This startup turns AI prompts into protected mini-apps

This article is a part of Startup Spotlight, a series that features young, up-and-coming startups.

Image credit: Timmy Loen

The idea for BetterPrompt started as a side project. Founder Mike Le saw “prompt influencers” trading tricks for social media clout, not compensation, and was inspired to build a way to share value without giving away the recipe. After two weekends of vibe coding, Le and the rest of the team shipped a mock-up.

😟 Problem

Most workers now use AI tools at work, but many waste hours trialing prompts or buying single-use scripts. Good prompt logic leaks once shared, which disincentivizes creators. Fragmented model vendors and shifting prompt patterns raise the learning curve and bloat costs.

💡 Solution

BetterPrompt turns high-performing prompts into protected, one-click mini-apps that run on the platform and keep author logic private.

• Prompt-to-mini-app conversion with guarded logic
• One-click flows for non-experts
• Predictable outputs across model vendors
• Built-in marketplace and usage tracking
• Author revenue share on each run
• Example use case: LinkedIn headshot from a selfie

Image credit: BetterPrompt

📊 Market size

Knowledge workers form the core audience. The team targets North America, with about 100 million knowledge workers in the US. The stated customer lifetime value is US$144 per user. The implied total addressable output equals US$14.4 billion based on 100 million potential users.

🤝 Team

• Mike Le, founder. Former investment banking analyst at Credit Suisse, head of insights at Streamlabs where he led machine learning efforts
• Small core team operating cross-functionally

🚀 Traction

• 2,000 initial users after three weeks of launch
• Early evidence of user enthusiasm, including unsolicited referrals
• Multi-vendor model integrations in progress

🏆 Competition

PromptBase sells prompts individually and transfers logic once purchased. BetterPrompt keeps logic on-platform while letting users run prompts without owning them. Alternatives include social sharing and bespoke AI tools, which either leak logic or lock users into single vendors.

💰 Financials

The product uses a subscription with token bundles. Plans are US$8 or US$20 per month. Top-ups cost US$10 per 40,000 tokens. Authors earn at least 10% of the AI cost per run, with a planned slider up to 100%. The company is bootstrapped.

This piece was written with the help of AI.