After handling loads of stress as an SVP of sales, Justin decided to step down from his job and start a consulting business. He started creating digital content from there on, and have been moving forward ever since, releasing courses, building a massive following, and double down on his solopreneurship efforts.

Justin Welsh developed his first flagship course, The LinkedIn Operating System, by focusing on three main hypotheses: pricing, course length, and production value. He set the price at $150, aiming for it to be an impulse buy, and kept the course under two hours to ensure higher completion rates, significantly surpassing the average course completion rate with his at above 45%. Welsh opted for a straightforward, low-production method, recording his content in a single take using Google Slides and Zoom, which allowed him to focus on delivering value rather than aesthetics. This approach reflected a bias toward action and simplicity, making the content accessible and engaging without unnecessary embellishments.

Justin posts 600 times a year on Linkedin, over 500 days in a row on Twitter, and recently shifted to a multi-page website to attract search engine traffic. He takes help of a friend to improve the site's SEO.

Insulated drinkware for adult beverage enthusiasts.

• Dylan Jacob, founder of BruMate, came up with the idea for his unique insulated drinkware brand after a frustrating search for a koozie that worked with his can of choice.
• He launched his first product line in November 2016 and has since experienced impressive growth (with over $1.1 million in monthly sales)
• Jacob's ability to pivot and adapt his business strategy has been key to his success.

Dylan identified a gap in the market and created an innovative insulated drinkware products:

• He started by designing rough prototypes and gathering customer feedback through targeted ads and partnerships with local breweries.
• Jacob used his knowledge of sourcing and manufacturing to find reliable partners and ensure product quality.
• He also emphasized the importance of being adaptable and willing to pivot based on customer needs and market feedback.

BruMate's most successful growth channels include:

1. Targeted Facebook ads: By running targeted ads for pre-orders and email capture, they were able to gather sales leads and create a list of around 7,000 people to launch their products to.
2. Email marketing: They also utilized email marketing to bring existing customers back and increase sales.
3. Partnerships with retailers: partnerships with over 1,000 retailers nationwide helped increase their reach and sales.

"Focus on creating a product people actually want, be willing to pivot and make changes based on feedback, and invest time in finding good manufacturers to ensure quality and scalability."

Subscription-based graphic design and frontend code services.

Junaid Ansari and Amin Memon co-founded Draftss.com, a productized graphic design and frontend code service. They started by providing graphic design services and later added frontend coding to their list of offerings based on customer requests. In 2019, they made $66,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR), and as of July 2020, they hit $9.6k in monthly recurring revenue (MRR). Their focus is on automation and improving their service to retain customers and scale their business.

Draftss was built by leveraging existing design agency resources to quickly create a minimal viable product (MVP). They prototyped a landing page and tested different payment processors, settling initially on 2Checkout due to regional constraints before eventually transitioning to Stripe after joining its beta program. The first setup included low-cost tools and services like a domain ($10), hosting ($15), and G-suite email ($10), ensuring minimal initial expenditure while utilizing free resources like Tawkto for communication. The development phase involved handling technical challenges like ditching the initial dashboard to recreate it multiple times, striving for a product that aligns perfectly with customer needs. This iterative process has been demanding due to the complexity of tailoring productized design and code services to varied customer demands, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining a streamlined yet versatile offering.

SEO

Draftss experienced significant growth by optimizing their website for search engines. They focused on ranking for niche keywords related to their services, such as graphic design and front-end development. Over time, they achieved high rankings in search results, which drove organic traffic to their site. This was accomplished by consistently improving their landing page based on visitor engagement and analytics insights.

Why it worked: SEO allowed Draftss to tap into an audience actively searching for design services. By appearing on the first page of Google for targeted keywords, they attracted potential customers who were already interested in what they offered. The organic nature of this traffic helped secure a steady stream of inquiries and conversions.

Community Engagement on Platforms

Draftss leveraged community platforms like IndieHackers and Reddit to gain initial traction. The exposure on IndieHackers, followed by a successful launch on ProductHunt, played a crucial role in validating their service. These platforms helped them get noticed by individuals who were interested in their productized service of graphic design and development.

Why it worked: Engaging in these communities provided an opportunity to reach a targeted audience of founders and entrepreneurs who could benefit from Draftss’ services. The genuine conversations and interactions helped in understanding customer needs and refining their offerings accordingly.

Referrals and Word of Mouth

While not explicitly outlined in the document, Draftss benefited indirectly from word-of-mouth referrals due to the positive experience of their clients. Many customers came back to leverage their services again after experiencing initial benefits. This recurring clientele indicates a high level of satisfaction and advocacy among users.

Why it worked: Word of mouth is a powerful form of referral because it comes with a built-in level of trust. When existing customers had a positive experience, they were likely to recommend the service to others in their professional network, leading to new client acquisitions without additional marketing expense.

Blogging courses teaching financial freedom through online content.

Attracted a lot of subscribers, but it also helped us build trust and establish ourselves as experts in the blogging industry. We also focused on providing valuable and actionable content on our blog and social media platforms, which helped us attract and retain customers who were looking for guidance and support in starting their own successful blogs.

To build the first course product for Create and Go, the founders leveraged their accumulated experience from successfully launching and monetizing their health and fitness blog, Avocadu. They started by gathering and organizing all the lessons and resources they wished their previous courses had included, which helped them outline a comprehensive curriculum. The actual course materials were created using accessible tools—writing and designing content in common office software, recording videos with basic equipment, and later hosting the finished courses on the Teachable platform. Development primarily involved organizing content into step-by-step lessons and creating supplementary materials such as worksheets or checklists. The process of compiling, recording, and assembling the first working version of the course took a few months, as they iterated based on their prior failures and feedback from initial readers. Major challenges included filtering down overwhelming amounts of information into a simple, actionable format and ensuring their instructions covered the missing pieces found lacking in other products they’d tried.

Pinterest They designed and published a high volume of visually appealing, easy-to-read pins linking back to their blog and course pages. This strategy quickly drove between 30,000 and 60,000 pageviews per month within a few months post-launch. Why it worked: Pinterest’s search algorithm and viral sharing enabled them to reach audiences actively seeking blogging and business advice, generating targeted, sustained traffic at no upfront ad cost.

Email Marketing The team built targeted opt-in offers, such as a free "blogging bootcamp," to entice readers to join their email list. This enabled them to nurture relationships and pitch products to an engaged audience, ultimately increasing course conversions. Why it worked: Email allowed direct communication with subscribers who had already shown interest, increasing trust and purchase likelihood.

YouTube They produced in-depth, high-effort video content about blogging tips and their own journey, with some videos generating over 329,000 views in less than a year. Why it worked: High-quality educational content positioned them as credible experts while tapping into YouTube’s discovery engine for new leads.

Personal finance blog for earning, saving, and living smarter.

Michelle Schroeder-Gardner came up with the idea for Making Sense of Cents as a way to document her personal finance journey.

She started the blog as a hobby, but after readers suggested she monetize it, she leaped and quit her stable job as an analyst.

Making Sense of Cents now earns over $100,000 a month and has made over $5 million in total.

Michelle created a self-hosted WordPress website and bought a domain name. She then created social media accounts for her blogs on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest and started building an email list.

She focused on creating content on topics she enjoys in a friendly style and would post around one to three times a week.

Her content topics come from her life experiences, reader questions, and deep research. Michelle also created courses that taught people about affiliate marketing and sponsored posts.

Michelle shares her knowledge and insights through captivating and interesting articles. She spends considerable time researching and crafting engaging content to keep her readers hooked and fully engaged, and attract sharing.

Apart from her blog posts, Michelle also maintains an email list to keep her loyal readers informed and interested in her work. She sends out regular updates about her latest articles, promotions, and any other noteworthy developments on her website.

Additionally, Michelle leverages different social media platforms to attract more traffic to her site. She cleverly uses social media to connect with her audience and build a strong online following.

Her creative and strategic approach to social media marketing has helped her grow her website and reach a wider audience.

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"Transform recorded content into compelling written narratives."

