add tweet and changes

This commit is contained in:
vincanger 2024-12-17 14:43:14 +01:00
parent 3868182966
commit 83231aff9d
8 changed files with 48 additions and 89 deletions

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@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
---
interface Props {
trailingText?: string;
}
const { trailingText = 'and support open-source tools for builders, by builders!' } = Astro.props;
---
<div class="bg-yellow-300 p-4 text-center text-md font-bold rounded-lg text-black">
<span>
⭐️ Star the{' '}
</span>
<a href="https://github.com/wasp-lang/open-saas" class="!text-yellow-800 underline hover:!text-yellow-600">
Open SaaS repo
</a>
<span>
{trailingText}
</span>
</div>

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@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const { id } = Astro.props;
<style> <style>
.tweet-wrapper { .tweet-wrapper {
transform: scale(0.85); transform: scale(0.85);
margin-bottom: 0rem; margin: -3rem 0;
} }
/* Target the Twitter iframe to reduce padding */ /* Target the Twitter iframe to reduce padding */
:global(.twitter-tweet-rendered) { :global(.twitter-tweet-rendered) {

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@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
---
title: My SaaS only makes $550 a month and I think thats amazing
date: 2024-12-03
tags: ["indiehacker", "saas", "sideproject", "webdev", "marketing"]
---
import Tweet from '../../../components/Tweet.astro';
import { Image } from 'astro:assets';
import coverlettergpt from '../../../assets/coverlettergpt/coverlettergpt.webp';
Yesterday I posted a video on [Twitter](https://x.com/hot_town/status/1863553258586820976) and on [Reddits r/sideproject](https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1h4t8vk/my_saas_only_makes_550_a_month_and_i_think_thats/) expressing my opinion that I think super simple SaaS apps that only make a small amount of side income should be your goal when starting out.
And the response was overwhelmingly positive.
<Tweet id="1863553258586820976" />
Let me explain what I mean in more detail:
**I often think that developers trying their shot at building a side project take it too seriously**. Yep, you read that right.
They should think of their side project as an experiment, not a business.
Because in the early stages, thats what it is. Its just a test to see if people are willing to pay for a (software) product that you offer them.
So instead of following all the “rules” around building a profitable SaaS, you should be breaking some of them.
Here are some examples of what I mean:
- Forget a shiny landing page, just take your user straight to your product and let them try it out, if possible.
- Keep your initial product as simple as possible. Make it easy for the user to comprehend and get started with.
- Dont spend more than a month building it.
- It doesnt matter if its ugly, you can improve it later.
- Use the tools that help you build the fastest, not the ones that others tell you you should be using.
<a href="https://coverlettergpt.xyz" target="_blank">
<Image src={coverlettergpt} alt="CoverLetterGPT" loading="lazy" width={700} height={700} style="padding: 1rem;" />
</a>
These tactics are exactly what I used to build and launch [CoverLetterGPT](https://coverlettergpt.xyz) and get it to ~$550 monthly recurring revenue (MRR) after a year.
It doesnt have a landing page.
Its not optimized for SEO.
I built it in about a week.
The UI is… not the prettiest.
Its a .xyz domain (not .com or .ai).
And I do little to no maintenance on the app, nor do I have to deal with customer service.
And I love it and will probably be keeping it that way.
By the way, heres my favorite tech stack that I used to build it, but you should use whatever helps you build & launch fast:
- Framework: [https://wasp-lang.dev](https://wasp-lang.dev/)
- TIP! Use their [free, open-source SaaS template](https://opensaas.sh) to build even faster
- UI Components: https://www.chakra-ui.com/
- Deployed to Railway: https://railway.app/ & Netlify: https://netlify.com/
- Costs ~$15/month to run including OpenAI API fees
In my opinion, its all about tradeoffs.
Personally, Im lazy, so I want maximum reward for minimal effort. That means I dont want to spend a lot of my free time maintaining apps Ive already built (to be honest, Im a lot like most developers and I like to try out and work on lots of new ideas, rather than focus a lot of energy on stale ones).
So, for me, $550 MRR is amazing! Its enough side income for me because Its an app that basically runs on auto-pilot next to my full-time job, that I dont have to worry about.
If youve been thinking about building a SaaS app for a while, but havent taken the plunge, remember this: its just an experiment.

