inori's free AI diagnosis site draws 6,000 users, earns $0

The site's growth came from a built-in sharing loop: users enter their X handle, the AI analyzes public posts, and the result — which AI model they resemble — is designed to be shareable on X. That loop brought over 40,000 visits and more than 6,000 diagnoses, but it also meant every diagnosis triggers API calls, so costs scale with popularity. The creator, who usually releases open-source projects for free, did not add ads or charge users, which kept revenue at zero. Beyond costs, the project yielded a playful data point: the average performance score of diagnosed users was 39.3, close to Gemini 3.7 Flash. The creator now sees the need to rethink the architecture, possibly by reusing results or using cheaper models, while keeping the unique X-handle-based experience.