About
How the cases are checked
zero2first is an independent index of AI tools that reached revenue with a $0 advertising budget. Every figure carries an evidence tag, because most of the numbers that circulate in this space cannot be checked anywhere else.
Why it exists
The same story keeps getting repeated: “solo founder, no funding, $0 ad spend, revenue in 60 days.” When I tried to trace one of those claims to a second source, I couldn’t. So the index records what can be checked, marks what can’t, and keeps the disputed cases on purpose — a story you can dissect is worth more than a clean story you can’t verify.
The four evidence levels
- MULTI-SOURCE
- Corroborated by more than one independent source (filing, press, announcement).
- SELF-REPORTED
- Stated by the founder or company, not audited.
- DISPUTED
- The numbers or the narrative are publicly contested.
- THIN
- A single interview or post, with no corroboration.
Rules I don’t break
- — No paid placement, no paid links, no “guest post” slots.
- — Disputed and thin cases stay in the index, labelled. Removing them would make the index look cleaner and be less useful.
- — No figure is published without saying where it came from.
- — If a founder sends better sourcing, the case is upgraded and the change is noted.
Who runs it
An independent developer, self-funded, with no ad budget — which is also the subject of the index. There is no team, no agency, and no sponsored content.
Correct a case
If a figure in the index is wrong, or you have a source I couldn’t find, email [email protected] with the case name and the source. Corrections get applied and noted. To propose a new case, use the submission form.