Jaclyn Schiff, the founder of PodReacher, came up with the idea for her business after noticing podcast creators asking to turn episodes into articles. She saw an opportunity to repurpose recorded content into valuable marketing materials, and after pitching the service to potential customers and receiving positive feedback, she knew she had a viable business on her hands. Since launching in 2018, PodReacher has worked with over 250 customers and generates $30,000 to $40,000 in revenue per month.

The founders began by manually transforming audio interviews and podcasts into compelling written articles, drawing on core journalism skills. The initial process involved listening to recordings, distilling key insights, and rewriting them into clear, high-quality content, taking up to six hours for a single 1,500-word piece. Simple tools such as Google Docs were used to draft and edit articles; Loom was used to document internal processes and to share onboarding videos for new writers. Fulfillment was handled by the founder at first, then quickly extended to freelance writers, with clear notes and screen recordings outlining the methodology. The timeline from concept to first working service delivery was a matter of weeks, as work began immediately upon receiving interest from cold outreach; however, process refinement and hiring writers were iterative and ongoing challenges early on.

Outbound Sales They used targeted outbound email campaigns to pitch their repurposing service to potential clients, initially focusing on podcasts that would benefit from content transformation and later utilizing an outbound sales firm to generate qualified leads. Why it worked: Proactive, personalized outreach put their solution directly in front of decision-makers, leading to fast validation and steady client acquisition.

Referrals and Word-of-Mouth High-quality work fostered strong client relationships and led to consistent word-of-mouth referrals, including repeat business from clients who changed companies and brought PodReacher into new organizations. Why it worked: Exceptional output created trust and advocacy, reducing the cost of acquisition and bringing in well-aligned clients.

Irresistible Intro Offer (Discontinued) Early on, they offered a highly discounted initial article to attract new customers, resulting in increased buzz and some shareability, but eventually discontinued as it drew less ideal clients. Why it worked: Low-risk trial gave prospects a tangible example of their value, increasing conversion in the early phase.

Matt Paulson, the founder of MarketBeat, came up with the idea for his business while working as a freelance writer in college. He discovered that stock investors were eager for real-time information and news about their investments, leading him to create a newsletter that provided convenient and timely updates. Over time, MarketBeat evolved into a financial media company, generating $8 million in revenue in 2019 and boasting 1.3 million email subscribers.

The initial version of the MarketBeat product was a data-driven email newsletter for individual stock investors. The first prototype was developed by collecting stock news and data, packaging it into a digestible email format, and sending it to subscribers. The founder handled development using web programming skills honed during college (notably using Microsoft Visual Studio for coding), and email delivery infrastructure that later included SendGrid for distributing newsletters. Based on subscriber feedback, the newsletter was quickly iterated—adding features like earlier delivery, customized alerts, and watchlists, with the first premium version launched roughly six months after the initial free edition. The main challenge in the build phase was balancing user requests for new features and content formats, leading to several rounds of adjustments before settling on the premium offering.

SEO MarketBeat invested heavily in search engine optimization, becoming a top search result for individual stock tickers and company names plus terms like “stock.” Their comprehensive data on publicly traded companies, spanning ten years of financials and analyst ratings, consistently attracted organic traffic. Why it worked: High-intent investors looking for stock research were captured at the precise moment of need, fueling email sign-ups and ongoing engagement.

Paid Advertising & Co-Registration They allocated around $100,000 monthly to paid acquisition via co-registration networks, content recommendation platforms like Taboola, and lead generation services, resulting in an average cost of $1 per email sign-up—well below industry averages. Why it worked: These scalable tactics let them systematically capture a large volume of qualified leads, expanding their email list by more than 30,000 new opt-ins per month.

On-Page Conversion Optimization Email opt-in forms were dynamically aligned with article content (e.g., mentioning Microsoft on Microsoft stock pages), significantly raising conversion rates. Why it worked: Personalizing the opt-in pitch to the visitor’s current interest made subscription offers feel timely and relevant, directly lifting sign-up rates.

