From Producing a Web Series to Founding a Startup: Fine’s Journey

This week, we released the first version of Fine – a platform for building software with AI coding agents. It took us almost a year to get here, and the journey was filled with challenges and accomplishments, alongside failures and disappointments. I wanted to take a moment to share my experience with you, and I hope you'll find inspiration in our story.

A Different Way to Ideate

About a year ago, our team of three founders began the ideation process. We wanted to build something we would enjoy using, and as programmers, we were naturally drawn to developer tools. We knew that every good startup is based on a great problem, so we set out looking for worthy problems developers face.

The common approach is to conduct interviews with future clients. We aimed to interview leading R&D execs to hear about the issues their organizations face. However, these execs are busy people, and we couldn't expect them to easily make time for us. Moreover, conducting customer interviews is challenging – getting people to open up isn't straightforward, and it's rare for someone to explicitly say, "This is EXACTLY the problem I'm facing."

Our solution? We decided to produce a documentary web series and invite them to participate. We thought if we could convince companies to join, we'd get direct access to everyone we wanted to interview within the organization. And that's exactly what happened.

Dark{mode}: Insights from R&D Execs

We went on to create Dark{mode}, the first web series about developer experience (which later became the largest tech web series in Israel). We spent over 60 hours interviewing R&D executives from companies like Wix, Taboola, AppsFlyer, and AI21 Labs. We told participants in advance, "The conversations will focus on what doesn't work. Don't tell us the good stories." And so, we heard about the problems affecting developer experience.

These conversations uncovered 81 "blockers" that hinder progress in the tech world, covering areas from PRs and design to communication and teamwork. Producing the series had its challenges: it involved more people than we initially anticipated, required content verification by the featured companies, and demanded collaboration with numerous service providers to maintain high-quality standards. All of this consumed precious hours that could have been devoted directly to our startup.

However, this unconventional approach had its advantages. We gained direct access to the interviews we needed and garnered attention in Israel's tech scene, making it easier to connect with investors.

The Birth of Fine

Inspired by the challenges we uncovered, we started exploring ways to make a meaningful impact. Three critical factors guided our thinking throughout this process:

Anticipating the Future: We constantly asked ourselves where the software world was headed. What solutions would be in demand not just today but tomorrow?
Leveraging Our Skills: We assessed our team's unique skills to understand how we could best support our idea.
Embracing New Technologies: We kept a keen eye on emerging technologies that were previously unavailable.

Eventually, after iterating on a few ideas, we envisioned an AI-powered platform where developers receive significant assistance in building software. We didn't want to merely boost productivity; we wanted developers to delegate entire software tasks to AI. Our vision was for developers to focus solely on what they want to build, not how to build it.

Confident in our idea, we began sharing it and tried raising initial capital. It wasn't easy. The market was uncertain about AI's role in software development, and securing funding took time. The first three months were marked by relentless pitching, numerous rejections, and an industry on edge. But we stayed determined, focused on building our vision and believing Fine's potential would become evident with time.

Early Milestones and Building a Community

Our journey gained momentum as we started building the platform. We launched a Discord community and sought early adopters willing to try Fine. Gradually, our community expanded, and Fine garnered attention online. I personally engaged with new Discord users, gathering feedback to refine our product and progress beyond the Proof of Concept stage.

The interviews with community members helped us understand that we needed to set ourselves apart by prioritizing collaboration, protecting privacy, and enabling the creation of multi-agents. Three months later, our hard work paid off when we secured our first client. It was a pivotal moment, a testament to the potential of our product and the dedication of our team. Today, our user community continues to grow, with almost 400 users joining the Fine journey, eager to explore the future of software engineering.

What's Next for Us

Today, we're releasing the first version of Fine. Learning from past mistakes, we will onboard a limited number of users and provide free credits to help them get started. During launch week, we expect to encounter many bugs, fix issues, and be more engaged with our community. Updates will continue to roll out, and we plan to follow Supabase's "Launch Week" pattern, which is a great best practice for startups.

Throughout this year of challenges and countless rejections, our vision for Fine remained our guiding light. It may sound like a startup cliché, but it genuinely sustained us during the tough times. It's crucial to maintain a bold yet clear vision. Ours is to replace the traditional IDE and become the definitive entry point for software development. This vision fuels our determination, especially when faced with adversity.

Our journey is far from over. We know the road ahead will be long and filled with challenges, but we are determined to keep our eyes on the ultimate goal. Every email, every breakthrough, and every step forward brings us closer to realizing our vision. The story of Fine is just beginning, and I invite you all to be a part of it.

If you're a software developer, I invite you to join us today on this exciting journey and create something extraordinary together. Our product is waiting for you here, and our Discord community is where you can get help and support.

Another Year On: 2024 Update

Another year has passed, and Fine has continued to evolve. The landscape of AI-powered developer tools has changed significantly, with many new competitors entering the market. Despite the increased competition, Fine remains unique in its approach and vision.

We have introduced several new features that set us apart from others. Fine now integrates seamlessly with GitHub, Linear, and Sentry, making it easier than ever for developers to manage their workflows and track progress. Our automated workflows have streamlined the development process, allowing developers to focus more on creativity and problem-solving rather than repetitive tasks.

We're also excited about our soon-to-be-released Live Previews feature. This will enable developers to build, run, and test AI-generated code in a secure virtual machine within their browser. With Live Previews, you can run the code, view console logs, and see a preview of the result – all without leaving the browser. This feature will make AI coding more seamless and effective, reducing the "works on my machine" issues and fostering more collaborative development.

As we continue to innovate, our community grows stronger, and we're more committed than ever to transforming software development. The journey of Fine is still in its early days, and we're excited for what the future holds. Join us, and let's shape the future of software engineering together.