People are Throwing Money at Workflow Apps, and Founders are Making Millions

Something is shifting in the way consumers interact with AI-powered products. The old approach—where apps promised secret prompts or automated shortcuts—no longer works. People have caught on. They know AI can do almost anything, and that realization has changed what they are willing to pay for. It’s no longer about getting the answer. It’s about learning the process.

The most successful apps today aren’t the ones that provide a hidden advantage or some exclusive automation trick. They’re the ones that act as structured workflows, guiding users step by step toward mastery. Consumers no longer want the solution handed to them on a silver platter. They want to be shown the path and equipped with the tools to walk it themselves. The real value isn’t in the answer—it’s in the process of arriving at it.

What this means is that MVPs must evolve. Founders who focus on selling automation or access to AI-generated content are going to struggle. Those who understand the market’s hunger for structured guidance, for well-defined expert workflows, will dominate. People don’t just want an AI that answers questions; they want a system that teaches them what questions to ask, when to ask them, and how to use the answers effectively. They don’t want an app to think for them. They want an app to teach them how to think like an expert in their field.

This is the missing piece in so many products that fail to gain traction. Users are not looking to bypass the journey; they want a map. An AI-generated answer without context is meaningless. But a structured workflow that transforms them into skilled practitioners of their craft? That is something worth paying for.

The best MVPs now are those that put users in the driver’s seat, offering frameworks and guidance rather than just outputs. The next great wave of AI-powered businesses will be built not on automation alone, but on empowerment—helping users navigate complexity with confidence and clarity. The question every founder should be asking isn’t “How can I automate this?” but “How can I design a system that helps users become better at what they do?”

That’s the difference between an app that fades into obscurity and one that becomes indispensable. The world doesn’t need more shortcuts. It needs more blueprints. If you’re building an MVP, don’t just offer answers—offer expertise. The products that will define the future are those that teach their users how to become the experts they aspire to be. If that’s not the foundation of your product, it’s time to rethink everything.