Stripo's founder, Dmytro Kudrenko, a seasoned programmer-turned-entrepreneur, identified a major gap in the email marketing industry when he realized HTML email design required coding skills that marketers usually lack. Launching in 2017, Stripo rapidly grew to one million users worldwide, generating approximately $400,000 in monthly recurring revenue by offering an intuitive, coding-free email template builder with seamless one-click exports to over 80 platforms.

The initial build of Stripo was handled by a small, resource-constrained team, consisting of at least three developers, a QA, a BA, a CEO, and a designer. For the frontend, they used the Angular framework, while the backend was based on a Java microservices architecture, both deployed on Amazon AWS, leveraging the team’s extensive experience with the Java tech stack. The team focused on building an email editor that separated design from data, enabling marketers to easily create and manage professional emails without coding. Early development involved collaborating closely through healthy debates to make user-focused decisions. Reaching a working product took several months of iterative prototyping and testing; after about nine months, the product was stable enough to introduce paid plans. A core challenge was differentiating their editor from existing email service providers by providing unique solutions like modules and seamless integrations with email marketing tools—efforts enabled by prioritizing integration capabilities and direct export functionality.

SEO & Organic Content They produced comprehensive blog articles, eBooks, and educational webinars addressing key email marketing topics and new technologies, which became the main driver of organic traffic and customer acquisition. Their blog served as a resource hub, sharing use cases, expert interviews, and in-depth industry insights. Why it worked: High-value content positioned Stripo as a trusted authority, attracting both individual users and agencies searching for reliable information and tools.

Partnerships & Integrations Stripo invested heavily in direct integrations with over 80 major ESPs and email platforms, making it easier for users to export emails directly to their preferred tools. They also offered a plugin version to embed the editor into other platforms like CRMs. Why it worked: Seamless integrations removed technical barriers, expanded their reach, and made Stripo attractive for large teams and agency workflows.

PR & Industry Thought Leadership Stripo's team engaged in industry interviews, case studies (e.g., FC Chelsea, Forbes), and participated as panelists at relevant events. They shared product improvements and innovations openly within the community. Why it worked: Thought leadership and association with high-profile clients bolstered trust, credibility, and word-of-mouth growth among email marketers.

Product-led Innovations They were early adopters of technologies like AMP for Email and offered interactive content generators, establishing a reputation as an innovator. Key product advancements were communicated through content and community involvement. Why it worked: Introducing new features ahead of competitors attracted forward-thinking customers and kept retention high by continuously providing value.

E-commerce site selling music production software tools.

A former music producer himself, Mordern Producers is Adrian's way of giving back to the music production community and leveling the playing field between up-and-coming, independent producers and the big league industry players. Helping other artists achieve success is the driving motivation for Adrian.

The founders built the first version of Modern Producers by quickly setting up a Shopify store as their e-commerce platform. They registered the domain and integrated tools like SendOwl for delivering digital downloads, plus apps such as Boost Sales for upsells and Countdown Timer Bar for sales urgency, leveraging Shopify’s ecosystem for rapid setup. To source products, they onboarded a small group of third-party vendors and supplied some limited products developed in-house, but primarily relied on external producers and labels for the catalog. The process from idea to a functioning website took about a week, with the first prototype being a live store capable of processing sales and delivering products to customers digitally. Early challenges included balancing product quality and choice, as well as streamlining vendor onboarding, but the platform-focused approach allowed for quick iterations without heavy investment in physical infrastructure or custom software development.

Adrain frequently launches giveaways and special offers and hosts various contests to build goodwill among the music producer community. Other channels include Facebook messenger broadcasts, where Adrian gets 80-90% open rates and a 10-20% click rate.

Before starting AutoMemes.ai, I was freelancing on Fiverr, creating custom video memes for brands and creators. While the work was fun, it was also repetitive and time-consuming—every meme meant searching for content, writing clever captions, and manually editing everything in CapCut. Around early 2025, AI tools were exploding in popularity. I saw people using AI to write articles, code apps, and even compose music. That’s when it hit me: "If AI can do all that, why not memes too?" That question turned into an obsession—and eventually, a product.

At first, I quietly automated part of the process and kept selling memes on Fiverr. Clients loved the results and kept coming back. That gave me the confidence to go all in.

I didn’t know how to code, so I used ChatGPT to learn and build the first version. The early users were actually my old Fiverr clients—and they’re still using the product today. That’s how I knew this wasn’t just a fun idea, it was a real business.

Unlike other projects I had started, this one solved a real pain I had personally experienced. That made all the difference.

Fiverr Order Confirmation

Max Ibarra created the first version of AutoMemes.ai without prior coding experience by learning as he went, using ChatGPT as his primary guide and support. He built the product as a web app and leveraged no-code/low-code tools and AI APIs, likely with platforms such as Vercel for hosting and Next.js or a similar modern JavaScript framework for development (as is common among indie developers in 2025, though exact tech stack details were not specified in the sources). Early on, he partially automated the meme-making process while still delivering orders manually on Fiverr—iterating on the workflow based on direct client feedback. The first prototype focused on automating the slowest parts of meme creation: sourcing video clips, generating captions, and editing them together into viral meme formats. Max reached a working version within weeks, thanks to rapid prototyping and testing real-world output with his existing Fiverr clients. The main challenges included learning to code from scratch, troubleshooting integration issues with various APIs, and refining the AI’s ability to create genuinely funny and engaging video memes.

Growing AutoMemes.ai has been all about experimentation. Besides building in public on Twitter, I’ve tried multiple strategies across content, SEO, and creator partnerships.

Every day, I publish new meme templates on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and on my website, both to attract organic traffic and showcase what the tool can do. I also run niche TikTok meme accounts where every meme includes a visible watermark from AutoMemes.ai—this drives curiosity and clicks from people who want to know how the memes were made.

I offer all green screen templates for free as a lead magnet. These are especially useful for content creators looking for easy hooks. I also engage in Reddit communities where creators share meme ideas and resources. Giving value in those spaces has helped build trust.

100+ free green screen meme templates

I experimented with cold outreach on WhatsApp to indie hackers and creators from groups I’m part of—but I learned the hard way that this can backfire. I even got kicked out of a group for coming off too spammy. My advice: don’t cold DM strangers on WhatsApp. Instead, focus on giving value and building relationships.

I also run a newsletter where I share strategies and real-life case studies on how different businesses are growing on social media using meme marketing. It's another way to give value, stay connected with my audience, and keep learning together. It’s early, but the results are promising.

TikTok Growth Analysis @inflow

Right now, I’m testing sponsorships with green screen creators to drive traffic directly from viral content.

In the end, what’s worked best is creating useful, shareable content consistently—and making sure people know where it came from.

Book appointments, meetings, training sessions with a single, simple solution

Automation is my passion. It truly boosts my efficiency as a full-stack developer. I was overwhelmed by daily meetings and searched for a good app or software, but none of the scheduling tools I tried were up to par. They seemed outdated, more suited for the 2010s than the 2020s, and no one had a built-in calendar. That was a non-starter for me.

Over the years, I explored numerous leading scheduling tools like Calendly and their counterparts, but each fell short of my expectations.

A critical feature was consistently missing: a built-in calendar that could merge all my work calendars into one cohesive system. Ans a booking page for organizing new meetings. I needed this to see the big picture of my daily and weekly events.

That's when the idea struck me: "Why not build it myself?" That was the birth of Calday. And my expertise in coding made me more excited about it.

In 2022, my friend and I got started, and we unveiled our initial version within just eight months. It was an instant success, particularly among my tech-savvy friends grappling with the same challenges.

Frustrated by the market's gap, I forged my own path. I assembled a dynamic team of four professionals: a UX designer, two software engineers, and a marketing specialist. Together, we dedicated eight months to developing our product.

Being professional developers, we didn't need much in terms of investments.

We bootstrapped Calday with the little resources we had in our hands. The UX designer was already working with us on a project, and he didn't charge much. So, money saved! We only had to pay the SEO marketer (around $500) for their input in terms of website structure, sitemap creation, and integrations.

By the end of April 2023, we were proud to release our MVP, a tool designed from scratch to address the specific needs that others had failed to address.

First version of Homepage

Our initial release was modest, lacking many features that define our current version (such as integrations with other video platforms like Zoom). Nevertheless, it resonated with like-minded individuals who appreciated our vision.

We launched the free version first and asked the developer community (our colleagues) to try it. The response was satisfactory. Their feedback helped us fix some bugs and greatly motivated our team.

This gave us the courage to advance our efforts, leading to the development of the current version of Calday.

The development process took 10 months, culminating in a new interface that looks cozier and offers significant usability improvements. This iteration boasts a fresh design, enhanced features, and broader integrations. We also launched our premium version, which offers unlimited scheduling and integrations for growing businesses.

User Dashboard (current version)

Our initial marketing effort was centered around PPC ads, and it was successful. We operated within a modest budget, yet we consistently attracted over 190 new users monthly and started generating revenue.

PPC Campaign (April 2023)

We stopped the PPC ads because we didn't want to rely solely on them, and more importantly, we wanted to keep our marketing budget low.

We realized that our prospective customers (solopreneurs and small businesses) leverage social media for their businesses. Therefore, we decided to launch an advertising campaign on Facebook and Instagram. But it didn't go as planned.

After a month of running ads, the initial results did not meet our expectations. Consequently, we chose to pause our spending on social media marketing.

After a few months, we decided to try SEO and content marketing. These strategies showed promising results. We published five blog posts and optimized our pages, and Google started to like us.

Our SEO strategist suggested adding more industry pages and publishing frequent blog posts. The results were fantastic. We ranked on search engine result pages (SERPs) for primary keywords and started attracting new users organically (5-9 users per day).

Calday's Organic Growth

Thanks to good SEO, we crossed the 500 users milestone last year. Seeing the results, we put more effort into SEO and content.

We also changed our domain from "Calday.app" tld to "Calday.com" to further strengthen our brand across the web.

Our website is getting more than 10 unique visitors per day from Google as of today.

Calday's last 3 months growth

Get hired faster with AI-generated resumes tailored to your job applications

In my early career, I used to be a recruiter (mostly tech) for some of the largest companies in the world. Back in 2018, I ended up writing the most popular resume advice on the internet via a post on Reddit on random Saturday morning that went mega-viral. Since then my resume template has been downloaded over 4M times since then – so I knew without a doubt that there is massive demand for trustworthy, straightforward, actionable resume advice.

Over the years, I've maintained the reddit thread by answering thousands of comments and questions from job seekers, all for free, accidentally positioning myself as redditors' most trusted resume whisperer.

With the advent of AI, I've been able to amplify my time and expertise by training the Sheets AI Resume Builder with my recruiting knowledge. We gave it away for the first week and saw thousands of excited users with great reviews, so we knew we were ready for prime time.

This is very different than my past business experience as Founder and CEO of Sheets & Giggles, a sustainable bedding brand known for its Eucalyptus Sheets.

In 2023, I started doing 1:1 resume reviews in my spare time with my good friend and old recruiting colleague Nate, who is also a software engineer at EventBrite. We loved helping people 1:1 and making such a huge impact on their lives, but we just didn't have enough time to help out everyone who came to us. Plus, because each resume review took a ton of time, we had to charge $400, which was prohibitive for a lot of folks who were unemployed.

In 2024, Nate asked me if maybe we should automate our reviews to help more people at a lower price, and voila! The Builder's tech stack is OpenAI, Gemini, PHP (Laravel), RestAPI, AWS, and a few other pieces. We started training an AI with our resume rules and recruiting knowledge, and it took about 4 months (working nights and weekends) before we had the UX dialed in.

We let people build their resume, and then ask them if they'd like to become a lifetime member for $99 – no recurring fees, unlimited usage, and no-questions-asked refunds. We are trying to figure out how to add in a free usage tier, but for now if anyone needs it for free because of financial constraints, they just have to email me and I'll grant them a free temporary membership.

The business is totally bootstrapped.

My image

We use Google Ads, affiliate marketing, PR, influencers, YouTube sponsorships, podcast sponsorships, and SEO content marketing to drive more website traffic.

We have a robust organic Reddit presence, answering questions freely and often. I think my best tip is that it's important to help people first and foremost, as often as you can, asking for nothing in return... and good things will follow.

Kubernetes made easy - save time, money, and resources using the Syself platform

The idea for Syself came from firsthand experience with the challenges of managing Kubernetes at scale. Before starting Syself, I worked extensively in cloud infrastructure and DevOps, helping companies deploy and maintain Kubernetes clusters. I repeatedly saw teams struggling with complexity, high costs, and the steep learning curve of Kubernetes. Many businesses wanted the power of Kubernetes but lacked the expertise or resources to operate it efficiently. That’s when I realized there was an opportunity: What if Kubernetes could manage itself?

The "aha" moment came when I was helping a company migrate from a managed Kubernetes service to a self-hosted setup on a more cost-effective cloud provider. The migration was technically possible but incredibly tedious—provisioning nodes, configuring networking, ensuring updates wouldn’t break anything. It became clear that automation and simplicity were missing from Kubernetes management, especially for companies that wanted to optimize costs and avoid vendor lock-in.

My image

How We Built the First Version of Syself: Identifying the Core Problem & Market Need: Before writing a single line of code, I spent months talking to DevOps engineers, CTOs, and Kubernetes users to understand their biggest challenges. The common pain points were clear—Kubernetes was too complex, managed services like AWS EKS and GKE were expensive, and self-hosting Kubernetes required too much manual effort. Companies wanted automation, flexibility, and cost savings without vendor lock-in.

That’s when the idea for Syself Autopilot took shape. Our goal was simple: one command to create a production-ready Kubernetes cluster without the hassle of manual setup and management. Instead of competing with managed cloud services, we wanted to provide an open, cost-efficient alternative that worked on any infrastructure—especially on affordable providers like Hetzner.

Building an MVP (Minimum Viable Product): To move quickly, we focused on a single core feature: automated Kubernetes provisioning on Hetzner Cloud. We used Cluster API, an open-source Kubernetes lifecycle management tool, and built a custom controller to handle node provisioning and scaling. Instead of overwhelming users with too many options, we created a simple CLI tool that allowed them to deploy clusters with just one command.

Once we had the prototype, we tested it with real users—DevOps teams, startup founders, and Kubernetes enthusiasts. We collected feedback on usability, performance, and security, and then refined the product with bi-weekly updates. The key was iterating fast—we kept improving the tool based on real-world use cases and fixing pain points that surfaced during testing.

Developer Communities & Forums Syself shared its automation-focused Kubernetes solution in forums like Reddit, relevant Slack groups, and developer communities. These discussions targeted DevOps engineers and startups experiencing similar infrastructure challenges. Why it worked: Direct engagement allowed Syself to build credibility quickly and reach early adopters already interested in cloud automation.

Open-Source Contributions The team contributed improvements to projects like Cluster API and openly shared their own tools, which drew interest from the Kubernetes ecosystem. This approach fostered trust and demonstrated technical capability to the target audience. Why it worked: Open-source participation established Syself as a knowledgeable resource and generated organic word-of-mouth within the infrastructure community.

Technical Content & Case Studies Syself published technical blog posts and case studies that highlighted specific cost savings and simplified operations using their tool, appealing to decision-makers and technical leads. Why it worked: Detailed, educational content helped articulate Syself’s value proposition and provided tangible proof to technical buyers evaluating Kubernetes solutions.

Free Trials & Direct Outreach They offered free trials to DevOps teams and engaged in one-on-one conversations, guiding prospects through evaluating the platform. Why it worked: Personalized support and a hands-on experience addressed concerns directly and converted engaged users into the first paying customers.

"AI-powered tool for Twitter and LinkedIn content management."

Before Typefully, we first built Mailbrew together (now acquired) - a product to help people create beautiful and automated personal email newsletters based on content from the sites and apps they love.

Typefully was born as a marketing side project to promote Mailbrew because we noticed there wasn't a good writing tool for Twitter threads (at the time, the format was exploding). We wanted to write and schedule amazing threads but couldn't, so we built something for it.

The “aha” moment happened when the side project tool we built (Typefully) became more popular than the main project we were trying to promote (Mailbrew). It was crystal clear from our analytics that the traction for Typefully was much higher.

Proceeding with Typefully made a lot of sense not only due to the market pull we felt but also because we were both long-time Twitter users. We were very much inside the bubble and could see the trend shifting towards Twitter threads, so we hopped on it.

Other startup founders were the initial niche of users first using Typefully which gave us a perfect founder-product fit because we are both also founders/makers building in public. This dogfooding process helped us a lot in the beginning and it still does to this day as we continue to use our own product.

Typefully was built using a modern tech stack, including Next.js and Django, which enabled us to develop and iterate on the product quickly. This approach facilitated the rapid deployment of an Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within just a few months.

To get started, as we were both developers, it didn’t require too much funding as we coded everything ourselves. The main costs were server costs and, to save on them, we co-hosted the project together with our other project (Mailbrew), avoiding having to spin up separate costly infrastructure.

It took 3-4 weeks to build a fully functioning MVP. We constrained ourselves on purpose because we didn’t want to invest too much in a non-validated idea.

The initial prototype was designed to enhance the Twitter thread writing experience, focusing on a distraction-free interface. We first launched Typefully as a free tool (much like the ones we now have) which made it explode due to how crazy word of mouth got. Everyone was telling their friends about it!

The process of refining the product involved incorporating user feedback and updating features as the user base expanded, which helped to iterate on features like analytics and cross-posting abilities to LinkedIn. Twitter analytics was our first paid feature which we only introduced 6 months after the launch.

This was us working in Vietnam together while nomading.

And our first office.

Product Hunt & Hacker News

Typefully capitalized on Product Hunt and Hacker News to capture the attention of a tech-savvy audience. Launching on these platforms resulted in substantial traffic and adoption, bringing thousands of signups on our launch day. We perfected our Hacker News strategy by submitting topics that resonated with the community, such as entrepreneurial insights and technical showcases, which consistently made it to the front page.

Why it worked: Both platforms are ideal for introducing new tech tools to an audience eager for innovation. On Product Hunt, partnering with an established user who could "hunt" our product was key to gaining visibility. Hacker News provided a platform where tech enthusiasts could discuss and explore Typefully’s offering, increasing organic reach without costly advertising.

Twitter

As a tool designed specifically for Twitter thread creation, we effectively leveraged our established presence on Twitter to market Typefully. We had built significant followers over the years due to our involvement in tech communities and previous projects like Mailbrew. Engaging tweets about Typefully’s features and updates tapped into this network, encouraging retweets and discussions.

Why it worked: By utilizing a platform that was central to our product, we managed to reach a pre-engaged audience who immediately understood the tool’s value. Our existing reputation and active engagement on Twitter created trust and drove adoption from followers who were already interested in maximizing their Twitter experience.

Word-of-Mouth and Community Engagement

Word-of-mouth promotion within creator communities played a significant role in Typefully's growth. The simplicity and effectiveness of the tool prompted users to recommend it organically, further enhanced by engaging frequently with the community for feedback and refinements. This approach of treating users as partners and advocates helped foster an enthusiastic user base that supports product development and dissemination.

Why it worked: Our focus on active community engagement created a loyal user base that willingly shared praise and feedback, fueling organic growth. Honest communication and quickly implementing suggested improvements helped solidify user trust and advocacy, making it more than just a tool but a user-endorsed product.

Online video editor designed for effortless editing.

At just 16, Rexan from Hong Kong founded Text Behind Image and VideoFast after grappling with complex design tools like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. By identifying his own struggles and leveraging his coding skills, he's gained 20k users monthly and earns $200 a month.

Building VideoFast was a journey of iterative development and learning. The first version, or MVP, was particularly challenging as video editing tools are complex. Rexan, a high school student, dedicated six months to code by leveraging NextJS, React, and Typescript for the frontend, Supabase for the backend, and TailwindCSS for UI design. These tools enabled him to create a professional-looking, functional product deployed via Vercel. One major challenge was managing school commitments alongside development, which extended the planned timeline. The process was difficult but ultimately rewarding, bolstered by sharing progress on social media and building a supportive community around his venture.

Twitter

VideoFast effectively utilized Twitter, specifically through the strategy of "building in public." The founder shared progress on the development of their product, which helped build an engaged community around it. Regular updates, along with sharing personal elements like being a 16-year-old founder, intrigued people and enhanced engagement, leading to greater visibility. The algorithm favored these interactive content types, boosting their reach. Example Tweet

Why it worked: Engaging with updates and demonstrating progress creates a connection with potential users. The personal backstory adds an element of human interest, making the content more shareable and memorable.

Product Hunt

Launching on Product Hunt was a significant growth driver for VideoFast. The tool was featured as a top product, gaining significant exposure. This platform is known for its large audience of tech-savvy users looking for new tools and products, which aligned well with VideoFast's offering. The founder even received support from well-known figures like Ryan Hoover, which amplified the launch's reach.

Why it worked: Product Hunt provides access to a highly targeted audience who are interested in discovering new products. The support from influential users and a well-timed campaign maximized visibility and validation from the community.

Reddit

The founder also leveraged Reddit, particularly the r/sideproject subreddit, to launch and promote the products. Posts on this platform garnered considerable attention, reflective of Reddit’s ability to reach a broad audience through niche interest groups where users are keen to explore innovative projects.

Why it worked: Reddit offers a community-driven approach that rewards innovative, relatable content. By engaging in a community with shared interests, the founder tapped into networks that are already predisposed to support and engage with novel tools like VideoFast.

Word-of-Mouth and Viral Social Sharing

The viral nature of the content posted by VideoFast was bolstered by word-of-mouth and organic social media sharing. Influencers and large Instagram pages shared the app, further driving interest and traffic. Video content that showcased the product in action was particularly effective in gaining views and engagement.

Why it worked: Word-of-mouth and viral sharing rely heavily on the shareability and interest of the content. By creating engaging, visually appealing, and easily relatable content, the product reached wide audiences and gained traction without extensive paid marketing efforts.

AI-powered personalized study assistant for students.

After graduating from university, Nick recognized the challenges students face and founded Textero in 2023, an AI writing assistant. With zero capital, he quickly launched a free version to gain feedback, amassing $20,000 in average monthly revenue by addressing the needs of over 215 million academic sources.

Textero's first product was built over a single month by the founder and a developer friend, with the core goal of making AI-generated writing collaborative and useful for students. They acquired the domain and developed a basic writing assistant app and a simple website, relying on limited funds and handling most tasks themselves. The initial tech stack likely included widely available AI language models (such as OpenAI's GPT), but specific frameworks or platforms were not named in public sources; the use of outsourced developers for specific features was mentioned. The prototype underwent rapid testing and iteration, as they made the product free for the first two months to collect real-user feedback and identify bugs—many of which were found and addressed in that phase. The main challenges encountered were technical bugs, the constraint of a minimal budget, and the need to balance product quality with speed while working as a lean team.

SEO Textero attracted its first users by ranking in Google search, and at one point received 10,000 daily organic clicks. After initial growth, a Google Core Update caused a significant ranking drop, prompting changes to their homepage content and ongoing work to recover rankings. Why it worked: Ranking for popular student-related writing queries gave Textero access to an actively searching audience at low acquisition cost.

Directory Listings Early on, Textero submitted their site to various AI tool directories to increase visibility, listing their features to appeal to students and educators seeking writing tools. This channel provided steady traffic before their search rankings matured. Why it worked: Directory submissions allowed them to reach target users directly and gain credibility in a crowded market with minimal spend.

Social Media (TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit) The team experimented with content on social platforms—sharing writing tips, engaging humor, and responding to feedback. TikTok and Instagram Reels were used to reach younger audiences with short, relatable videos; Reddit and X provided direct user interaction and feedback. Why it worked: Engaging students where they spend time online increased brand awareness and enabled rapid feedback loops for product improvement.

Affiliate Program Textero launched an affiliate program and actively supported affiliates with news and promo codes. Affiliates promoted the platform to their own audiences, helping Textero grow its user base. Why it worked: Leveraging partners' existing audiences drove high-intent traffic and incentivized word-of-mouth growth in a competitive space.

Mobile-first link-in-bio builder for social media profiles.

After noticing artists relying on cumbersome link-in-bio tools, Charlie Clark leveraged his software engineering and design background to create Liinks, a user-friendly solution. This pivot from his print-on-demand marketplace quickly gained traction, amassing over 5,300 paying customers and generating $25K+ a month by focusing on simplicity and affordability.

The founder built the first version of Liinks by leveraging experience and code from a prior project, VSUAL. This allowed for rapid development, with the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) being created in about two weeks. The tech stack consisted of React for the frontend, NodeJS for the backend, and MongoDB for the database, all self-hosted on a DigitalOcean VPS with AWS S3 for asset storage. The initial prototype enabled users to create an account and set up a simple link-in-bio page. Key challenges included keeping costs low using prior components and ensuring the UI was user-friendly from the start; no major unforeseen issues during this phase were detailed.

Cold Outreach (Manual Onboarding) Early growth came from manually reaching out to potential users, especially those using competing link-in-bio tools. The founder recreated users' profiles in Liinks with enhanced styling and personally invited them to switch over. Why it worked: This personalized approach showcased the tool's unique value directly, boosting initial conversions in a competitive market.

ProductHunt Launch Liinks launched on ProductHunt and secured about 300 upvotes and a #8 daily ranking on the homepage, resulting in a surge of new user signups. Why it worked: ProductHunt's audience is interested in new tech products, providing broad exposure and immediate feedback.

Paid Advertising (Instagram & Google Ads) Instagram ads were used successfully early on, but after iOS14 privacy changes, Google Ads became the preferred paid channel. Ads were refined for cost-effectiveness as the user base grew. Why it worked: Paid channels scaled user acquisition beyond manual outreach, especially in reaching creators and small businesses looking for affordable link-in-bio tools.

Organic Social and Built-in Referral Many Liinks user pages include a "Made with Liinks" badge, which generated organic traffic as these pages were shared across social media. Why it worked: Built-in branding leveraged customers’ public profiles to drive low-cost word-of-mouth referrals.

AI-powered personal stylist for sustainable wardrobe management.

While working in strategy and finance for major e-commerce companies, Elena Volkova realized her outfit choices impacted her confidence and success. Frustrated by the lack of effective personal styling solutions, she launched Style DNA, now boasting 300K active users and $3 million in annual revenue.

The founders began Style DNA by conducting hundreds of hours of user research and in-depth interviews to define the core problems and needs for their target audience. For the MVP, they teamed up with an image consultant to label several million datasets, which were used to train the AI Styling Assistant—a proprietary digital product that powers selfie-based color analysis and personalized outfit recommendations. The initial product focused on features not widely available in other styling apps, such as automated appearance analysis and an internal shopping marketplace. Key tech components included custom AI development, large-scale data annotation, and integration of mobile app features, though the precise tech stack is not specified. Iterative testing and feedback loops were crucial, as the team frequently revised the design and user experience based on user results; building the dataset and AI model required substantial effort and was a notable challenge during this phase.

Paid Social Media The team invested heavily in visually rich paid ads on platforms like Instagram, focusing on content that demonstrated their unique color analysis feature. Short-form video content, like Instagram reels analyzing celebrity outfits, generated viral traction (e.g., one Zendaya reel reached 3.5 million views and 166k likes). Why it worked: Sharing visually compelling, timely content resonated with fashion-interested audiences and motivated them to try the app’s styling analysis for themselves.

Organic Social Media (Instagram/TikTok) Style DNA rapidly grew its audience through viral posts capitalizing on trending events, such as their Met Gala outfit analyses, which attracted broad attention and sparked large waves of sign-ups. Their approach emphasized fast, relevant responses to cultural moments paired with educational or interactive style content. Why it worked: Leveraging real-time moments and relatable visuals established Style DNA as a credible, authoritative voice in fashion and encouraged organic, word-of-mouth growth.

Marketplace Partnerships By building a database of over 150 retail partners, Style DNA integrated an internal marketplace, allowing users to directly purchase recommended outfits. This partnership network both increased the perceived value of the app and enabled collaborative promotional efforts. Why it worked: Seamless shopping within the app removed friction and incentivized user action, while co-marketing with retailers boosted reach across different customer bases.

Ad-free gaming catalog app for gamers and developers.

Evgeny Unegovsky, leveraging his extensive background in MarTech and IT, co-founded Subscrible with Igor Diev after noticing his child's frustration with ads in mobile games, leading to their ad-free gaming catalog app that already boasts over 15,000 users.

