Ship a product in an afternoon with an AI code editor, then sell sponsor slots
Pieter Levels prompted Cursor into a browser flight simulator in about three hours and reported $1M in annualized revenue from in-game ads 17 days later.
Explain it simply
Pieter Levels described a simple flying game to an AI coding tool, and it wrote the code. He launched the game free and sold advertising spots inside it. His large following on X brought the players, and the game's income later dropped to zero.
What was done
In February 2025, Pieter Levels asked Cursor for a 3D flying game in the browser with skyscrapers, then iterated through many follow-up questions and comments.
The game was built in plain HTML and JavaScript. Reports say Grok 3 wrote the multiplayer server code.
It was free to play. Money came from advertisers buying in-game placements, plus paid aircraft.
How it went
Levels reported $87,000 in monthly revenue, a $1M annual run rate, 17 days after launch.
- A run rate, not $1M collected.
- Coverage pointed out that his roughly 623,000 X followers drove much of the demand.
- A 2026 recap reports the game's revenue later fell to zero.
Prompt
Build [product] as a single-page web app in plain HTML and JavaScript, with no framework.
Start with the smallest version someone can use in 30 seconds. Then list the next five improvements and wait for me to pick.
Add a "sponsor slot" component that reads advertisers from a JSON file, so I can sell placements without touching the code.Setup notes
- Levels’ own opening prompt was one line: "make a 3d flying game in browser with skyscrapers."
- Iterate in small steps and ship early.
- Share the build in public; distribution matters more than the code.
- Sell placements from a simple page, with advertiser details in a file you can edit.
Business fit
Who this helps, and how:
- Solo foundersIndie founders can test an idea in a day and sell attention directly.
- CreatorsCreators with an audience can turn a viral build into sponsor revenue.
- StartupsTeams can prototype demos and landing experiences before committing engineers.
Related
- Build a free browser game with AI and sell ad slots inside itIncome automation
- Evidence grade BCollect tax documents from Gmail and build deduction spreadsheetsClaude Code
- Evidence grade BDraft LinkedIn and X posts in your own voice, ready to approveGrok Bot
- Evidence grade BGive an always-on agent a revenue target and let it run the businessOpenClaw + Claude
Similar tools
Other tools for this job, and how they differ. Chosen by our editors, never paid for.
- Claude Code
Builds from your terminal instead of an editor; strongest for rerunnable workflows and internal tools.
See it in use: Generate upload-ready Google Ads variations with your brand rules built in
- Claude
Writes browser code such as three.js in conversation; one creator's notebook shows 5 to 15 follow-ups per piece.
See it in use: Make launch and product animations with Claude in code, and budget for follow-ups
Evidence grade B means: The person who did the work describes the setup and results in detail. How we grade. Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction.