Can you really build a successful startup with just your lunch money?
I’ve coached over 50 startups and built 2 myself - one of them with just $100. So let me show you exactly how you can build your startup with just $100, where to spend your money, and how you can still outperform the competition.
But before we dive in, let me show you why most founders overspend and waste their money - and how you can avoid this.
I’ve coached over 50 startups and built 2 myself - one of them with just $100. So let me show you exactly how you can build your startup with just $100, where to spend your money, and how you can still outperform the competition.
But before we dive in, let me show you why most founders overspend and waste their money - and how you can avoid this.
The core mistake most founders make
Here’s one of the biggest mistakes founders make: They get a cool idea, believe it’s the next million-dollar startup, and start planning right away.
They start
• sketching logos
• thinking about branding
• getting team members
• planning funding rounds
A couple of weeks later they are knee-deep in a $15,000 product build, a branding agency proposal, and they haven’t even spoken to one potential customer.
They start
• sketching logos
• thinking about branding
• getting team members
• planning funding rounds
A couple of weeks later they are knee-deep in a $15,000 product build, a branding agency proposal, and they haven’t even spoken to one potential customer.
→ That escalated quickly ←
But why do so many founders make this mistake?
It's because they try to build the perfect product. They think spending big equals success. But that’s a trap. And it could cost you your startup.
❌ If you try to build the perfect product, you risk building something no one wants.
✅ It's better to build a focused product – and actually get paying users.
I’ve seen this over and over. Founders waste months building cool dashboards, AI integrations, five-step onboarding flows - only to realize that no one actually needs those features.
So building the perfect product is not the way to go – especially if you want to do it with $100.
So what’s the smarter play?
Here’s the $100 startup blueprint.
The $100 startup game plan
Let me tell you a quick story to make this easier to understand:
A friend of mine - a solo founder - launched an app that just shows people the best hiking spots in their area. And that’s it. No social features, no logins, no fancy AI integrations. Super niche.
A friend of mine - a solo founder - launched an app that just shows people the best hiking spots in their area. And that’s it. No social features, no logins, no fancy AI integrations. Super niche.
The only thing he added was a premium version where people can pay for additional insider information and special spots. He built the first version himself using no-code tools.
Total cost: $0.
And guess what? This app brings him $70,000 revenue per year. $70,000!
Even now, this still impresses me. I built a startup also with just $100, so let me show you how you can do the same – and we start with a super important step - the right strategy.
Total cost: $0.
And guess what? This app brings him $70,000 revenue per year. $70,000!
Even now, this still impresses me. I built a startup also with just $100, so let me show you how you can do the same – and we start with a super important step - the right strategy.
The strategy to build a startup with just $100
To build a successful startup with just $100, you don’t need a complex business plan or a 10-year roadmap.
You need focus.
You need to solve one real problem for one specific group of people. And I mean very specific.
For example, if we stay with our hiking app - you wouldn't say:
❌ “Outdoorsy people.” or
❌ “Anyone who likes nature.”
You would say:
✅ “Hiking lovers who hate crowded trails and just want fresh, quiet places to explore.”
So be very specific about your target audience and make sure you don't go too broad. When you get hyper-specific, it's easier to talk to your users, you know exactly what problem you solve, and most importantly – you can focus on the features that really help your users.
Now that you’ve got the right strategy, let’s build your $100 startup.
You need focus.
You need to solve one real problem for one specific group of people. And I mean very specific.
For example, if we stay with our hiking app - you wouldn't say:
❌ “Outdoorsy people.” or
❌ “Anyone who likes nature.”
You would say:
✅ “Hiking lovers who hate crowded trails and just want fresh, quiet places to explore.”
So be very specific about your target audience and make sure you don't go too broad. When you get hyper-specific, it's easier to talk to your users, you know exactly what problem you solve, and most importantly – you can focus on the features that really help your users.
Now that you’ve got the right strategy, let’s build your $100 startup.
Step 1: Find a problem worth solving – $0
Before anything else, you need a problem to solve. So look around.
• What frustrates people?
• Or what annoys you?
It could be something in your everyday life, something you experience at work, or even a frustration you notice in your hobbies.
One of the best places to find these problems is by watching what people are talking about in online communities, forums, or social media. Keep an ear out for things like:
→ “Man, I wish there was an easier way to do this…” or
→ “Why doesn’t this exist yet?”
These are gold mines for ideas.
But here’s the kicker: Not all problems are worth solving. A problem might sound interesting, but if it doesn’t affect enough people or doesn’t solve a big enough pain, it’s not a good foundation for a business.
Once you identify a problem, take a step back and evaluate it.
Ask yourself:
→ Is this something a large enough group of people care about?
→ Can I make their lives easier?
So, finding a problem worth solving is the first step to getting your startup off the ground, and the good news is – it costs nothing.
STARTUP WORKSHEETS, TEMPLATES, CHEAT SHEETS• What frustrates people?
• Or what annoys you?
It could be something in your everyday life, something you experience at work, or even a frustration you notice in your hobbies.
One of the best places to find these problems is by watching what people are talking about in online communities, forums, or social media. Keep an ear out for things like:
→ “Man, I wish there was an easier way to do this…” or
→ “Why doesn’t this exist yet?”
These are gold mines for ideas.
But here’s the kicker: Not all problems are worth solving. A problem might sound interesting, but if it doesn’t affect enough people or doesn’t solve a big enough pain, it’s not a good foundation for a business.
Once you identify a problem, take a step back and evaluate it.
Ask yourself:
→ Is this something a large enough group of people care about?
→ Can I make their lives easier?
So, finding a problem worth solving is the first step to getting your startup off the ground, and the good news is – it costs nothing.
