Indie Hacking Update – October 2024

It’s been a while since my last update. The last post was way back in June, and I’m excited to finally share what I’ve been working on lately.

October has been a busy month, from making some changes with Pingify to getting new traction on ReplyPulse and even starting a fresh project.

Revenue Update

October Revenue: $78 (up from $0 in September)
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): $68

It's not huge, but seeing a little growth is motivating!

Let’s break down what’s going on with each project.

Pingify - Trying new things to get that first sale

Pingify is still a bit of a challenge in a tough niche, and I’m still waiting on that first sale. So, this month, I decided to mix things up. Instead of the subscription model, I’m offering a Lifetime Deal (LTD) to see if that helps attract more buyers.

What’s Changed with Pingify:

• Shifted Focus: I’m putting more time into marketing and SEO to get more eyes on the site.

• First Free Tool Launched: To help increase organic traffic, I launched the first of several free tools on the site - Uptime Calculator. The idea is to build up a user base through these free tools and then, hopefully, convert them to paid users.

This is all experimental, so I’ll see how things go over the next few months and then decide whether to stick with the project or shut it down.

ReplyPulse - Growing steadily and bringing in revenue

All the revenue in October came from ReplyPulse, a Chrome extension I launched with my co-founder, @niepreneur. Seeing people using it has been rewarding.

Growth Update:

• Organic Growth: Most of our user acquisition has been organic, with SEO and light marketing.

• Revenue and Future Plans: With the recent sales, ReplyPulse is bringing in revenue. We’ve also decided to list it for sale on Acquire, opening up possibilities for those interested in acquiring and taking it further.

If you’re curious to learn more about ReplyPulse or maybe even interested in buying, feel free to reach out!

ConvertPDF - A new project in the works

This month, I also revisited an old codebase for a PDF conversion tool, which I’m reworking as ConvertPDF. Using Laravel and Cursor, I’m focusing on SEO to drive traffic to the site.

What’s Next:

• Targeting a November Launch: I aim to launch ConvertPDF by the end of the month.

• Domain and SEO Focus: The site will be hosted on ConvertPDF.org with a simple, streamlined user experience to simplify PDF conversions.

I’m excited to see where this project goes and how it will complement my portfolio of tools.

Balancing the Side Hustles with a 9-5

Balancing these projects with my 9-5 dev job is definitely a challenge. Right now, most of my time is still spent on my full-time job, but I’m hoping that over the next year, I can shift more focus to indie hacking. Until my side project income grows, I’ll keep grinding!

I’d love to hear how your projects are going, too! Feel free to reply or share your updates in the comments.

Best,
Venelin K.