The Peel with Turner Novak
Zero to $20m ARR in Two Months: Inside Bolt’s 7-Year Journey to Overnight Success | Eric Simons, Co-founder & CEO
Feb 20, 2025
Eric Simons, Co-founder and CEO of StackBlitz, shares his insights on the meteoric rise of Bolt, a full-stack app builder, which skyrocketed to $20 million ARR in just two months. He recounts the seven-year journey, including the initial failure and lessons on capital efficiency. Simons discusses the importance of open-sourcing code and building a community, as well as the viral impact of a single tweet. He also dives into how AI will revolutionize software development, shaping the future of coding for non-developers.
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Quick takeaways
- Bolt's journey to achieving $20 million in ARR within two months exemplifies how AI can revolutionize software development by simplifying app creation.
- The initial failure of Bolt's first version highlights the importance of perseverance and iterative improvement in developing successful tech products.
Deep dives
The Rise of No-Code Tools
No-code tools emerged to enable non-technical users to create software applications through intuitive drag-and-drop interfaces. However, with the advent of AI capable of generating code from text prompts, the entire landscape of software development is drastically changing. This shift marks the decline of no-code tools as AI systems, such as Bolt, allow users to easily create full-stack applications in a matter of seconds, eliminating the need for complex coding skills. This evolution suggests a new order in the software industry, which is being defined by AI-driven development rather than traditional no-code platforms.
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