When I started Daylicious, I didn’t set out to build a unicorn. I set out to build a tool that I, and people like me, actually wanted to use. A product that helps individuals and teams make sense of their lives and work, without selling their attention or their data. Something useful, thoughtful, and alive with personality. Something that could stand on its own two feet.
Just a guy and his Cursor subscription.
It’s fashionable in tech to raise money early, to chase the “go big or go home” dream. I’ve seen the pitch decks, the accelerators, the endless obsession with valuations and growth curves. But here’s the thing: too many startups lose themselves in the process. They take on capital, take on pressure, and slowly lose sight of what made their product magical. They start optimizing for investors, not users. For the next round, not the next meaningful feature. I have no interest in that trap.
Daylicious is one of the only AI startups out here competing in the big leagues while proudly bootstrapped. I'm building a personal assistant that works across your surfaces — a companion for your digital life that respects you. Not a growth machine for someone else’s portfolio. Not a black box shaped by a boardroom. A product shaped by curiosity, craft, and the people who actually use it.
Bootstrapping isn’t just a funding decision; it’s a philosophy. It means:
Building at our own pace, where quality matters more than quarterly numbers.
Listening to real users, not pitch feedback.
Making design and product decisions with long-term integrity, not short-term hype.
Growing revenue from customers who value the work, not investors who want an exit.
I want to prove something: that a small, independent team can still build world-class technology without bending the knee to VC money. That we can create meaningful, profitable software without sacrificing vision or soul. That thoughtful can win.
So if you’re looking to write a check, thanks, but no thanks. I’m flattered, but I’m building Daylicious to stand on its own. I'll grow carefully, sustainably, and in service of the people who use it — not a cap table.