Niche Social Platforms While mainstream social media channels underperformed, MarketBeat gained some results from financial-focused platforms like Twitter and StockTwits, where their demographic (primarily men aged 50–80) actually spent time. Why it worked: Focusing on the right audience where they congregate allowed for more efficient marketing efforts, despite much lower emphasis compared to search and paid channels.

'Investment newsletter spotlighting early stock trends.'

Luc and his business partner Sam started Ticker Nerd after realizing the need for a more effective way to keep up with stock information. They decided to apply the model of another tool, Exploding Topics, to stocks by finding trending stocks through social mentions and conducting sentiment analysis. With a landing page, they were able to generate over $1,000 in sales within a week, validating the idea. They pivoted their approach, built relationships with Product Hunt members, and had a successful Product Hunt launch that resulted in around $5,800 in monthly recurring revenue. They continue to grow organically, implement an affiliate program, and have plans to offer new products and education components.

After securing initial validation through Reddit and Facebook by generating over $1,000 in sales, Ticker Nerd faced the challenge of building their actual product despite not having a technical background. Initially, the founders considered hiring a developer but realized it would be costly and require giving up equity. Instead, they discovered free online tools within stock forums that could perform the data analysis they needed. These tools provided the necessary data but were not user-friendly, prompting them to add value by curating and analyzing the data into a more accessible format for users. This approach allowed them to iterate quickly without the upfront costs of custom development. They initially built their website using Carrd for its ease of use in testing ideas but moved to Webflow for better integration capabilities, utilizing Memberstack for membership management, integrated with Stripe and Mailerlite for seamless user experience and communication, and rewarded affiliates using Rewardful. The process highlighted the importance of leveraging existing tools to circumvent the need for costly development while iterating based on customer feedback.

Reddit

Ticker Nerd's early growth was significantly fueled by strategic postings in relevant subreddits. They posted about their service, generating initial traction and quickly securing $1,000 in sales by charging $49 for lifetime access. This approach provided immediate validation for their concept and attracted paying customers from communities interested in investing.

Why it worked: Reddit is a platform where niche communities thrive. By directly engaging with subreddits focused on stocks and investing, Ticker Nerd connected with a targeted audience that had a strong interest in their offering. The credibility and community-driven nature of Reddit allowed them to gain visibility and trust without any initial advertising spend.

Product Hunt

A successful Product Hunt launch was a pivotal moment for Ticker Nerd. They prepared for this launch by engaging with the Product Hunt community and having their product "hunted" by someone reputable. This strategy required having an established presence and connections within the Product Hunt ecosystem.

Why it worked: Product Hunt is ideal for tech-forward audiences eager to try new products. By timing their launch well and engaging with influential community members, Ticker Nerd managed to gain significant exposure. The Product Hunt launch resulted in 200 signups, translating to $5,800 in monthly recurring revenue, which provided a powerful boost to early customer acquisition.

Partnerships and Networking

Ticker Nerd actively engaged with founders, indie hackers, entrepreneurs, and larger publications, offering free memberships to gain exposure and credibility. By network building, particularly on platforms like Twitter, they leveraged their connections to create a support network ready to promote their Product Hunt launch.

Why it worked: Networking allowed Ticker Nerd to tap into existing audiences who could resonate with their product. Collaborations and free memberships helped to build authority and visibility in the highly competitive investing space, laying a foundation for long-lasting customer relationships and organic word-of-mouth marketing.

Affiliate Program

To boost organic growth further, Ticker Nerd implemented an affiliate program, offering members a 50% commission on new sign-ups. This approach incentivized existing users to promote the service to their networks, expanding their customer base without relying on paid advertising.

Why it worked: Affiliate programs motivate customers to share products they love in exchange for rewards. This method harnessed the power of personal recommendations, fully utilizing the reach and credibility of existing users to bring in high-quality leads and potential customers.

Braxton Manley and his dorm-mate Grant Andrews started Braxley Bands as a class project at Texas Tech. With only a $20 investment and no prior business experience, they created an elastic Apple Watch band and scaled the business to $100K a month on Shopify within three years.