Step 2: Define your target audience – $0
The next step is to understand your target audience and if those people really have this problem.
In the first startup I joined, we never talked to potential customers, so we built something nobody wanted. The startup failed. Don't make the same mistake.
Go to your potential customers and talk about the problem they experience:
✅ How they currently deal with it
✅ If they want it to be solved
✅ Why they did not solve it already
✅ How they would define success
You don't have to do this in person. You can even do it on Reddit, Facebook groups, Discord servers – wherever your target audience hangs out.
In the first startup I joined, we never talked to potential customers, so we built something nobody wanted. The startup failed. Don't make the same mistake.
Go to your potential customers and talk about the problem they experience:
✅ How they currently deal with it
✅ If they want it to be solved
✅ Why they did not solve it already
✅ How they would define success
You don't have to do this in person. You can even do it on Reddit, Facebook groups, Discord servers – wherever your target audience hangs out.
And here comes the important part: Don’t sell. Just listen and observe.
At this point, you should not have a solution in mind – that's only the next step. For now, you just listen and jot down what worries them about this problem.
The best part? Still costs $0.
Before we move on to the next step, let me show you something that will help you on your startup journey - my Startup Success Bundle.
The Startup Success Bundle is perfect for you if you are looking for a step-by-step, actionable & proven system to guide you to startup success.
Check it out!
Step 3: Brainstorm and validate your idea – $0
Now that you understand the problem and the possible target audience, you brainstorm possible solutions.
No need to overcomplicate it here – just sit down and think about possible solutions or ask ChatGPT to give you some ideas.
And then – once you have a great idea how you can solve the problem, you need to validate it. You want to know if it would be valuable and if people are willing to pay for it.
Validating your idea is absolutely critical because it's basically your free insurance against building something nobody wants.
You can simply do it online with Google Forms or 1-on-1 video calls. And after interviewing 5-10 people, you have a pretty good idea if your solution is valuable and if people would pay for it, or if you need to pivot your idea.
Again – 0 dollars.
No need to overcomplicate it here – just sit down and think about possible solutions or ask ChatGPT to give you some ideas.
And then – once you have a great idea how you can solve the problem, you need to validate it. You want to know if it would be valuable and if people are willing to pay for it.
Validating your idea is absolutely critical because it's basically your free insurance against building something nobody wants.
You can simply do it online with Google Forms or 1-on-1 video calls. And after interviewing 5-10 people, you have a pretty good idea if your solution is valuable and if people would pay for it, or if you need to pivot your idea.
Again – 0 dollars.
Step 4: Build your MVP – $30
The next step is to build your MVP – the minimum viable product.
It’s the simplest version of your product that still solves the core problem and delivers enough value that people would pay for it.
It’s the simplest version of your product that still solves the core problem and delivers enough value that people would pay for it.
So this is the part where most people would question that it is possible to build a startup with just $100 – because development is usually expensive, but I’ve got a pro tip for you to make it possible.
Use no-code tools.
No-code tools are online tools that help you build apps or other software without having to write a single line of code.
And the great thing is these tools have a free version where you can set up one project without paying a cent.
Use no-code tools.
No-code tools are online tools that help you build apps or other software without having to write a single line of code.
And the great thing is these tools have a free version where you can set up one project without paying a cent.
And only once you publish it or you want to get more users online, you have to pay. The big advantage for you is that you don't have any time pressure in the beginning because you can freely experiment and build the software without paying for a monthly license.
When you build the MVP, the important thing is to focus only on the core features. Don't make it perfect, don't cover every possible use case.
You only solve this one specific problem. That's the important part.
Price tag: let's say $30 in case the software licenses do cost something and they don't have a free version.
When you build the MVP, the important thing is to focus only on the core features. Don't make it perfect, don't cover every possible use case.
You only solve this one specific problem. That's the important part.
Price tag: let's say $30 in case the software licenses do cost something and they don't have a free version.
Step 5: Set up the website and launch – $70
And now you bring everything to life. You build your website so people can find you.
Just like the no-code tools I showed you earlier, there are a ton of different website builders out there – most of them have a free plan where you can host up to 2 pages, which is enough in the beginning.
Just like the no-code tools I showed you earlier, there are a ton of different website builders out there – most of them have a free plan where you can host up to 2 pages, which is enough in the beginning.
And once we have your website, you make it real. You launch the startup.
You know – the legal stuff.
Depending on what kind of business you set up, costs will differ, but from my experience, costs range from $50–70. So total cost of setting up the business including the website – around $70.
Remember: the goal is to make it work, not to make it perfect. That was one of my biggest lessons early on.
You know – the legal stuff.
Depending on what kind of business you set up, costs will differ, but from my experience, costs range from $50–70. So total cost of setting up the business including the website – around $70.
Remember: the goal is to make it work, not to make it perfect. That was one of my biggest lessons early on.
What's next
Ok, we have found a problem worth solving, defined our target audience, validated our idea, built an MVP and the website, and launched our startup.
We made it – we built a startup with just 100 bucks. But we’re not done yet. The next step is to get our first customers. Because with no customers, our startup will fail.
So, how about a proven 4-step framework that will help you find your best marketing channels to get new customers WITHOUT you having to waste your hard-earned money on expensive ads?
Sounds great, right?
You can get it in my Marketing Channel Bundle.
Check it out now!
We made it – we built a startup with just 100 bucks. But we’re not done yet. The next step is to get our first customers. Because with no customers, our startup will fail.
So, how about a proven 4-step framework that will help you find your best marketing channels to get new customers WITHOUT you having to waste your hard-earned money on expensive ads?
Sounds great, right?
You can get it in my Marketing Channel Bundle.
Check it out now!
