Why Most AI Startups Fail—And How Klipy Got It Right

Welcome to Maven Club. If you're an early-stage founder navigating go-to-market challenges, searching for product-market fit, or figuring out how to scale, this newsletter is for you. Today, we break down the journey of Jung, founder of Klipy—a next-generation CRM that eliminates manual sales processes using AI.

Instead of relying on traditional SaaS growth tactics, Klipy found success by deeply understanding its users, leveraging content-led growth, and rethinking how AI can streamline workflows. Let’s dive into their approach—and the lessons founders can take from it.

1. Your Best Startup Idea Is Hidden in Your Biggest Frustration

Jung didn’t set out to build a CRM. He was simply frustrated by the unnecessary manual work involved in traditional sales processes. He realized that CRM adoption was low because salespeople actively avoided using them. The pain wasn’t the software itself—it was the inefficiency it introduced. Traditional CRMs require constant manual updates, forcing sales teams to spend more time on data entry than selling. By questioning why this inefficiency existed in the first place, Jung saw an opportunity to build a CRM that actually works the way salespeople do.

“I was implementing CRMs for enterprises and saw the same problem repeatedly—salespeople don’t want to use them. So I asked, what if I just removed all manual entry? Would they use it then?”

Founder Takeaways:

• Your best startup idea might be hidden in what you personally hate doing.

• If you see people avoiding a system, there’s an opportunity to eliminate or automate that pain point.

• Before starting your company, ask yourself what processes people tolerate but secretly despise.

2. Finding the Right ICP: Get It Wrong Fast, Then Correct It

Like many founders, Jung started with a wrong assumption about his target audience. Initially, Klipy targeted enterprise sales teams, assuming that salespeople at large companies would benefit the most from automation. However, he quickly ran into adoption challenges—enterprise security protocols, compliance issues, and long sales cycles made it an uphill battle. After iterating quickly, he found his sweet spot: digital agencies with 5-20 employees in the US. These businesses had an immediate need for a lightweight, automation-first CRM, and they were nimble enough to adopt new tools without corporate red tape.

“We threw it out there and watched what stuck. We launched on Product Hunt and analyzed who actually stayed. Our first ICP assumption was completely wrong, but fast iteration helped us correct it.”

Founder Takeaways:

• Your first ICP guess is probably wrong. The key is to test and iterate quickly.

• Launch widely, then analyze retention to see which customer segment actually sticks.

• If your first customers aren’t converting, don’t double down—pivot and try another audience.

3. AI Isn’t Magic: The Hardest Part of AI Products Is Specialization

Building AI tools sounds futuristic, but Jung warns that most AI founders fall into the trap of overestimating general-purpose AI. In the early days of generative AI, many startups focused on broad applications, assuming that a single, all-powerful AI assistant could handle everything. But as the market matured, it became clear that specialization was the key to differentiation. AI systems must be trained for specific workflows, user behaviors, and business logic to be truly effective. Klipy found success by narrowing its AI capabilities to just one mission: eliminating manual CRM entry.

“The biggest mistake in AI is thinking you can build one magical AI prompt that does everything. The reality is, AI needs to be specialized—just like humans specialize in different jobs.”

Founder Takeaways:

• AI is not a silver bullet—it must be deeply tailored to a specific workflow.

• The market is moving away from generic AI chatbots toward hyper-specialized AI agents.

• If you’re building AI, pick a niche and become the best at one specific problem before expanding.

4. How Klipy Turns LinkedIn Content into a Customer Machine

Instead of relying on ads, Jung built Klipy using content-led growth. But unlike most founders who chase virality, his approach focuses on driving conversions, not just impressions. Many startups assume that the key to content marketing is maximizing reach, but Jung discovered that a smaller, highly targeted audience is far more valuable than a large, disengaged one. By focusing on LinkedIn, he was able to engage with decision-makers, showcase the value of Klipy through insightful posts, and drive inbound interest organically.

“Viral posts are useless if they don’t convert. I don’t care about likes—I care about how many signups I get.”

Founder Takeaways:

• Going viral means nothing if it doesn’t bring paying users. Focus on quality over quantity.

• LinkedIn is the best B2B platform—but only if you treat your profile as a landing page.

• Track who engages with your posts, then nurture them into customers.

5. Pricing Isn’t About What Customers Want—It’s About What They’ll Pay For

Jung initially priced Klipy as a seat-based subscription, but found that AI tools function better with usage-based pricing. He also experimented with lifetime deals (LTDs) on AppSumo to acquire early users. Pricing is one of the most difficult challenges for any startup, and many founders make the mistake of setting their prices based on what customers say they want rather than what they are actually willing to pay for. Jung realized that the true value of Klipy wasn’t in the software itself—it was in the time saved. This led him to explore pricing models that directly tied cost to business outcomes.

“If you only listen to what customers want, you’ll end up with a $1 plan. Instead, figure out what pain is big enough for them to actually pay for.”

Founder Takeaways:

• Test multiple pricing models (subscription, usage-based, one-time) and see which one sticks.

• AppSumo can drive early users, but be mindful—it’s not a sustainable revenue model.

• If you’re building AI, tie pricing to the problem you solve, not just the features you offer.

Final Thought: Build for Efficiency, Not Just Features

Klipy’s journey highlights the power of rapid iteration, deep customer understanding, and automation-driven efficiency. Jung’s experience reinforces the importance of focusing on what truly matters—eliminating friction for users rather than simply adding more functionality.

For founders, the key question is: Are you building something that makes work easier, or are you just creating another tool? The best startups remove effort, not add to it.

If this strategy resonates with you, keep refining, prioritizing, and building products that solve real problems.

Until next time,

Maven Club