A ChatGPT-run affiliate marketing website known as Green Gadgets Guru appears to be facing significant challenges as it struggles to meet its financial goals and maintain its momentum.
On March 15, American brand designer Jackson Greathouse Fall announced on Twitter a challenge he called HustleGPT. It was an entrepreneurial experiment wherein Fall partnered with OpenAI’s GPT-4, the latest iteration behind the ChatGPT chatbot, to start a business.
Acting as the chatbot’s “human counterpart and liaison,” Fall wanted quantifiable evidence AI could be used to start a business and make money. So, he founded Green Gadgets Guru with just $100, all the while taking instructions from the bot on how to grow the enterprise.
Also read: HustleGPT: How To Build a Business With GPT-4 as Co-founder
HustleGPT: not so ‘god mode’ after all
HustleGPT became an instant internet sensation, with AI enthusiasts calling this particular use of ChatGPT “god mode” – video game-speak for invincibility. For Fall, the project’s goal was to reach $100,000 cash on hand as quickly as possible.
He promised to share progress reports about the venture on Twitter every day for the next month. Initially, Fall posted regular updates on the project, outlining a plan to allocate budget to hire human content creators for the site, explore dropshipping, and develop a SaaS product.
Despite its initial success, however, the business plan appears to have come unstuck. As of writing, Fall had not posted any update about HustleGPT since March 28. The self-confessed “AI soothsayer” admitted that the ChatGPT gig and other jobs had “kicked my ass.”
Initially, Fall committed to sharing updates on the project the following day. But he never did. Even before his last tweet, Fall said the project had generated $130 in revenue from sponsored tweets – nothing to write home about for someone reportedly working an eight-hour day at the site.
I gotta be real with y’all, last week kicked my ass. I’m still learning how to context-shift multiple times a day and get all my work done.
Finishing up some important client work right now.
More GGG + HustleGPT progress threads tomorrow!!!
Going https://t.co/ClWqYc8JXc…
— Jackson Greathouse Fall (@jacksonfall) March 28, 2023
As of that update, this would mean the founder was generating just $3 per hour in revenue, Futurism reported. The situation raises doubts about the company’s revenue-generating capabilities, its ability to make progress and earn investors a return. According to Fall, backers contributed $8,000 to the project.
“AI directed website moving at human speed,” Fall was quoted saying, when asked about his silence on Twitter.
“Promise y’all will have more updates soon, I know everyone’s waiting on the edge of their seats.”
ChatGPT labors to draw customers
Despite the hire of two human employees, the Green Gadgets Guru website has apparently failed to gain traction, and its dropshipping efforts have yet to generate revenue.
For example, the only blog post published on the site so far is one titled “Ten Eco Friendly Kitchen Gadgets”. It is nothing more than a test layout used by designers before producing actual content, reports say. Yet Fall claimed one of the two hires would write blogs for the website using ChatGPT. A graphic designer, meanwhile, would use Midjourney to create images.
It is particularly strange for an affiliate marketing site to not have a single affiliate link to any actual product. But that seems to be the case with the ChatGPT-run venture. A website such as the Green Gadgets Guru would have been up and running by now, observers say.
Its success is guaranteed by the fact that affiliate marketing is a well-established niche with a tech ecosystem to fire up a new and related business. Typically, the startup would receive a commission on sales of products it recommends.
We're receiving an influx of partnership requests for Green Gadget Guru!
Manufacturers want to sell sustainable products on our site.
After a quick discussion with "the boss," we received the green light. pic.twitter.com/3OmltevxUN
— Jackson Greathouse Fall (@jacksonfall) March 22, 2023
However, the site does not list any actual items except a catalog of product categories that include kitchen, electronics, home & garden, office supplies, and personal care.
For some reason, all are represented by the same picture of a green T-shirt. In addition, Green Gadgets Guru’s much-touted SaaS product remains in development, and many are doubtful that it will generate the revenue required to keep the company afloat.
Too good to be true
The company’s struggles have not gone unnoticed, with many questioning whether its initial success was too good to be true. Others suggested over-reliance on AI tech may have been its downfall, with the limitations of the technology becoming apparent as the company “grew.”
“The unfortunate reality is that HustleGPT kinda started as a grift. The guy didn’t even fix up the website he took like $7,500 in investments for,” said HustleGPT enthusiast Dave Craige on Twitter.
The unfortunate reality is that HustleGPT kinda started as a grift.
The guy didn’t even fix up the website he took like $7,500 in investments for.
We can turn that around! We can push for a radically better approach to ethics / money.
We can do things completely different.
— Dave Craige (@davecraige) March 27, 2023
Despite the challenges, Fall remains optimistic about the project’s future. In a recent interview, he stated he was confident the site would to turn things around and regain its momentum. He cited the firm’s commitment to innovation as a reason for his optimism.
But it remains to be seen whether HustleGPT will be able to overcome its current challenges and emerge as a successful startup. With its revenue stagnant and its future uncertain, the company faces an uphill battle to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive market.
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