I shipped all these apps in 2020. Most of them generated $0.

🎬 https://t.co/JAhXqsuu6h $0
🌍 https://t.co/BrNUAhfiIT $0
💡 https://t.co/ZWcLfOH4aI $0
🐞 https://t.co/aghOxYEcPI $1.99
👍 https://t.co/2JhJLe27pW $3,025 in 10 days.

But that's ok, just keep shipping! My stories👇

🎬 https://t.co/wuiBp1XsYD is the first thing I created. It's a community for indie makers. The different thing is we post updates in videos. I created it for fun as I think the world doesn't need one more text-based forum, so I make a video one. No monetization plan so far.
🌍 https://t.co/fiwjgCWho5 is a social app. The idea is from Linktree, an app to share your social links. I thought it would be cool to add more visuals to it, and meanwhile we can explore others around. I also have no monetization plan for it. Make it for fun too.
💡 https://t.co/fZfL45uvVX is a platform to connect influencers with their fans. People says it's like @superpeer. But the only difference is it's all sync. Influencers don't need to commit their time to fixed slot. Fans pay to ask questions, influencers can answer at anytime.
Continuing Influenswer... I think the product has its potential. But for now maybe I didn't find the right niche to serve. Will re-evaluate it in future.
🐞 https://t.co/RkDgmOLs3a is a tool I created for tracking backlogs for IndieLog (This is IndieLog's public page https://t.co/z5k6jhwiEt). Of course the inspiration is from @cannyHQ, but that's too expensive for solo like me. So I decided to create a light-weighted one.
Continuing Backlogs. Why I earned $1.99? Haha, it's because my silly bug. In my code, I put 199, but on Stripe side, the unit is cent, so my price becomes $1.99 😅 The price is really friendly for indie makers. But I didn't put too much effort on marketing it, then the 💵 stops.
👍 https://t.co/F5tXTxFwfD is the only one that makes some money. I said it took me 4 days from my 1st commit. But I won't deny, lots of code is re-used from my previous projects. Without previous cumulative effort, I have no way to make a profitable product in just 4 days.
I told some of my friends but I never shared it publicly that I learnt the whole web dev thing from a Udemy $9.99 course. Well, I still haven't 100% completed the course, but at least I got the idea. It totally opened up my world to create my side projects.
Luckily I have my full-time job, so I didn't mean to make any money in the beginning. I just started for fun, for solving some problems that I have, and others may have. So if you are creating your 1st app, don't expect to make even $1. If you make it, you're super lucky!
I never regret that I made several apps that didn't even generate any revenue. My core is a developer, along building those app, I am building my own tool belt. The same to you. You will learn lots nitty gritty stuff only when getting your hands dirty.
So if your indie journey just gets started, don't worry about making money. Money comes when you have better tool belt to make a better product. Money comes when your idea condensed to be a validated one. Money comes when your passion powers through any obstacles.
2021 can only be better. All the best my friends 👊

More from Startups

1/ Tuesday was my last day as CEO of @CircleUp. I’ve been CEO since starting the co. in 2011 with my co-founder @roryeakin.

This is a thread about what happened, why and my emotions about it. For more detail:

https://t.co/vYImcm1bTM

Much of this I have never talked about.

2/ My goals: I hope it helps founders feel less lonely than I did. Little public content about the challenges of transitioning exists, but I longed for it. I’m not here to provide a playbook- just to share my experience. Hope it might build greater empathy.

Here goes….

3/ Why: When I tell people that I’m transitioning to an Exec Chairman role their first question is always: “why?” Short answer: co. pivot + fertility issues + health issues + a false sense that grit was always the answer = burnout. Long answer: is longer so hang in there with me

4/ Over a 12-18 month period that ended in late 2017 I ran my tank far beyond empty for far too long. You know that sound your car makes when it’s sputtering for more gas? It was like that. Worst year of my life. Since then it has felt like bone on bone.

5/ Here is what happened:

Professionally: pivoting a Series C company was a living hell in and of itself, as I’ve talked about before.

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