Launch Day

For my January project I built Theodore AI, a basic Google Chrome extension that simplifies complicated topics in a couple clicks.

I launched it on Product Hunt and the next morning it reached the #7 spot for Product of the Day!

Not a bad day at the office. Or so I thought…

🫠

It was broken. The app was broken.

Here’s a comment someone left:

This would be very helpful. I’m trying to install it. A couple of issues: 1) Where do you add the coupon? 2) When installing getting ‘Could not find icon” error.

Before diving into the details of this fiasco, here’s the backstory.

The Idea

The project stemmed from a simple annoyance: reading technical docs, smart tweets, or blog posts that didn’t make sense.

I’d copy the text, open ChatGPT, and write a prompt asking it to explain the content simply.

Easy, but annoying enough to kill flow.

Checks All the Boxes

This year is about reps and monetizable MVPs. I decided to build 12 projects on January 18th — meaning 2 weeks to build the January one.

Theodore AI checked all the boxes:

• ✅ Build + ship in 2 weeks
• ✅ Solves a recurring annoyance
• ✅ Monetizable
• ✅ Bonus: never built a Chrome extension

Building the MVP

Core feature: Allow users to simplify whatever text they highlight in their browser.

Users highlight text, right-click, and select “Simplify with Theodore.”

I used ExtensionKit.io for boilerplate. Then wired up the OpenAI integration.

After that, I launched a quick landing page with Stripe and a feedback form.

Details Still Matter

Even though the app and landing page were basic, the little details got attention — branding, graphics, and especially the copy.

People loved these scribbly graphics I added.

Details build trust — especially when asking for money. $5 well spent.

And As It Turns Out…

So does the icon size of your Chrome extension.

If it’s not exactly 128x128, installation breaks.

“Could not find icon”

My icon was 512x512.

If this were a web app, I’d patch in 5 minutes. But with Chrome extensions, updates take 24–48 hours.

So there I was: featured on Product Hunt — with a broken app.

How I Still Landed the #7 Spot

No idea, really.

But I can tell you this: I didn’t care where I ended up.

Unlike previous launches, I didn’t blast my network. I just shipped it and moved onto February’s project.

When you solve a real problem, the market pulls you. Sometimes luck helps, too.

My First Internet Dollars of the Year!

After fixing the issues, I made my first Internet Money™ of the year.

it_aint_much_but_its_honest_work.jpg

More updates to come on Theodore AI. Next up: Botroast.io