Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI: Building, Failing, and Bouncing Back

From running a rogue lemonade stand in third grade (complete with hired second-graders) to leading the charge in agentic AI, Anik Singal’s entrepreneurial journey is as unconventional as it is inspiring. In this episode of BizNinja Entrepreneur Radio, host Tyler Jorgenson dives into Anik’s fascinating backstory—from dropping a full-ride pre-med scholarship, stumbling through MLMs, and convincing his skeptical father that a $30,000 ClickBank check wasn’t a scam, to building multimillion-dollar businesses like Sendlane, WebinarCon, and now Ugentic AI.

Anik opens up about the highs and lows of his career, including the near-collapse that left him $1.7 million in debt, the life-threatening stress of Crohn’s disease, and the brutal lessons he learned while trying (and failing) to build a tech company without the right foundation. He candidly shares how the “golden touch” complex nearly destroyed him—and how humility, mentors, and relentless learning pulled him back.

Now, with Ugentic AI, Anik is on a mission to bring cutting-edge, autonomous AI workflows to small businesses—the 75% of entrepreneurs still untouched by AI technology. He reveals how Ugentic AI can give small businesses a competitive edge, streamline workflows, and even reclaim the one thing every entrepreneur craves: freedom. Along the way, he sprinkles in life lessons, powerful takeaways, and a heartfelt reminder that entrepreneurship is about creating the life you want—not just the business you build.

Takeaways

• The Entrepreneurial Signs Start Early: Even childhood hustles can reveal entrepreneurial instincts—sometimes in hilariously “non-kosher” ways.
• Big Wins Come with Big Lessons: Success in one arena doesn’t guarantee success in another. You need humility, the right partners, and constant learning.
• Debt & Failure Aren’t the End: Hitting rock bottom financially or health-wise can become the catalyst for growth and reinvention.
• Ugentic AI is Here Now: Autonomous AI workflows aren’t science fiction—they’re already reshaping business, and small businesses need to catch up fast.
• True Success means Freedom: For Anik, the ultimate milestone isn’t another exit—it’s carving out more time with his family while running world-changing companies.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction
01:09 Childhood Hustles and Lemonade Stand
02:55 The Doctor Dream Detour
03:54 Discovering True Entrepreneurship Passion
06:10 First Big Affiliate Marketing Win
09:43 Transition to Becoming Product Owner
14:14 Obsession with Info Publishing Model
15:18 From Info Products into SaaS
18:02 The Golden Touch Complex
20:20 Dark Times and Heavy Debt
23:29 Hard Lessons Every Entrepreneur Learns
26:41 Future Vision with Eugentic AI
28:45 What Ugentic AI Really Is
30:30 Personal Bucket List Freedom Goal
31:26 How to Connect with Anik
31:51 Tyler’s Closing Words of Action