The development of Subscrible began with creating a landing page that described the concept and offered a subscription option, followed by running Facebook Ads to gauge interest. The high CTR of over 5% and more than 50 user subscriptions indicated a strong market demand. The initial prototype was primarily focused on verifying the possibility of disabling ads in games using a two-step app process: capturing user info and verifying user transfer. The development involved using Flutter and Dart for building natively compiled applications from a single codebase, enabling faster development and cost savings. The process was challenging, especially in convincing stakeholders of the feasibility of the SDK and integrating it with existing systems without the need for game developers to make significant changes.

Networking at Gaming Conferences

Subscrible actively participated in gaming conferences like the Israel Mobile Summit, the Nordic Game Conference, and the WN Conference in Belgrade and Abu Dhabi. These events allowed them to network directly with game developers and explain the benefits of their platform in person. This approach helped establish valuable relationships and increased visibility among potential partners and clients.

Why it worked: Direct interactions at conferences foster trust and provide immediate feedback from industry professionals. By engaging with developers face-to-face, Subscrible could effectively communicate its unique selling proposition and build rapport, which is often more impactful than digital communication alone.

LinkedIn and Webinars

Subscrible utilized LinkedIn for connecting with developers and hosted regular webinars that attracted over 50 participants. These webinars shared insights into monetization and retention strategies without intrusive ads, adding value for developers and building a community around Subscrible.

Why it worked: LinkedIn and webinars are effective for B2B communication, allowing businesses to reach a professional audience with targeted content. Hosting webinars provided an interactive platform to engage developers, showcase expertise, and position Subscrible as thought leaders in the gaming industry.

Partnerships with Game Developers

By creating a mutually beneficial platform, Subscrible spread user acquisition costs across multiple game developers. Developers gained access to an audience that valued their time without intrusive ads, enhancing player engagement and reducing costs.

Why it worked: Partnerships with developers leveraged the shared interests of both parties to create a seamless gaming experience. This collaborative approach not only lowered advertising costs but also increased game engagement, benefiting both developers and gamers financially and experientially.

Feeling stifled in corporate life, Marcus Biel leveraged his Java development skills to create Maildroppa, an affordable email marketing tool for solo founders. The platform's unique free plan and bootstrapper ethos helped it achieve $20,000 in monthly revenue, transforming the email marketing landscape.

The earliest version of Maildroppa was created by founder Marcus Biel for his own info product, handling only basic email sending to a newsletter list. As an experienced Java developer, Marcus built the backend using Java, while the frontend was developed in React with the help of a colleague, connecting both parts early on for rapid iteration. Design work was outsourced to a Ukrainian designer found via Upwork, and Stripe was used for payments, though Marcus chose to implement custom billing and subscription features—which took about six extra weeks—to maximize user transparency and control. Initial development avoided automated testing to enable faster prototyping, but comprehensive tests were added later. Notable challenges included accidentally making the first MVP attractive to spammers, which forced temporary price hikes, subscriber cap reductions, and the addition of anti-spam logic (including automated detection) to resolve abuse issues before selling to more legitimate users.

Core tools and technologies included: Java (backend), React and Next.js (frontend), Tailwind, Directus headless CMS, Hetzner Cloud and DigitalOcean (hosting), Figma/Photoshop (design), Stripe (payments), and Gitlab (code management). The timeline from rebuilding the tool for broader SaaS use to the first functional version spanned several months, with the Stripe integration and anti-spam features being the most time-consuming hurdles.

Email List & Lead Magnets Marcus leveraged his existing list of 20,000+ subscribers (built through a prior info product and social media) as a core acquisition channel, promoting Maildroppa directly via email at launch. He also utilized effective lead magnets (like free eBooks and courses), coupled with high-converting, non-intrusive signup forms, to capture new leads; notably, the website converts 15.2% of visitors to free or paid signups. Why it worked: Targeting an existing, engaged audience and providing valuable free resources drove high conversion rates and initial traction for a bootstrapped SaaS.

SEO Maildroppa focused on both technical onsite SEO and offsite backlink building, publishing blog content and optimizing the site for organic search. Traffic steadily increased—now around 4,000 monthly visits—through consistent content updates and backlink efforts (including affiliate partnerships that generated links for free). Why it worked: SEO produced compounding, long-term inbound traffic at low acquisition cost, especially important for sustainably reaching solo founders and bootstrappers.

Affiliate Marketing They offer affiliates 30% recurring revenue for up to two years for referred paying customers. This incentivized others to recommend Maildroppa, bringing qualified traffic and customers, plus valuable backlinks that supported SEO. Why it worked: Paying only for actual conversions (not clicks) made this channel cost-effective and provided an ongoing stream of referrals and search engine benefits.