The founders started by purchasing $20 worth of elastic and Apple Watch adapters online and used a hand-me-down sewing machine to stitch the first bands themselves. The initial production was entirely manual, handled by the two founders in their dorm room, often working late into the night. Their first prototypes were simple handmade bands, tested for fit and comfort, and iterated as they got feedback from friends who purchased early versions. It took only a few weeks from ideation to having a sellable first version, as they quickly sourced materials and went straight to small batch production. Notable challenges included keeping up with demand during peak sales events, like Black Friday, with limited production capacity, and later, quality and turnaround issues when they outsourced manufacturing to a local factory before eventually moving production overseas.

Instagram Community Engagement They grew an active Instagram following (over 34,000 followers) by sharing high-quality product photos, running contests (like a Halloween costume contest), and consistently engaging with customers. Why it worked: Building a visible, interactive brand presence fostered loyalty and community-driven word-of-mouth, critical for an accessory brand targeting younger buyers.

Email Marketing They regularly captured emails through their site and focused on growing their list, now at around 90,000 subscribers. Seasonal launches and limited edition releases were promoted to drive repeat purchases and build anticipation. Why it worked: Direct email access allowed effective launch announcements and restock alerts, resulting in high conversion rates when new bands dropped.

Paid Social Ads (Facebook & Instagram) They heavily invested in Facebook and Instagram ads, measuring success with strict ROAS criteria (aiming for at least 3x, sometimes achieving 8x returns). Ads highlighted product functionality and fashion appeal. Why it worked: Paid ads efficiently reached high-intent buyers and enabled rapid scaling once they found winning creative and audience combinations.

Word of Mouth Among Student Communities Early sales were driven within their university network, leveraging student word-of-mouth and university-supported exposure such as features in school news and accessible campus resources. Why it worked: Social proof within close-knit student groups accelerated early sales and provided quick feedback for iteration.

"Online test prep for construction inspector certifications."

Gabriel Kramer, a former construction inspector, came up with the idea for SI Certs while studying for certification exams himself. Frustrated with the limited and expensive options for test prep courses, he saw an opportunity to create affordable online courses that would be accessible to aspiring inspectors across the country. With hard work and patience, SI Certs has grown to generate over $60,000 per month in revenue.

The SI Certs founders built their first product—a Reinforced Concrete Special Inspector course—by leveraging the founder’s subject-matter expertise and creating all content in-house. The initial course consisted of 11 modules, each followed by custom quiz questions, plus a comprehensive practice test. Google Docs was used for content collaboration, and the site itself was developed by hiring a programmer for $2,200, who customized WordPress into an e-learning platform and integrated PayPal for payment processing. Custom illustrations for the course were created by hand and incorporated into lessons. The team worked remotely and part-time, with the founder dedicating about 10 hours per week, and it took nine months from starting to a working product. Key challenges included building a useful course while maintaining a full-time job, iterating on course pricing without industry precedent, and coordinating a distributed team on a limited budget.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) They wrote targeted articles around industry-specific certification topics, such as “how to become a CWI” and “CWI exam pass rate,” and invested heavily in link building, including guest posting and responding to HARO (Help a Reporter Out) queries. Early on, their competitors hadn’t focused on SEO or backlinks, allowing SI Certs to achieve strong organic search rankings and drive consistent, qualified traffic. Why it worked: Few competitors were investing in SEO, so authoritative articles and backlinks quickly boosted their visibility.

YouTube Videos They created instructional YouTube videos to help users with certification exams, then embedded these videos on their site. These videos generated ongoing interest and still account for over 20% of their organic new site visitors. Why it worked: Video content served an under-addressed need in their niche and was easily discoverable by people searching for exam prep tips.

Free Course Offering When a new industry exam launched, SI Certs was the first to offer a free online course for it, capturing demand from new entrants who needed help but had few options. Many users enrolled in the free course, creating an effective funnel to convert users to paid offerings. Why it worked: Meeting an urgent, specific need drew in early adopters and established credibility with newcomers.

