From Zero to Revenue

If I had to start over today with no product, no audience, no revenue, here’s exactly how I’d do it.

This isn’t theory. It’s a repeatable playbook for indie hackers and solo founders who want to build real products that solve real problems. No growth hacks. No magic. Just focused execution.

Step 1: Start With a Painful Problem, Not an Idea

Skip the clever ideas. Start by finding a real, painful problem that people are already talking about. The easiest way? Go where people complain:

• Sort top posts in niche subreddits

• Skim replies on X (Twitter) threads

• Lurk in Discord groups, Slack communities, and Facebook groups

Write down every recurring question, frustration, or workaround you see. You’re not hunting for features, you’re looking for pain.

Your goal is to identify 2–3 problems that keep popping up. These are your starting point.

For example, search for “alternatives” on Reddit.

Step 2: Use AI for Deep Market Research

Once you’ve got a short list of problems, hand it off to AI.

Seriously, don’t waste hours googling. Use a good LLM (Claude, GPT-4o, etc.) and prompt it to:

• Validate that the problem exists

• Estimate how many people experience it

• Describe how the pain affects business or life

• Compare existing solutions (and their shortcomings)

Example prompt:

This saves time and helps you think strategically before building anything.

Step 3: Build a Simple, Useful Solution (No-Code Is Fine)

Don’t overthink version one.

Your goal is to solve the problem just enough to show it works. Use tools like:

• Loveable, Bolt, Cursor or Replit for no-code apps

• Gamma, Tally, Airtable, or Notion for MVPs and landing pages

• AI tools for writing, design, and prototyping

The point isn’t to impress, just to help someone do something faster, easier, or better than before.

Step 4: Launch Where the Problem Lives

You don’t need Product Hunt. Go back to the same communities where you found the problem and share what you’ve built.

Frame your post like this:

• What the problem is

• Why it’s painful

• How you solved it

• Ask for feedback or thoughts

You’re not selling, you’re showing that you listened, built something useful, and care about improving it.

Step 5: Build in Public (Especially on X & Reddit)

Every indie hacker should be building in public. Here’s why:

• It gives you free marketing

• You attract feedback and potential users

• You document your journey (which builds trust and credibility)

Post updates on X. Reply to relevant threads. Start small: share your goal, what you’re testing, and what’s working.

This keeps the momentum going even before you have real traction.

Step 6: Engage With the Community (Manually at First)

Don’t expect to go viral.

Instead:

• DM people who might benefit from your tool

• Offer to hop on short calls or help for free

• Leave thoughtful comments, not promos

• Be known as someone who solves problems, not sells products

The first 10–50 users won’t come from ads or SEO. They’ll come from you putting in the work and genuinely helping people.

Step 7: Automate With Micro-Influencers

Once you’ve got early traction and users love the product, it’s time to scale without burning out.

Skip big-budget ads. Instead:

• Sponsor relevant newsletters or Substacks

• Partner with micro-creators who write for your niche

• Look for X accounts or YouTube channels with under 10k followers but high engagement

These creators often have loyal audiences and underpriced reach. It’s one of the highest ROI moves you can make.

Step 8: Use AI for Everything

Today, you can run 80% of a business solo using AI. Use it to:

• Write landing pages, cold DMs, onboarding flows

• Generate product descriptions and walkthroughs

• Mock up UI designs and write code

• Analyze user feedback and plan features

If you can type, you can move fast. AI is your cofounder, use it in every area of the business.

Step 9: Decide.. Cruise, Scale, or Sell

Once you’re bringing in a few thousand per month, you have options:

• Cruise mode: Keep it simple, automate support, and work a few hours a week while enjoying the passive income.

• Growth mode: Reinvest into the product, add features, ramp up marketing, and turn it into a serious business.

• Sell it: If you’ve built something profitable with low churn and clean operations, it’s a great candidate for a micro-acquisition. There are buyers out there—indie acquirers, private equity groups, and even other founders, looking for exactly what you’ve built. Platforms like Acquire.com, or even direct outreach on X or Reddit, can help you start conversations.

A small, profitable SaaS with real users and low dependencies can fetch 2-4x annual revenue (sometimes more). That’s real money, and a great way to fund your next project.

The key is: build with the end in mind. Know whether you want to grow it, automate it, or exit when the timing feels right.

Just Don’t Give Up

There will be slow weeks. You’ll get discouraged. That’s normal.

But if you stay focused on solving real problems, show up consistently in the right communities, and use the tools available today (especially AI), you’ll build something that earns revenue faster than you think.

You don’t need a team. You don’t need funding.

You just need to keep going.