I made $65K in 3 days (with ZERO audience)

How Devon Made $65,000 in 3 Days with Zero Audience

Introduction to Devon and His Journey

• Devon, an indie hacker from India, previously struggled with multiple startups before discovering a successful strategy.

• He launched his app and made $65,000 in just three days without any existing audience.

• Currently, he runs Supergrow, a SaaS that helps professionals build their personal brand on LinkedIn, generating around $20,000 monthly.

The Launch Strategy

• During the launch of the lifetime deal (LTD), Supergrow generated $65,000 within three days.

• As of now, the business has transitioned to a subscription model with over 800 recurring customers and more than 15,000 monthly visits to its landing page.

Idea Validation and Market Research

• After previous failures, Devon sought validated markets rather than creating new categories for products.

• He emphasizes understanding competitors deeply by using their products to identify gaps and improve upon them.

• By studying major competitors like Tableau and others in the market, he recognized significant demand despite their shortcomings.

Insights on Lifetime Deals

• The lifetime deal was pivotal; it generated substantial revenue quickly despite having only a small initial following on social media.

• A co-founder from Rocket Up reached out to help launch Supergrow through LTD after noticing their journey on LinkedIn.

Pricing Strategy for Lifetime Deals

• Rocket Up assisted in structuring pricing tiers:

• Basic plan at $79,

• Pro plan at $199,

• Agency plan at $299.

Marketing Strategies and Insights on Lifetime Deals

Marketing Approaches for Product Launch

• The team utilized multiple platforms to reach a wide audience, sending emails to hundreds of thousands of customers ready to buy lifetime deals (LTDs).

• They created marketing assets such as screenshots and videos that are still in use today, showcasing the importance of comprehensive marketing materials.

• RocketUp took a significant 40% cut from the revenue, amounting to around $40,000, which was crucial for the company at its early stage with minimal customers.

Pros and Cons of Lifetime Deals

• One major benefit of LTD is immediate cash infusion along with validation and early feedback from users who are willing to pay upfront.

• Downsides include high platform cuts (like RocketUp's 40%) and dealing with numerous customer complaints regarding features or bugs.

• Attracting "cheap" customers can negatively impact the product's perception, leading to challenges in maintaining quality expectations.

Impact of Customer Feedback

• The launch attracted over 250 LTD customers; however, only about 10% actively used the product long-term, providing critical feedback that shaped future development.

• Customers offered direct insights into content creation strategies on LinkedIn, significantly improving product offerings based on their suggestions.

Addressing Common Objections to Lifetime Deals

• Critics argue that LTD may indicate a poor product; however, it often reveals weaknesses quickly due to honest customer feedback.

• Offering products for free does not yield valuable validation since free users tend not to provide constructive criticism compared to paying customers who have invested financially.

Alternatives and Long-Term Growth Considerations

• Cheap annual plans may not generate sufficient interest or revenue compared to LTD offers that create urgency through exclusivity.

Transitioning from LTD to Subscription Model

Launch Strategy and Initial User Base

• The business initially limited its launch to 300 users over a three-day period, focusing on upselling to Lifetime Deal (LTD) customers which helped establish a subscription model.

Customer Engagement and Product Development

• Post-launch, the team prioritized customer satisfaction by dedicating one to two hours daily on Intercom for support, which fostered strong relationships with LTD customers.

• Feedback from these interactions led to product improvements; workflows were converted into features based on user needs.

Data Analysis and Product Hunt Launch

• Tools like Clarity and Mixpanel were utilized to analyze customer behavior, identifying popular features versus underused ones.

• A successful launch on Product Hunt resulted in being named "Product of the Week," gaining an additional 50 customers through community engagement.

Community Building Through LTD Customers

• The initial group of LTD customers acted as ambassadors, promoting the product across various platforms including LinkedIn and Twitter, significantly enhancing visibility.

Tech Stack Overview

Tools and Technologies Used

• The application is built using Rails, React, and Tailwind CSS. PostgreSQL serves as the database while Superbase manages object storage.

• Other tools include Railway for hosting, Framer for landing pages, Superguri for LinkedIn content creation, Intercom for live chat support, Mixpanel for analytics, Stripe for payments processing, and Microsoft Clarity for session recordings.

Business Expenses and Profit Margins

Cost Breakdown

• Major expenses are categorized into marketing/affiliates ($3,000), freelance design/product assistance (over $1,000), leading to a profit margin of approximately 60% to 70%.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Key Insights from Experience

• Founder's advice emphasizes avoiding unvalidated markets; instead of creating unique solutions in niche areas, focus on improving existing products that already have traction.

Conclusion: Reflections on Lifetime Deals

Final Thoughts