The Story
Jozef Gherman grew up comfortably in a conservative household with parents who taught him the power of the dollar. But at 29 years old, he was working paycheck to paycheck with nothing in the bank, lingering credit card debt from college, and a string of failed products.
Then he invested $250 into what would become StealthGPT - an undetectable AI service that helps users create content that bypasses AI detection tools. A little over a year later, he's making $190,000+ per month.
Jozef is a self-taught developer since 2017. He built the prototype in the evenings using NextJS/React, Vercel, Tailwind, Planetscale, Resend, and Clerk. It took about six months before he was making enough money to pay himself.
Key Insights
The $250 Start
- •Invested $250 of his own money (no funding initially)
- •Built prototype in evenings while working freelance jobs
- •6 months before making enough to pay himself
- •Now at $190,170/month MRR
The Product
- •StealthGPT: Undetectable AI content generator
- •Transforms AI-generated text to bypass AI detectors
- •Subscription-based with tiered pricing
- •Each plan offers increasing "Stealth Word" limits
The Free Tier Mistake
- •Initially made free tier too generous
- •Helped with adoption but killed revenue
- •A/B tested and eliminated free tier completely
- •Result: 50% revenue spike that month
- •Bonus: Reduced support emails significantly
Business Numbers
Revenue Breakdown
- •StealthGPT: $190K+/month
- •Also launched 3 smaller AI products to validate new features
- •Small products bring additional revenue + test demand
Expenses: $175,308/month
- •Very high operational costs
- •Keeps $220K liquid in business account
- •Needs cash for expenses and runway
Personal Finances
- •Still paying off credit card debt from college ($3.5K left)
- •Keeps money liquid rather than investing
- •"You never know when it's all going to come crashing down"
- •Plans to invest after saving $100K personal rainy day fund
Tech Stack
- •NextJS/React (frontend)
- •Vercel (hosting)
- •Tailwind (styling)
- •Planetscale (database)
- •Resend (notifications)
- •Clerk (authentication)
Investment Strategy
AI Stocks Only
- •Invested only $600 total (up 40% to $860)
- •Microsoft and Nvidia only
- •"I firmly believe AI will take over the internet and, soon, the physical world"
- •Interested in Amazon, Apple, Meta for AI leadership
- •No ETFs, no mutual funds, no diversification
On Crypto
- •Following crypto for nearly a decade
- •Doesn't invest - calls 99% of it "BS" or scams
- •"Crypto is the easiest scam instrument in the world"
- •Only possible exceptions: Bitcoin and Ethereum
- •"Everything else is noise"
Funding Approach
Angel Investors Over VCs
- •Raised $400K from angel investors and family offices
- •Gave up 8% of company
- •Spent about $300K of investment so far
- •VCs are "out of their minds" - system is dysfunctional
- •"No wonder why 99% of VC companies go belly up"
Why Angels Work Better
- •More leniency in processes
- •Longer time horizon for investments to mature
- •Very hands-off
- •Help when asked but don't interfere
Personal Habits
Saving Money
- •Pays premium for rent (needs 2,000+ sq ft, homebody who paces while working)
- •Saves on coffee: $10 jar of instant coffee lasts a month
- •Previously spent $300/month on premade iced coffee
- •Uses Rocket Money to track subscriptions
Financial Philosophy
- •"Spend only what you can afford"
- •Okay to take on debt if you pay it off quickly
- •Building/rebuilding credit is important
- •Secure present before securing future
Key Advice
For Aspiring Founders
- •You do NOT need funding to start a company
- •Development tools are free, social media is free
- •Hosting is free (Vercel free tier)
- •Just buy a domain (cheap) and launch
- •"There has never been easier to build a multi-million dollar business"
On Failure
- •If product fails, either product or market didn't fit
- •Adjust accordingly and try again
- •"The opportunities are endless, and the cost is hilariously low"
- •"Do not miss this opportunity!"
Resources
- •StealthGPT: https://www.stealthgpt.ai/
- •Follow Jozef: https://x.com/jozaborhani
- •Personal site: https://jozefgherman.com/