Social Media Maildroppa gained early exposure through Marcus's sizable personal followings on Twitter and LinkedIn (combined 58,000+ followers), driving initial awareness and some word-of-mouth, though financial impact was modest compared to other channels. Why it worked: Social media established credibility and relationships, which aided personal recommendations and brand trust, even if it wasn't a primary revenue driver.

Andrew and Michael, leveraging their extensive startup and web3 backgrounds, founded BasedLabs in December 2023 after struggling to find high-quality AI b-roll for automated content creation, quickly achieving a $10K MRR and 150,000 signups with less than $500 on marketing.

Michael managed to have the MVP of BasedLabs up and running in just three days. The initial product included an image-to-video generator and a user-friendly website with features like Google Auth signup. The development focused on being lean and fast, enabling them to spend only $100-200 on essential expenses during the first month. They leveraged Replicates API for AI models to quickly introduce new tools and services, allowing rapid iteration and development. This process was challenging due to tight budgets and the need to balance speed with functionality, but it set them up to acquire their first customers and gather valuable feedback for improvements.

Social Media

BasedLabs found success through social media platforms like Twitter, TikTok, and Reddit. From the onset, both founders focused heavily on creating content for these networks. They utilized Twitter for sharing promotions and user-generated content, which helped generate initial traction. A pivotal moment was a viral tweet shared by @ThunderMonique, which significantly boosted their traffic by 10,000 visits in one week. This focus on social media, particularly in their early days, allowed them to gain 500-1,000 sign-ups in their first month and build a solid foundation for growth.

Why it worked: Social media platforms are excellent for organic growth, especially when funds are limited. By targeting relevant communities and leveraging viral content, BasedLabs was able to reach potential customers at nearly no cost. The viral tweet indicates the power of peer sharing and the influence it can have on driving traffic.

SEO

SEO quickly became a primary growth channel for BasedLabs, with a focus on creating articles, free tools, and user-generated content to attract organic traffic. By month three, the company began to rank for SEO keywords, gradually increasing sign-ups to 10,000-40,000. The founders concentrated on building a strong backlink profile and focused on ranking for high-traffic keywords. This commitment to SEO resulted in a consistent flow of roughly 5,000 daily visits from organic Google searches.

Why it worked: SEO provided a scalable method for attracting customers without significant ongoing costs. By building their core strategy on SEO from the very beginning, they established themselves as a go-to resource, allowing them to capture user interest repeatedly without continual expenditure on paid marketing.

Partnerships and Affiliates

Another successful strategy was building partnerships and utilizing affiliate marketing. By offering free credits to AI video creators and building relationships with bloggers who would use their affiliate links, BasedLabs increased their visibility and sign-ups significantly. During months three to four, these efforts expanded their reach, helping them capture broader audiences through trusted third-party endorsements.

Why it worked: Partnerships and affiliates can exponentially increase one's reach through existing networks. By aligning with content creators and bloggers, BasedLabs amplified their efforts via channels that had already built-in trust with their target audience, providing a bigger impact than traditional advertising might have achieved.

AI app transforming voice notes into structured content.

After dropshipping and freelancing fizzled out, Nico locked himself in a hotel room for two months, learned to code from scratch, and launched 17 apps in a year—selling one for $65,000. His frustration with poor transcription tools led him to create Talknotes, now generating $5,000/month.

The founder built the first version of Talknotes in about 3 to 4 days, focusing tightly on a minimal set of core features: recording voice notes and using AI to convert them into structured content like blog posts and bullet point lists. Development began with VSCode and basic web tooling, utilizing vanilla Javascript, HTML, and CSS, with AI-powered text processing handled through the OpenAI API—an approach that kept initial costs under $10 (mostly for API usage). The first prototype involved manually transforming recordings into summaries to ensure feasibility, and only then was a simple user interface layered on top. There was rapid iteration, but no mention of a formal user testing phase at this very early stage; the main challenge was shipping quickly enough to validate demand, in line with the founder’s philosophy of fast-moving product trials. No notable technical blockers were reported, possibly due to the narrow scope of the MVP and reliance on established AI APIs.

Paid Advertising Talknotes leaned on paid ads as its top acquisition channel after launch, spending around $50 to acquire each customer and focusing on subscriptions to recoup this investment within a few months. Annual subscription discounts generated immediate cash flow that was reinvested into further advertising. Why it worked: Controlled, measurable ad spend drove steady, scalable growth and enabled rapid customer acquisition despite higher up-front costs.

Directories & Product Hunt Launches Initial traction came from listing on startup directories and launching on Product Hunt, where the app became Product of the Day and quickly reached $1,000 MRR in two months. Why it worked: These platforms exposed Talknotes to early adopters and startup enthusiasts actively seeking new tools, resulting in a burst of free users and early sales.

Content & SEO Blog posts and free tools were attempted but only delivered negligible sales—one blog effort produced just three conversions. Why it struggled: Content-driven channels failed to gain organic momentum or convert in this niche, possibly due to competition and the immediacy of the audience's needs.