Meet Joe Popelas, who started an AI ebook business with just $500; two years later, it was valued at more than $1 million

Joe Popelas is a computer science student. He once saw a major opportunity and spotted how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to sell books. In 2022, he started building a business around ebooks. He began with an initial budget of around $500. Within a year, the business had reportedly reached a valuation of more than $1 million, reported Starter Story.

His journey began soon after he graduated from high school in 2020. By then, he had already explored how to use GPT-3 and also create the business he wanted to do. Initally, he considered helping small and medium-sized companies use AI. But, a meeting with a publishing company in July 2022 changed everything for him and led path for success.

It showed him the real demand for books. It also made him grab the opportunity to use AI to speed up the production. Later, he decided to build his own publication, but did not choose to provide AI consulting services.


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How did he use AI in his business?

Initially, Popelas did not have much experience in the industry. His first book was reportedly not very good, according to Starter Story. He then bought books from competitors and studied how they were structured and what readers expected from them.

Then, he took the help of AI to create books rapidly. It helped him research early drafts. All of this happened while he also worked on understanding the market and producing books that people would buy.

He reportedly created around 40 books by September 2022. This gave the confidence to test different products. But, producing them was not the only part of the job. He also had to find customers.

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How did Pinterest ads help?

Popelas used Pinterest. The aim was to market his books, and also share updates about his business journey. He posted on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. There he shared updates and what all was happening related to his business.

He later revealed his business was valued at around $930,000, and in May 2024, it was reportedly worth $1 million.