A recent article from the Chinese developer community argues that indie developers should stop trying to build general-purpose AI assistants and instead focus on vertical agents that solve one specific, repetitive, and error-prone task for a well-defined user group. The author uses the example of a foreign trade email agent to illustrate the process: selecting a narrow scenario, building a minimal viable product (MVP), and integrating it into the user's existing workflow. The key insight is that monetization is more achievable when the agent delivers clear, measurable value for a specific pain point, rather than competing with large platforms on breadth. For technical founders and indie hackers, this approach reduces development complexity, accelerates time-to-market, and increases the likelihood of user adoption and revenue. The article emphasizes that the best AI products are not the most powerful, but the most focused.
A practical guide for indie developers on why and how to build a vertical AI agent for a specific workflow, using a foreign trade email agent as a case study.