I made $250,000 in 5 months selling JavaScript. But when I launched ShipFast, I told my wife…

Background: - I joined X in November 2021 - I built ~20 side-projects by August 2023 - I grew an audience of 35,000 likeminded people Part of the success is luck, but keep in mind that I was in the game for 2 years — with an audience and proof of work.

The 4 elements of success: 1/ First move advantage Being first in entrepreneurship is a competitive advantage. First, people like new stuff. Second, every other product will be compared to yours — it’s free marketing.

In August 2023, there was no go-to boilerplate for NextJS. People talked about ShipFa.st on Twitter, blogs, and newsletters because it was new. The website was getting 500 to 1,500 daily visitors without spending a dime on ads.

2/ Emotional outcome I can’t stress enough how important emotions are in marketing, especially if you’re a product-obsessed developer like me. People don’t care about features. People want money, status, and respect. ShipFast is the first boilerplate to tie a product to a goal

3/ Real social proof Thanks to the emotional outcome, customers are pumped to get started. Their motivation drives results: they launch startups and make money. The testimonials on the site reflect that — Makers in their bedrooms who just experienced a life transformation.

It’s reinforced by my story. By shipping fast for 1.5 years, I went from 0 to: · 35,000 followers · $4,000 monthly revenue · +$50,000 by selling startups

4/ Unfair advantage You get attention when you make $55,000/month as a solo founder. Newsletters, retweets from bigger accounts, YouTubers. People spread the word. It brings traffic to my site, which increases revenue and makes more people spread the word.

In hindsight, it’s easy to understand why it worked. But 5 months ago, I had no clue what I was doing. Your best bet to become profitable is to show up daily and produce something: a tweet, an app, a video. You’ll be surprised by what can happen in a few months.

@wonjitos I share everything I learn as a solopreneur every Saturday morning: How to find startup ideas, launch fast, and get profitable ↓ marclou.beehiiv.com