From SoftGen.AI to Kortix.AI

A Journey in AI Entrepreneurship

Domenico Gagliardi
Former Head of Growth at SoftGen.AI
Founding Member & COO at Kortix.AI

About Me

Former product analyst in fintech and gaming, winner of the I AM FCA (Stellantis) 2017 contest (1,326 participants).

Ambitious and curious, I love reading books and have been playing the piano since I was 8.

Currently enabling the migration from Human to AI Workforce with kortix.ai

2022-2024

Omega Venture

Founder - Exited 3 products

2023-2025

IGT Italia

Business Analyst

Nov 2024-Apr 2025

SoftGen.AI

Co-founder & Head of Growth

Apr 2025-Present

Kortix.AI

Founding Member & COO

Domenico Gagliardi LinkedIn Banner

Education

  • Sapienza Università di Roma - Laurea Magistrale LM (Part-Time Mode), Intermediari, Finanza Internazionale e Risk Management (2022-2024)
  • Y Combinator - Startup School (2020)
  • Università degli Studi 'Gabriele d'Annunzio' di Chieti - Laurea triennale, Economia aziendale/manageriale (2016-2019)

SoftGen.AI: The Beginning

What is SoftGen.AI?

SoftGen.AI is an AI-powered platform that helps users build full-stack web applications without coding.

  • Build SaaS apps, dashboards, and websites with AI
  • No coding required - just describe your vision
  • Production-ready code in seconds
  • Integrations with authentication, payments, databases, and more
"SoftGen is genuinely one of the best AI agents I have seen there. You can iterate with your ideas so quickly, and be 10x builder and founder" - Adam, PrivSov
SoftGen.AI Example
Example of a B2B SaaS website built with SoftGen.AI

Target Audience

  • Entrepreneurs without technical background
  • Developers looking to build MVPs quickly
  • Agencies wanting to deliver projects faster
  • Businesses needing internal tools

SoftGen.AI: Product Features

Core Capabilities

  • AI-Powered Code Generation: Transforms natural language descriptions into functional code
  • Full-Stack Development: Handles frontend, backend, and database operations
  • Real-Time Preview: Instant visualization of changes
  • Responsive Design: Mobile-friendly interfaces by default
  • Code Export: Download and own your code

Integrations

  • Authentication: Email/password, magic links, social login
  • Payments: Stripe, PayPal integration
  • Database: Structured data storage and querying
  • Email: Transactional emails and campaigns
  • Storage: File uploads and management
  • SEO: Automated optimization

Technology Stack

SoftGen.AI generates applications using modern, production-ready technologies:

  • Next.js for frontend and API routes
  • Tailwind CSS and Shadcn/UI for styling
  • Firebase for backend services
  • Responsive design principles throughout

My Role: Head of Growth at SoftGen.AI

Key Responsibilities

  • Developing and implementing growth strategies
  • Building and nurturing the user community
  • Creating and optimizing marketing channels
  • Analyzing user behavior and feedback
  • Identifying partnership opportunities
  • Optimizing conversion funnels

Daily Activities

  • Monitoring key growth metrics
  • Engaging with users to gather feedback
  • Collaborating with product team on feature prioritization
  • Creating content to showcase platform capabilities
  • Testing new acquisition channels
  • Analyzing competitor strategies

Growth Philosophy

My approach to growth at SoftGen.AI was centered on product-led growth, where the product itself is the primary driver of user acquisition, conversion, and expansion. This required close collaboration with the product team to ensure the platform was not just functional, but delightful to use.

Growth Journey: $20K to $500K ARR in 4 Months

SoftGen.AI Revenue Growth

Monthly Recurring Revenue (Nov 2024 - Apr 2025)

Month Revenue (ARR) Growth
November 2024 $20,000 Starting point
December 2024 $50,000 +150%
January 2025 $100,000 +100%
February 2025 $250,000 +150%
March 2025 $400,000 +60%
April 2025 $500,000 +25%
2500%
Growth Rate
100K+
Users
4
Months
$500K
Final ARR

Growth Strategies: Product-Led Growth

Product-Led Growth Approach

We made the product itself our primary growth engine, focusing on creating an exceptional user experience that would drive organic adoption.

