Monetizing Your Secret Sauce: The Rise of Indie Software and Custom AI Assets

For years, the agency model looked like this:

• Sell services.
• Trade time for money.
• Hire more people to scale.
• Feel margin pressure. Repeat.

But something has shifted.

In this week’s episode of the Prompt to Product podcast, Javier Velazquez sat down with Andrew Brockenbush, founder of Beefy Marketing and Wingman, to talk about the rise of indie software and what he calls “software with a service” (SWAS).

The core idea?

You don’t need a billion-dollar SaaS startup.
You need a hyper-specific solution that solves one painful problem — and you need to package it as an asset.

That’s where AI changes everything.

The Rise of Indie Software (And Why It’s Perfect for Agencies)

Andrew breaks down a powerful concept: indie software.

This isn’t venture-backed, 50-person engineering teams.
It’s small, focused tools built around:

• A niche audience
• A specific workflow
• A repeatable outcome

Think:

• A sales tracker for coaches
• A content idea engine for roofers
• A listing description generator for realtors
• A medspa promotion planner

Each tool might generate:

• $200/month
• $500/month
• $1,000/month

On its own? Modest.

Stack five or ten of these together?
You’ve got predictable recurring revenue that doesn’t depend on your calendar being full.

This is exactly where FormWise builders are winning.

We’re seeing agencies turn internal SOPs into SmartForms.
We’re seeing coaches package transformation frameworks into CoPilots.
We’re seeing GHL agencies embed AI tools into client portals and charge for access.

Not theory. Real builds. Real MRR.

You Don’t Need to Code Anymore (Vibe Coding Changes the Game)

For years, the bottleneck wasn’t ideas.

It was implementation.

If you had vision but couldn’t code, you were stuck.
If you could code but had no clarity, you shipped nothing.

Now? AI has collapsed that barrier.

Andrew calls it “vibe coding.”

Instead of writing code line by line, you:

• Describe what you want.
• Clarify the workflow.
• Let AI generate the structure.
• Iterate fast.

He shared a simple example:

A coach had a five-step outreach spreadsheet.
Manual. Clunky. Hard to track.

In about 20 minutes, they turned it into a gamified sales tracking app.

Same framework.
Same IP.
New format.

Suddenly it’s:

• Easier to use
• More engaging
• Monetizable

That’s the shift.

You’re not inventing new genius ideas.
You’re packaging what already works.

Your IP Is the Asset (Not the Tool)

Here’s the part most people miss:

The software isn’t the value.
Your framework is.

If you’re a coach, your transformation model is the gold.
If you’re an agency, your campaign process is the gold.
If you’re a consultant, your audit checklist is the gold.

The mistake?
Leaving it trapped in PDFs, Notion docs, and Loom videos.

When you embed your IP into:

• A structured SmartForm
• A guided CoPilot
• A gated Toolset dashboard

You create something that works even when you’re offline.

With FormWise, that looks like:

• Turning a 7-step client intake into a SmartForm that delivers a full strategy plan.
• Converting a proprietary ad framework into a CoPilot that iterates headlines and angles in your voice.
• Bundling multiple tools into a Toolset and monetizing access using Login Mode.

Your brain becomes software.

And software scales.

Breaking Through the “Prompt Barrier”

Andrew shared a powerful insight:
Most entrepreneurs aren’t blocked by tech. They’re blocked by overthinking.

Here are three practical takeaways that apply directly to building AI assets:

1️⃣ Stop Typing. Start Talking.

Use voice dictation. Brain dump everything.

Don’t try to craft perfect prompts.

Let AI:

• Clean it up
• Organize it
• Structure it

This is exactly how many FormWise builders create their first SmartForm. They speak their framework out loud, then refine.

Momentum beats perfection.

2️⃣ Identify SaaS You Don’t Actually Need

Look at the expensive tools you’re paying for.

Ask:

• Do I use 80% of this?
• Or do I just need one workflow?

Many platforms are bloated.

If you only need:

• A proposal generator
• A report formatter
• A campaign idea engine

You can build a focused internal version tailored to your process.

Agencies are doing this inside FormWise and embedding tools directly into GHL subaccounts. Instead of sending clients to 5 different apps, everything lives in one AI-powered portal.

Cleaner. Stickier. More profitable.

