Bootstrapping to $10K MRR

Starting Solo

I quit my job with $15K in savings. Looking back, I should have saved more, but the urgency pushed me to move faster.

The fear of running out of money was the best motivator.

The Grind

Here's how the revenue grew:

  • Months 1-6: Built the product, talked to users
  • Months 7-12: First $1K MRR
  • Months 13-18: Crossed $5K MRR
  • Month 22: Hit $10K MRR

It wasn't linear, but the trend was clear.

What Worked

Four strategies made the difference:

  • Content marketing - SEO took 9 months to kick in, but then became our #1 channel
  • Cold outreach to ideal customers - 50 emails daily
  • Building in public on Twitter - Gained 5K followers
  • Focusing on one niche deeply instead of going broad

Challenges

The loneliness was real. Customer churn hurt emotionally. Watching people cancel felt personal.

But staying consistent paid off. The customers who stayed became advocates.