Key Elements

  • Frictionless Onboarding: Users could create their first app within minutes
  • Immediate Value Delivery: Instant results without lengthy setup
  • Viral Product Features: Built-in sharing and collaboration tools
  • Self-Service Model: Users could upgrade without talking to sales

Implementation

  • Rapid Iteration: Weekly product improvements based on user feedback
  • User Feedback Loop: Direct channels for suggestions and bug reports
  • Feature Prioritization: Focus on high-impact, user-requested features
  • Continuous Optimization: Regular A/B testing of user flows

Key Insight

By making the product itself our primary growth engine, we created a virtuous cycle where user satisfaction drove organic adoption, which in turn provided more feedback to improve the product further.

Growth Strategies: Community Building

Community-Driven Growth

We built a thriving community of users who became our most passionate advocates and provided invaluable feedback.

Community Initiatives

  • User Showcase: Highlighting impressive projects built with SoftGen.AI
  • Community Forums: Dedicated spaces for users to connect and share
  • Office Hours: Regular sessions to answer questions and gather feedback
  • Beta Testing Program: Early access to new features for power users

Community Management

  • Active Engagement: Team members regularly participating in discussions
  • User Success Stories: Highlighting real-world applications
  • Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging users to help each other
  • Feedback Implementation: Visibly acting on community suggestions

Impact

Our community became a powerful growth engine:

  • Created a network effect that accelerated adoption
  • Reduced customer support costs through peer assistance
  • Generated valuable product insights and feature ideas
  • Built strong brand loyalty and reduced churn

Growth Strategies: Content & Partnerships

Content Marketing

We created high-value content that demonstrated the platform's capabilities and educated our target audience.

Content Types

  • Tutorial Videos: Step-by-step guides for building different apps
  • Case Studies: Real success stories from users
  • Comparison Articles: SoftGen.AI vs. traditional development
  • Template Galleries: Ready-to-use starting points
  • Technical Blog Posts: Insights into AI-powered development

Strategic Partnerships

We formed alliances with complementary tools and services to expand our reach.

Partnership Types

  • Integration Partners: Complementary tools and services
  • Agency Partners: Web development and design agencies
  • Educational Partners: Coding bootcamps and online courses
  • Influencer Collaborations: Tech influencers and content creators

Combined Impact

Content and partnerships together:

  • Expanded our reach to new audience segments
  • Built credibility in the developer community
  • Created multiple acquisition channels
  • Established SoftGen.AI as a thought leader

Key Lessons from SoftGen.AI

What Worked Well

  • Rapid iteration: Continuously improving the product based on user feedback
  • Showcase real examples: Demonstrating actual applications built with the platform
  • Transparent pricing: Clear value proposition at each tier
  • Customer success stories: Highlighting real user achievements
  • Technical education: Helping non-technical users understand the value
  • Community building: Creating a space for users to connect and share

Challenges Overcome

  • Market education: Explaining AI capabilities to non-technical audience
  • Competitive differentiation: Standing out in a crowded AI tool market
  • Technical limitations: Managing user expectations vs. reality
  • Scaling infrastructure: Supporting rapid user growth
  • Building trust: Overcoming skepticism about AI-generated code
  • Balancing features: Deciding what to build vs. what to prioritize

The Power of Community

One of the most valuable assets we built was our community of users. They became our best advocates, provided crucial feedback for product improvement, and helped each other succeed. Never underestimate the power of a passionate user community.

The Exit and Transition

November 2024

Co-founded SoftGen.AI

Joined as Head of Growth with the mission to scale the platform

February 2025

Reached $250K ARR

Implemented successful growth strategies leading to rapid scaling

March 2025

Exit Opportunity

Began discussions about potential exit and new venture opportunities

April 2025

Successful Exit

Completed exit from SoftGen.AI after scaling to $500K ARR

April 2025

Joined Kortix.AI

Became Founding Member & COO at Kortix.AI

Exit Considerations

The decision to exit was based on several factors: the opportunity to work on a more ambitious AI project, the chance to join a strong founding team, and the ability to apply lessons learned at SoftGen.AI to a new venture with greater potential impact.