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@ -10,26 +10,35 @@ authors: vince
--- ---
import { Image } from 'astro:assets'; import { Image } from 'astro:assets';
import landingPage from '../../../assets/cover-letter-gpt/landing-page.png'; import Tweet from '../../../components/Tweet.astro';
import landingPage from '../../../assets/cover-letter-gpt/coverlettergpt.webp';
import mrrGraph from '../../../assets/cover-letter-gpt/mrr-graph.webp';
import StarOpenSaaSCTA from '../../../components/StarOpenSaaSCTA.astro';
import redditPost from '../../../assets/cover-letter-gpt/coverlettergpt-reddit.png';
Hey builders, Hey builders,
I wanted to share my journey building a micro-SaaS, [CoverLetterGPT](https://coverlettergpt.xyz/), which now earns **$550/month in recurring revenue (MRR)**—all while requiring **minimal effort and maintenance**. Here's how I did it and why I believe small, simple SaaS apps are an underrated way to start as an indie maker. I wanted to share my journey building a micro-SaaS, [CoverLetterGPT](https://coverlettergpt.xyz/), which now earns **$550/month in recurring revenue (MRR)**—all while requiring **minimal effort and maintenance**. Here's how I did it and why I believe small, simple SaaS apps are an underrated way to start as an indie maker.
<Tweet id="1863553258586820976" />
### Quick Stats: ### Quick Stats:
- **Built in 1 week** using Wasp - **Built in 1 week**
- using [Wasp](https://wasp-lang.dev/), a React, NodeJS, & Prisma framework
- and [Chakra UI](https://chakra-ui.com/) for the design system.
- **Runs on autopilot** - **Runs on autopilot**
- **$550 MRR** after one year - **~$550 MRR** after one year
- Minimal customer support—only **3 Stripe disputes** to date - Minimal customer support—only **3 Stripe disputes** to date
- Costs **~$15/month** to operate (hosting + OpenAI API fees) - Costs **~$15/month** to operate (hosting + OpenAI API fees)
- Framework: [Wasp](https://wasp-lang.dev/)
- Deployed on [Railway](https://railway.app/) & [Netlify](https://netlify.com/) - Deployed on [Railway](https://railway.app/) & [Netlify](https://netlify.com/)
- UI: [Chakra UI](https://chakra-ui.com/)
<div style="background-color: #FFD700; padding: 1rem; text-align: center; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: bold; border-radius: 8px; color: black;"> ---
⭐️ Star <a href="https://github.com/wasp-lang/open-saas" style="color: #0000FF; text-decoration: underline;">Open SaaS repo</a> and support tools that help you build fast!
</div> BTW, I built [Open SaaS](https://opensaas.sh), the free, open-source SaaS template based on what I learned from building and launching CoverLetterGPT.
Because Open SaaS is a community-driven project, it also benefits from community feedback and contributions, so it boasts a clean codebase and a ton of useful features. Check it out and give us a star! We're always improving it.
<StarOpenSaaSCTA />
### Small Wins Are Worth It ### Small Wins Are Worth It
@ -40,14 +49,18 @@ Many developers think a SaaS has to be big, flashy, or wildly profitable to be w
- I can balance it easily alongside my full-time job. - I can balance it easily alongside my full-time job.
- It's fun and doesn't consume my free time. - It's fun and doesn't consume my free time.
<Image src={mrrGraph} alt="CoverLetterGPT MRR Graph" />
Here's why I think you should aim for small, achievable SaaS projects instead of trying to “hit it big” from the start. Here's why I think you should aim for small, achievable SaaS projects instead of trying to “hit it big” from the start.
### Build & Launch Fast ### Build & Launch Fast
<Image src={redditPost} alt="CoverLetterGPT Reddit Post" />
The most important lesson I've learned: **speed is everything.** The faster you launch, the faster you'll know if your idea works. Here's what worked for me: The most important lesson I've learned: **speed is everything.** The faster you launch, the faster you'll know if your idea works. Here's what worked for me:
1. **Avoid long, drawn-out failures:** Build small, execute early. 1. **Avoid long, drawn-out failures:** Build small, execute early.
2. **Use the fastest tools available:** I used [Wasp](https://wasp-lang.dev/) to cut down dev time. 2. **Use the fastest tools available:** I used [Wasp](https://wasp-lang.dev/) because it gives me all the building blocks already set up (auth, database, cron jobs, email sending), letting me focus on the business logic of the app. Paired with [Chakra UI](https://chakra-ui.com/), I was able to build the app in about 1 week.
3. **Forget perfection:** I didn't worry about making it pretty or perfect—it just had to work. 3. **Forget perfection:** I didn't worry about making it pretty or perfect—it just had to work.
### Keep It Simple ### Keep It Simple
@ -60,13 +73,7 @@ The beauty of micro-SaaS is in its simplicity. Here's why:
<Image src={landingPage} alt="CoverLetterGPT landing page" /> <Image src={landingPage} alt="CoverLetterGPT landing page" />
### Minimal Effort = Maximum Reward One of the biggest perks of micro-SaaS is how low-maintenance it can be. With CoverLetterGPT, I rarely handle customer service thanks to its simplicity.
One of the biggest perks of micro-SaaS is how low-maintenance it can be. With CoverLetterGPT:
- I rarely handle customer service (thanks to filtering out problematic users).
- It requires little to no ongoing development.
- The app practically runs on **autopilot.**
This means I spend my time on **new ideas** rather than maintaining old ones. This means I spend my time on **new ideas** rather than maintaining old ones.
@ -101,8 +108,8 @@ For me, **$550 MRR** isn't just “enough”—it's amazing. It's proof that sma
## Let's stay in touch! ## Let's stay in touch!
Thanks for reading! If you found this helpful, let me know on [Twitter](https://x.com/hot_town/status/1863553258586820976) or share your own side-project experiences. If you found this helpful, check me out on [Twitter](https://x.com/hot_town/status/1863553258586820976) where I like to build in public and share what I'm learning and building.
<div style="background-color: #FFD700; padding: 1rem; text-align: center; font-size: 1.2rem; font-weight: bold; border-radius: 8px; color: black;"> ---
⭐️ Star <a href="https://github.com/wasp-lang/open-saas" style="color: #0000FF; text-decoration: underline;">Open SaaS repo</a> and support tools that help you build fast!
</div> <StarOpenSaaSCTA trailingText="and support tools that help you build fast!" />