I can build enterprise software but I can't charge for it

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Product, Demo, and Technical Claims

  • Many commenters couldn’t find a working demo on the landing page; QR-code flow and single-session design caused confusion and distrust.
  • Some were wary of scanning QR codes or visiting unusual ports, suggesting sandboxing if they tried it at all.
  • The marketing site and gist read as heavily AI-generated, which, combined with a brand-new HN account, triggered “scam/honeypot” suspicions.
  • Claims like “120-hour weeks,” “AI-validated production code,” and six-figure build cost estimates were seen as exaggerated or off‑putting.
  • A minority found the tech impressive for a solo engineer and wished the creator luck.

Market Fit and Product Direction

  • Many questioned whether “photorealistic” AI avatars fit luxury retail: luxury buyers expect real humans, not “corner‑cutting AI.”
  • Several argued that people already pay extra to avoid bots (e.g., phone trees, offshore support), so AI front‑desk agents are anti‑luxury.
  • Some suggested other use cases: kiosks, multilingual assistants, hospitals, home assistants, or non‑Western markets with language barriers.
  • Multiple commenters pointed out the classic mistake: building a full enterprise stack (multi‑tenant, monitoring, analytics) before validating demand or getting even a handful of paying customers.

Sanctions, Legality, and Geography

  • Central debate: the ask for a foreign co‑founder to incorporate in the US/UK, open Stripe, and treat the Iranian builder as a remote contractor with equity.
  • Several participants stated bluntly this is clear sanctions evasion and illegal, regardless of contractual structure, proxies, or crypto. Potential penalties: severe fines and prison.
  • Others emphasized that empathy doesn’t override the legal risk for any Western partner; investors would immediately walk away from such an arrangement.
  • There was discussion of alternative geographies: India, UAE/Dubai, Turkey, Singapore, and non‑US payment rails, including Chinese/Middle Eastern processors and stablecoins.
  • After detailed explanations and links to sanctions rules, the author explicitly backed off seeking Western partnerships and said they would focus on India/UAE/Turkey/Singapore and seek legal advice.

Authenticity, Empathy, and Limits

  • Some saw the narrative (war background, lost savings, wife working, sanctions trap) as “weaponized empathy”; others read it as a genuine plea from a talented but desperate engineer.
  • Several urged the creator not to go all‑in financially, to consider emigration if possible, and to pivot the tech to local or sanction‑compatible markets.