3️⃣ Architect the Prompt, Don’t Wing It

Andrew mentioned his “Vibe Code Prompt Architect” — a GPT trained on multiple platform knowledge bases to help entrepreneurs turn rough ideas into executable instructions.

The deeper lesson?

Structure matters.

Whether you’re building with vibe coding tools or inside FormWise:

• Define the outcome.
• Define the inputs.
• Define the transformation logic.
• Define the output format.

That’s exactly how high-performing SmartForms are built.

And once you do it once, you can repeat it again and again.

The Next Gold Rush: Custom AI Reporting

The episode wrapped with something big: niche AI reporting tools.

Imagine this:

You build a tool for a franchise network that:

• Pulls AI voice summaries
• Scrapes customer call themes
• Categorizes complaints and inquiries
• Generates industry-specific reports

Instead of generic dashboards, the franchise owner sees:

• “Top 5 customer objections this month”
• “Most requested service add-ons”
• “Location-specific sentiment shifts”

That’s not generic SaaS.

That’s custom, verticalized intelligence.

And vertical tools win.

They’re easier to sell.
They’re harder to replace.
They command higher pricing.

We’re already seeing FormWise builders experiment with:

• Industry-specific performance summaries
• AI-generated executive reports
• Client-ready recap documents built from uploaded data

When you combine:

• Data Upload
• Brand Voice
• Structured outputs
• Gated access via Login Mode

You’re no longer selling services.

You’re selling intelligence.

From Prompt to Product (Your Move)

Here’s the big question:

What spreadsheet, checklist, or SOP are you sitting on right now that could become a tool?

Because someone will productize it.

It might as well be you.

Start small:

• Pick one repeatable workflow.
• Turn it into a SmartForm.
• Wrap it in your brand voice.
• Gate it inside a Toolset.

Ship it. Improve it. Stack another.

You don’t need 100,000 users.
You need 50 paying the right price.

If you’re ready to turn your secret sauce into a scalable AI asset, start building inside FormWise here:
👉 https://app.formwise.ai/

Want examples and feedback from real builders? Join the community:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/181507861300697/

You’re one tool away from recurring revenue.

Ship it.

‍

For years, the agency model looked like this:

• Sell services.
• Trade time for money.
• Hire more people to scale.
• Feel margin pressure. Repeat.

But something has shifted.

In this week’s episode of the Prompt to Product podcast, Javier Velazquez sat down with Andrew Brockenbush, founder of Beefy Marketing and Wingman, to talk about the rise of indie software and what he calls “software with a service” (SWAS).

The core idea?

You don’t need a billion-dollar SaaS startup.
You need a hyper-specific solution that solves one painful problem — and you need to package it as an asset.

That’s where AI changes everything.

The Rise of Indie Software (And Why It’s Perfect for Agencies)

Andrew breaks down a powerful concept: indie software.

This isn’t venture-backed, 50-person engineering teams.
It’s small, focused tools built around:

• A niche audience
• A specific workflow
• A repeatable outcome

Think:

• A sales tracker for coaches
• A content idea engine for roofers
• A listing description generator for realtors
• A medspa promotion planner

Each tool might generate:

• $200/month
• $500/month
• $1,000/month

On its own? Modest.

Stack five or ten of these together?
You’ve got predictable recurring revenue that doesn’t depend on your calendar being full.

This is exactly where FormWise builders are winning.

We’re seeing agencies turn internal SOPs into SmartForms.
We’re seeing coaches package transformation frameworks into CoPilots.
We’re seeing GHL agencies embed AI tools into client portals and charge for access.

Not theory. Real builds. Real MRR.

You Don’t Need to Code Anymore (Vibe Coding Changes the Game)

For years, the bottleneck wasn’t ideas.

It was implementation.

If you had vision but couldn’t code, you were stuck.
If you could code but had no clarity, you shipped nothing.

Now? AI has collapsed that barrier.

Andrew calls it “vibe coding.”

Instead of writing code line by line, you:

• Describe what you want.
• Clarify the workflow.
• Let AI generate the structure.
• Iterate fast.

He shared a simple example:

A coach had a five-step outreach spreadsheet.
Manual. Clunky. Hard to track.

In about 20 minutes, they turned it into a gamified sales tracking app.