Word of Mouth Strong customer support via Intercom and regular communication led to high satisfaction, with direct traffic (likely influenced by word of mouth) making up over 26% of new visitors. Satisfied users recommended the platform, driving qualified, ready-to-buy leads. Why it worked: High-value support and product quality encouraged referrals in a tightly networked professional niche.

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.

Financial freedom community for unconventional income streams.

Codie Sanchez, the founder of Contrarian Thinking, came up with the idea for her business after experiencing numerous career changes and realizing that money was the key to solving problems. After working in finance and investing, she decided to blend her love for writing, investing, and teaching others to create a company that helps people achieve financial freedom. Through her premium membership community, Contrarian Cashflow, she teaches members how to add more cash-flowing income streams to their portfolios and build the life they have always dreamed of. With over 100,000 newsletter subscribers, a community of 1.5 million people, and a run rate of $3 million this year, Contrarian Thinking is empowering individuals to challenge the status quo and shape their own destinies.

Codie Sanchez began building Contrarian Thinking as a solo effort during early 2020, starting with a simple text-based newsletter. She used her laptop and basic web tools to write and distribute content. Initial platforms included Substack, Mailchimp, SendFox, and WordPress, allowing her to A/B test subscription rates and manage risk from platform dependency. The first newsletter was sent in February 2020 to about 50 friends and contacts, inviting them to subscribe via Substack if they found the content relevant. Early processes were low-cost (estimated ~$5,000 for web tools and LLC filing) and focused on learning by doing. Codie created, edited, and distributed the newsletter herself for nearly a year before monetizing. She iterated based on feedback from her growing audience, tested multiple landing pages for higher conversion, and eventually moved primary operations to WordPress for better subscriber capture. Major challenges included managing growth across several tech stacks and unexpected removal from Substack, which reinforced the importance of owning her platform and audience data.

Social Media (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok) Codie actively leveraged her existing presence on social platforms, frequently posting original threads and value-driven content that directed followers to the Contrarian Thinking newsletter. She encouraged sharing and engagement by asking followers to refer friends and by cross-promoting content within relevant communities. Why it worked: Authentic, high-frequency posts built trust quickly and harnessed word-of-mouth, helping the newsletter reach over 20,000 subscribers in its first year and more than 100,000 by 2022.

Newsletter Referrals & Viral Loops A referral/ambassador program rewarded subscribers for inviting others, tracking referrals with tools like Viral Loops and offering swag as incentives. Early Mailchimp and WordPress setups included referral calls-to-action directly in emails. Why it worked: Strong incentives for sharing unlocked network effects, driving organic subscriber growth among circles interested in business and financial freedom.

Niche Community Outreach Codie contributed valuable insights and links to her newsletter within online communities, such as forums tied to The Hustle, Trends, and other entrepreneur-focused spaces. She also sent personal invitations to her network and Google Contacts, combining direct asks with community engagement. Why it worked: Carefully targeted outreach yielded high-engagement signups from like-minded, business-oriented users, fueling consistent subscriber growth without paid ads.

"Database of entrepreneur success stories and business case studies."

Pat Walls came up with the idea for Starter Story during a period of transition and reflection. After moving to a new city and experiencing the failure of a previous startup, he found himself longing to start his own business, but without co-founders or a clear direction. Inspired by reading stories from Indie Hackers and creators like Pieter Levels, Pat began to see the potential in starting an "indie" business by himself.

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He was motivated by the idea of working for himself and the freedom it would bring. While exploring different ideas, he noticed a lack of resources that consolidated real stories from entrepreneurs. This observation led him to create Starter Story, a platform where founders could share their journeys, complete with financial details. Pat validated his idea by testing how people responded to early interviews and refined his approach to align with his growing understanding of what potential entrepreneurs found valuable.

A key challenge was maintaining focus and motivation, especially post-launch, as Pat faced personal hurdles and health issues in his family. However, he learned the importance of discipline and eventually established productive habits that fueled his progress. One pivotal lesson Pat took away was that initial setbacks or lack of resources shouldn't deter seriousness in pursuing a genuinely impactful idea.

