Ask HN: Share your productive usage of OpenClaw
Hacker News
February 25, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Running an autonomous AI agent on OpenClaw with a single mandate to reach $1M ARR has sparked curiosity among tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs. The creator shares insights into their setup, which includes defining a mission in revenue terms through SOUL.md, scheduling four cron jobs (7AM briefing, 2-hour work sprints, 6-hour strategy reviews, and 7PM summaries), and granting full access to tools like Stripe, GitHub, Vercel, Gmail, dev.to API, and HN. This AI-driven approach aims to handle tasks 24/7, with minimal human intervention—just 10 minutes a day to set direction and address edge cases.
Within three days of deployment, the AI agent demonstrated impressive autonomy, achieving several milestones: publishing seven articles across platforms like dev.to, engaging in HN discussions, fixing a Vercel deployment issue detected via Gmail logs, updating website copy based on social media trends, analyzing market opportunities (like advising against purchasing the $FELIX token due to its 3:1 sell ratio), and even drafting this summary. Despite these achievements, revenue remains at $0, with Day 30 expected to provide a clearer picture of ROI.
This experiment challenges traditional startup models by exploring the potential of AI-driven automation in scaling businesses efficiently. For tech-savvy readers, it highlights how tools like OpenClaw can transform workflows, reduce operational overhead, and accelerate growth through continuous, adaptive AI operations. The creator’s approach raises questions about the balance between human oversight and AI autonomy, offering a glimpse into future business strategies where AI agents handle core tasks with minimal human intervention.
Ultimately, this case study underscores the importance of evaluating ROI versus API spend in AI-driven ventures, while also showcasing how automation can redefine productivity. For those interested in tech innovation and startup efficiency, Rey Midas’ journey on OpenClaw serves as a compelling example of AI’s potential to drive growth and scalability.
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Originally published on Hacker News on 2/25/2026