Same framework.
Same IP.
New format.

Suddenly it’s:

• Easier to use
• More engaging
• Monetizable

That’s the shift.

You’re not inventing new genius ideas.
You’re packaging what already works.

Your IP Is the Asset (Not the Tool)

Here’s the part most people miss:

The software isn’t the value.
Your framework is.

If you’re a coach, your transformation model is the gold.
If you’re an agency, your campaign process is the gold.
If you’re a consultant, your audit checklist is the gold.

The mistake?
Leaving it trapped in PDFs, Notion docs, and Loom videos.

When you embed your IP into:

• A structured SmartForm
• A guided CoPilot
• A gated Toolset dashboard

You create something that works even when you’re offline.

With FormWise, that looks like:

• Turning a 7-step client intake into a SmartForm that delivers a full strategy plan.
• Converting a proprietary ad framework into a CoPilot that iterates headlines and angles in your voice.
• Bundling multiple tools into a Toolset and monetizing access using Login Mode.

Your brain becomes software.

And software scales.

Breaking Through the “Prompt Barrier”

Andrew shared a powerful insight:
Most entrepreneurs aren’t blocked by tech. They’re blocked by overthinking.

Here are three practical takeaways that apply directly to building AI assets:

1️⃣ Stop Typing. Start Talking.

Use voice dictation. Brain dump everything.

Don’t try to craft perfect prompts.

Let AI:

• Clean it up
• Organize it
• Structure it

This is exactly how many FormWise builders create their first SmartForm. They speak their framework out loud, then refine.

Momentum beats perfection.

2️⃣ Identify SaaS You Don’t Actually Need

Look at the expensive tools you’re paying for.

Ask:

• Do I use 80% of this?
• Or do I just need one workflow?

Many platforms are bloated.

If you only need:

• A proposal generator
• A report formatter
• A campaign idea engine

You can build a focused internal version tailored to your process.

Agencies are doing this inside FormWise and embedding tools directly into GHL subaccounts. Instead of sending clients to 5 different apps, everything lives in one AI-powered portal.

Cleaner. Stickier. More profitable.

3️⃣ Architect the Prompt, Don’t Wing It

Andrew mentioned his “Vibe Code Prompt Architect” — a GPT trained on multiple platform knowledge bases to help entrepreneurs turn rough ideas into executable instructions.

The deeper lesson?

Structure matters.

Whether you’re building with vibe coding tools or inside FormWise:

• Define the outcome.
• Define the inputs.
• Define the transformation logic.
• Define the output format.

That’s exactly how high-performing SmartForms are built.

And once you do it once, you can repeat it again and again.

The Next Gold Rush: Custom AI Reporting

The episode wrapped with something big: niche AI reporting tools.

Imagine this:

You build a tool for a franchise network that:

• Pulls AI voice summaries
• Scrapes customer call themes
• Categorizes complaints and inquiries
• Generates industry-specific reports

Instead of generic dashboards, the franchise owner sees:

• “Top 5 customer objections this month”
• “Most requested service add-ons”
• “Location-specific sentiment shifts”

That’s not generic SaaS.

That’s custom, verticalized intelligence.

And vertical tools win.

They’re easier to sell.
They’re harder to replace.
They command higher pricing.

We’re already seeing FormWise builders experiment with:

• Industry-specific performance summaries
• AI-generated executive reports
• Client-ready recap documents built from uploaded data

When you combine:

• Data Upload
• Brand Voice
• Structured outputs
• Gated access via Login Mode

You’re no longer selling services.

You’re selling intelligence.

From Prompt to Product (Your Move)

Here’s the big question:

What spreadsheet, checklist, or SOP are you sitting on right now that could become a tool?

Because someone will productize it.

It might as well be you.

Start small:

• Pick one repeatable workflow.
• Turn it into a SmartForm.
• Wrap it in your brand voice.
• Gate it inside a Toolset.

Ship it. Improve it. Stack another.

You don’t need 100,000 users.
You need 50 paying the right price.

If you’re ready to turn your secret sauce into a scalable AI asset, start building inside FormWise here:
👉 https://app.formwise.ai/

Want examples and feedback from real builders? Join the community:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/181507861300697/

You’re one tool away from recurring revenue.

Ship it.

‍