Pat Walls built Starter Story by initially focusing on grassroots content creation and experimentation. He spent his early days developing lean processes, using tools like Ruby on Rails to automate and manage the blog’s backend. This allowed him to balance between the technical and content production sides effectively. During the initial phase, he worked tirelessly post-day-job hours to create engaging, text-based interviews, ensuring each story was detailed with revenue numbers and unique business insights. The first version of Starter Story came together rapidly, with the website launching just a few months after its conception.

Walls faced significant challenges, especially in marketing and achieving visibility amidst the digital noise. He conquered these hurdles by leveraging platforms like Reddit and Product Hunt for exposure and adopting a build-in-public transparency that attracted an engaged audience. Through persistent testing and SEO optimization, he scaled Starter Story's traffic to over 1.6 million visitors per month and reached a revenue of over $1 million annually by 2023. Despite early skepticism and operational difficulties, Walls utilized a lean SEO framework and continuous content iteration to refine and perfect Starter Story’s value proposition.

Reddit

Reddit played a crucial role in Starter Story's growth, especially in the early stages. Pat Walls effectively leveraged the platform by sharing content in relevant subreddits like r/Entrepreneur. For instance, he shared interviews formatted in a Reddit-friendly way, which meant cutting down on too much self-promotion and ensuring the content was valuable for the community. This strategy led to several features on the subreddit, drastically increasing traffic to the website.

Why it worked: Reddit is a community-driven platform where authentic content can flourish. By providing genuine, valuable content without heavily promoting his brand, Pat was able to earn the trust and engagement of Reddit users. This resulted in bursts of traffic and a growing email list, supplying Starter Story with a foundational audience base.

SEO

Initially, SEO was not the primary focus for Starter Story. However, Pat soon realized its potential and developed a 'Lean SEO' approach. This involved creating Minimum Viable Content (MVC) to test which topics would rank before investing heavily in content development. Once an article gained traction, it would be further optimized and expanded, leveraging keyword insights obtained post-publication.

Why it worked: This agile approach to SEO enabled Starter Story to quickly identify and capitalize on content opportunities without excessive upfront investment. It allowed Pat to effectively scale content creation efforts, contributing to a significant increase in organic traffic, reaching over 1.6 million monthly visitors.

Sponsorships & Ads

Sponsorships, particularly from Klaviyo, have been a successful revenue stream for Starter Story. Early success came when Klaviyo sponsored the website and newsletter for a sizable fee annually. This not only provided financial backing but validated the website's market position to other potential sponsors.

Why it worked: High-value sponsorships provide a stable revenue source and increase the brand's credibility. The consistent sponsorship from a notable company like Klaviyo signals confidence in the product to other potential advertisers and partners, creating a virtuous cycle of interest and revenue.

Building in Public

Pat Walls has been a pioneer in building Starter Story in public, sharing his successes, failures, and insights openly with his audience. This transparency has fostered a sense of community and accountability and drawn interest from other entrepreneurs and thought leaders.

Why it worked: Building in public cultivates a loyal following that feels personally invested in the journey. It also creates networking opportunities and attracts more founders who are eager to share their stories, further enriching the platform's content offering and broadening its appeal.

Southern-themed candles celebrating Southern culture.

D'Shawn Russell started Southern Elegance Candle Company as a side hustle to make extra money and get out of the house. The company quickly grew, and now they average $20,000 in monthly sales through their retail site, wholesale site, and Faire. Russell's authentic love for the South and Southern culture inspired the creation of home fragrance products with a Southern theme.

The founder began by making candles at home using retail supplies: wax and fragrance from Hobby Lobby and jars from Walmart. Early prototypes were low quality, which led to researching suppliers and switching to CandleScience for professional-grade materials and bulk purchasing options. The initial production was done with two pots on a kitchen stove, then moved to the garage after obtaining a larger wax melter a few months in. Prototyping involved frequent trial and error to get the right scent, burn quality, and appearance, with each iteration based on testing and research from online resources like YouTube. The main challenges were inconsistent product results and inability to scale when relying on retail materials, plus navigating limited manufacturing space—eventually repurposing a restaurant kitchen before moving into a proper warehouse about a year later.