Introducing Kortix.AI

Vision and Mission

Kortix.AI is enabling the migration from human to AI workforce.

We're building autonomous Software Humanoids that can operate any computer interface, effectively replacing repetitive human tasks with AI.

Our mission is to create AI systems that go beyond chat interfaces to become true digital employees capable of executing complex tasks across platforms.

"With Suna, we're creating an AI Employee. One who can execute across different platforms like a real contributor. This is the beginning of a shift from passive assistants to active agents." — Marko Kraemer, CEO of Kortix
Kortix Suna
Kortix Suna, the first open-source General AI Agent

The Kortix Team

Kortix is founded by a small but powerful team:

  • Marko Kraemer - CEO
  • Domenico Gagliardi - COO

Note: Adam Cohen Hillel and Quoc Dat Le are specifically involved with Kortix Suna, a side project launched to generate awareness about the Kortix brand.

Kortix Suna: The World's First Open-Source General AI Agent

What is Suna?

Suna is a powerful general-purpose agent that can take autonomous actions and handle real work across a wide range of tasks, based on human inputs.

It represents a new category of AI: General Agents — capable of understanding context, making decisions, and executing tasks across systems.

Note: Kortix Suna is a side project of Kortix.AI, launched to generate awareness about the Kortix brand. It was developed by a team including Adam Cohen Hillel and Quoc Dat Le alongside the Kortix founders.

Key Features

  • 100% Open Source (Apache 2.0 License)
  • Browser automation capabilities
  • File management and data processing
  • Web search and content extraction
  • Autonomous planning and execution

Use Cases

  • Competitor analysis and market research
  • Candidate sourcing and recruitment
  • Trip planning and logistics
  • Data collection and spreadsheet creation
  • Event speaker prospecting
  • Scientific research and paper analysis
  • B2B lead generation
  • SEO analysis and optimization

Why Open Source?

We believe AI should be open and accessible to everyone. Our open source approach ensures accountability, innovation, and community collaboration.

Market Positioning and Future Roadmap

Competitive Landscape

Feature Kortix Suna Competitors
Open Source Yes (Apache 2.0) Mostly proprietary
Browser Automation Advanced capabilities Limited or none
Autonomous Planning Sophisticated planning system Basic or scripted
Enterprise Focus Strong enterprise roadmap Primarily consumer-focused
Customization Highly customizable Limited customization

Future Roadmap

Kortix is launching an enterprise product in the coming weeks, focused on enabling the transition from human to AI workforce in companies.

Key Takeaways for MBA Students

1

Entrepreneurial Agility

Be willing to pivot and recognize when a new opportunity aligns better with your long-term vision. My transition from SoftGen.AI to Kortix.AI demonstrates the importance of strategic career moves in the fast-paced tech industry.

2

Product-Led Growth

In the AI space, your product is your best marketing tool. Focus on creating exceptional user experiences that drive organic adoption and word-of-mouth referrals. This approach helped us scale SoftGen.AI from $20K to $500K ARR in just 4 months.

3

Community Building

Cultivate a strong community around your product. Engaged users become your best advocates, provide valuable feedback, and help each other succeed. This creates a powerful network effect that accelerates growth.

4

Open Source Strategy

Consider open source as a strategic advantage, not just an ideological choice. With Kortix Suna, open sourcing our technology builds trust, accelerates adoption, and creates a community of contributors who help improve the product.

5

AI Workforce Transition

Prepare for a future where AI agents can perform many tasks currently done by humans. This transition will create new opportunities for businesses to increase efficiency and for workers to focus on higher-value activities.

Thank You!

Questions? I'd be happy to discuss further.

Domenico Gagliardi

Founding Member & COO at Kortix.AI

Created by Kortix Suna

This entire presentation was created by Kortix Suna (suna.so) in less than 10 minutes.

Suna is a generalist AI Agent that acts on your behalf, capable of creating professional presentations, conducting research, analyzing data, and much more.

Try Kortix Suna today at suna.so