Bootstrapping an AI Startup to $10M from Boise, Idaho: Christian Perry, CEO of Undetectable AI (Part 1)

You hear about fast growth, bootstrapped AI startups. Here’s a great story about one. Christian is not very interested in raising Venture Capital.

Sramana Mitra: All right, Christian, let’s start at the very beginning of your journey. Where are you from? Where were you born and raised? What kind of background?

Christian Perry: My name’s Christian Perry. I’ve always been a serial entrepreneur. I started my first company at around nine years old, had my first couple of employees at age 13, and my first exit in my early twenties. Now I’m working on Undetectable AI and TruthScan, my current companies.

Sramana Mitra: Let’s go a little bit slower. What kind of company were you building when you’re nine years old?

Christian Perry: I was fortunate to grow up in an entrepreneurial household. My father started his own business and loaned me $40 at 1% interest when I was nine to buy popsicles and sell them along the beach.

Sramana Mitra: Where was this?

Christian Perry: This was in Southern California. That’s where I’m originally from. I lived there until I was about 18 before moving to Boise, Idaho. I’ve always been into tech and computers. That popsicle business wasn’t anything big or crazy, but it was great for a 9-year-old. It was more about learning and understanding cost of goods and basic business concepts—things my father was trying to teach me.

Then, at 13, I started a video game services business. That’s where I brought on my first few employees. We did power leveling for a game called RuneScape. Some people had money but not time, and we had time but not money. So we’d level up their in-game characters in exchange for payment. I had employees in Brazil, China, and Vietnam.

From there, I got into school. My educational journey took a long time—eight years—because I kept dropping out to start businesses.

Sramana Mitra: What were you studying?

Christian Perry: The first business during that time was in the marketing space. I would go to local small businesses and convince them to improve their online presence—mostly local SEO. I’d create their Google panel, handle listings, things like that.

Sramana Mitra: So you were running businesses while going to school?

Christian Perry: Correct. My last business before graduating took eight years longer than average. But during that time, I raised my first million in venture capital while still a student.

Sramana Mitra: So, what were you studying?

Christian Perry: Oh, studying. I was studying entrepreneurial management and business administration.

Sramana Mitra: At UCLA?

Christian Perry: No, that’s when I moved to Idaho and went to Boise State University.

Sramana Mitra: Interesting. Why Boise State from Los Angeles?

Christian Perry: It’s not a super interesting story. I was working as a ski bum at Mammoth Mountain, took some time off between school, and got into a bad ski accident in March. Boise State was still accepting applications in April. I applied to a few schools, and this was the one that accepted me. It aligned with where I wanted to be. I flew up to Boise—and the rest is history. I love it here.

This segment is part 1 in the series : Bootstrapping an AI Startup to $10M from Boise, Idaho: Christian Perry, CEO of Undetectable AI
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