Social Media Southern Elegance actively used Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to build a community around their brand, posting engaging and relevant content tailored to their target audience. They relied on organic engagement and direct calls to action to drive online sales traffic. Why it worked: Consistent, relatable content fostered a loyal customer base and generated ongoing interest.

Email Marketing They built their email list through pop-ups, contests, and giveaways using tools like Privy and Justuno, then regularly sent out branded emails via Mailchimp and later Klaviyo. This direct connection allowed for continuous engagement and promoted repeat purchases. Why it worked: Email captured interested buyers and provided a way to re-engage them with promotions and content, supporting customer retention.

Paid Advertising & Retargeting After taking specialized online classes, Southern Elegance utilized paid ads on Google, Facebook, and Instagram and invested in retargeting campaigns. These efforts were refined through trial and error, focusing on profitably reaching new customers while re-engaging site visitors. Why it worked: Ads and retargeting extended their reach beyond organic channels and brought back interested visitors, driving incremental sales.

Wholesale Platforms (Faire) Listing products on wholesale marketplaces like Faire significantly expanded their network of retail partners, accounting for a large share of revenue (approximately $100,000 in sales via Faire). Why it worked: Leveraging established B2B platforms provided easy access to nationwide retailers without traditional trade show costs.

Colin McIntosh, the founder of Sheets & Giggles, came up with the idea for his business after leaving a tech startup in 2017. He wanted to start his own company and decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign for a physical product brand. After validating the product through Facebook ads and collecting over 11,000 interested buyer emails, he launched Sheets & Giggles on Indiegogo with 500 customers on day one and $45,000 in funding.

Sheets & Giggles' founder lacked textile experience, so he hired outside consultants to help design and test the initial lyocell (eucalyptus) sheet product. He gave clear criteria—use of sustainable lyocell, premium softness, durability, and ethical manufacturing—and the consultants created technical design documents (tech packs). The manufacturing partner was sourced at Market Week in New York City in March 2018, leading to a handshake agreement with an Indian manufacturer. Quality issues in the first production run led to significant fabric rejections and delayed shipping, but the team prioritized product quality over speed. Creating a standout unboxing experience was also central: the packaging was designed to feel premium and include surprises like a knapsack, eye mask, and donation bag. Tools used included Kickoff Labs and Shopify for validation landing pages, and early photoshoots used a single, un-ironed set of white sheets. It took about 9–10 months from serious work starting (January 2018) to the initial batch being ready for shipment (October 2018).

Crowdfunding (Indiegogo) Sheets & Giggles launched on Indiegogo with nearly 500 customers and $45,000 in funding on day one, hitting their $25,000 goal quickly. Their extensive pre-launch email list building (11,000+ leads collected in 10 weeks) directly fueled initial traction. Why it worked: Email capture and validation via targeted Facebook ads ensured a large group of warm, ready buyers at launch, driving momentum on a trusted crowdfunding platform.

Paid Social (Facebook Ads) They ran approximately 50 ad variants to a dozen landing pages to find which converted best, spending $0.89 per lead on average and using creative, interactive ads to engage audiences. Facebook ads remained core, both for lead capture pre-launch and for driving conversion with fast, personal comment responses post-launch. Why it worked: Consistent optimization and direct brand voice in comments converted curious social users into buyers and enabled rapid response to customer inquiries, lifting conversion rates.

SEO Sheets & Giggles targeted and achieved top search rankings for specific high-intent keywords such as “eucalyptus sheets” and “lyocell sheets,” resulting in about 50% of their traffic coming from organic search. Why it worked: Ranking for niche but purchase-ready terms ensured steady, qualified inbound traffic without ongoing ad spend.

Word of Mouth & Referral Program A 10% cash-back referral program (with $10 off for referred friends) incentivized sharing and was picked up by some large media outlets. The company also relied on delivering strong customer experiences (including fast, humorous support and generous policies), which drove positive reviews and organic buzz. Why it worked: Customer-centric service and social sharing rewards fueled natural, ongoing growth on top of paid and organic acquisition.