My 9 Sources of Income as a Solopreneur

Summary

Mark shares his entrepreneurial journey, from self-taught coding to building 20 profitable websites with a 90% profit margin and no employees. He details his initial struggles, including being fired from a software engineer job, which fueled his passion for programming. Mark's ventures include AI tools, productivity software, and a course, culminating in 'Ship Fast,' a template for rapid startup development. He also discusses monetization strategies and his love for Twitter, where he's been compensated for his contributions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Mark self-taught himself coding and landed a software engineer job, only to be fired after 5 months for being a mediocre programmer.
• 🛠️ Despite being fired, Mark discovered his love for programming, which he compares to building with Legos, allowing him to create useful things for others.
• 🌏 After losing his job, Mark moved to Bali and started building his own websites, beginning with a site that suggests movies based on the user's mood.
• 📈 Mark leveraged platforms like Product Hunt and Twitter to gain attention and build an audience, which helped him make friends and learn about monetizing websites.
• 🤖 He experimented with AI tools to create landing pages and other software, focusing on adding value that could be priced for revenue generation.
• 📚 Mark built an AI tool for language learning that generates workbooks based on user interests, like K-pop, to make language learning more engaging.
• 🔐 He created 'Viral Libot,' a messenger bot for escape room businesses to attract customers through interactive games and puzzles, offering discounts for solving them.
• 🛡️ Mark developed 'Buy Dispute,' a no-code tool to help developers avoid chargebacks and disputes from angry customers by setting automated rules to prevent suspicious actions.
• 🔗 He also built 'Indie Page,' a platform similar to a link tree for entrepreneurs to showcase their startups and connect with payment providers to display revenue.
• 🎬 Mark created a course using videos that embed his personality in famous scenes or movies to raise awareness during product launches, earning him additional income.
• 🚀 His most significant product is 'Ship Fast,' a code template designed to streamline the process of launching startups, which currently generates around $50,000 a month.
• 💰 Mark also earns income from Twitter for sharing content he loves, ranging from $150 to $400 a month.
• 🏆 He sold three startups on Acquire.com, a platform for buying and selling micro startups, demonstrating a path for those without ambitions to scale massively.
• 🎉 Mark has a newsletter called 'Just Ship It,' nearing 10,000 subscribers, where he shares his learnings without monetization intentions, and plans to take YouTube seriously to document his entrepreneurial journey for developers.

Q & A

What did Mark teach himself in the last three years?

Mark taught himself how to code over the last three years.

How did Mark initially get a software engineer job?

Mark got a software engineer job by applying on AngelList after learning to code through online resources like Udemy and YouTube videos.

Why was Mark fired from his first software engineer job?

Mark was fired because his employer realized he was a mediocre programmer.

What did Mark discover about himself after being fired from his job?

Mark discovered that he loved programming because it reminded him of building with Legos and allowed him to create useful things for others.

Where did Mark move to and why after being fired?

Mark moved to Bali to work on his own projects and build his own websites.

What was the concept of Mark's first website?

Mark's first website allowed users to find movies related to their current mood.

How did Mark grow his audience and make friends in the online community?

Mark grew his audience and made friends by sharing his work on platforms like Product Hunt and Twitter, where he engaged with people doing similar things.

What tools did Mark use to build his websites and software?

Mark used AI tools and other productivity tools to build his websites and software, allowing him to create landing pages and various applications without needing a large team.

What is the revenue Mark made in the last 30 days from his websites?

In the last 30 days, Mark made almost $60,000 from his websites.

Can you provide an example of one of Mark's successful projects?

One of Mark's successful projects is 'Ship Fast', a code template that helps to launch startups faster, which is making about $50,000 a month.

How does Mark monetize his Twitter presence?

Mark monetizes his Twitter presence by being paid between $150 to $400 a month for sharing content he loves, which aligns with his passion for the platform.

What platform did Mark use to sell three of his startups?

Mark used a platform called Acquire.com to sell three of his startups.

What is Mark's plan for his newsletter called 'Just Ship It'?

Mark has no intention to monetize 'Just Ship It'. He plans to continue sharing his learnings and insights with the subscribers.

How does Mark plan to share his entrepreneurial journey for developers?

Mark plans to take YouTube seriously this year, sharing everything he does and learns about entrepreneurship for developers.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Self-Taught Programmer's Journey to Success

Mark shares his inspiring journey of self-teaching coding, securing a software engineer job, and ultimately being let go due to his mediocre programming skills. Despite this setback, he discovered a passion for programming, which he compares to his childhood love for Legos, allowing creativity and utility for others. Fired at the end of 2021, Mark moved to Bali to work on personal projects, building 20 websites that now generate a substantial income with minimal operational costs. His first project was a movie-finding website based on mood, and through platforms like Product Hunt and Twitter, he built an audience and friendships, eventually realizing the potential for a livelihood through web development.

05:01

🚀 Diverse Web Ventures Leading to Financial Independence

Mark elaborates on his various web ventures, ranging from AI-powered language learning tools to software designed to increase customer engagement for escape room businesses. He also discusses creating no-code tools for developers to prevent disputes and chargebacks, as well as a link tree-like platform for entrepreneurs. Among his projects, a course he created has generated significant revenue, and his most substantial product, a code template to expedite startup development, has become a major income source. Additionally, Mark mentions receiving payments from Twitter for his contributions and having sold three startups on Acquire.com, providing an alternative path for those not aiming to build a large corporation. He also teases a new newsletter, 'Just Ship It,' focused on sharing his entrepreneurial insights and expresses his commitment to sharing his experiences on YouTube to help others on a similar journey.

Keywords

💡Coding

Coding refers to the process of writing computer programs in a specific programming language. In the video's context, it is the skill that the speaker self-taught, which led to a software engineering job and eventually to building websites and software. The speaker mentions learning to code using 'UDemy' and 'YouTube videos,' indicating the accessibility of learning this skill through online platforms.

💡Software Engineer

A software engineer is a professional who applies engineering principles to design, develop, and maintain software. The speaker initially got a job as a junior software engineer, which was a pivotal point in realizing their passion for programming. Despite being fired for being a 'mediocre programmer,' this experience sparked the speaker's journey into entrepreneurship and building their own projects.

💡Product Hunt

Product Hunt is a platform for discovering new and useful products, often tech-related. In the script, the speaker mentions using Product Hunt to share their websites and gain attention, which is a common strategy for developers and entrepreneurs to showcase their creations and receive feedback from the community.

💡Twitter

Twitter is a social media platform known for its short, concise messages called 'tweets.' The speaker studied Twitter in 2022 and managed to build an audience by sharing their work and making friends within the community. It played a significant role in the speaker's journey by providing a platform for networking and promoting their projects.

💡AI Tools

AI Tools in the context of the video refer to software applications that utilize artificial intelligence to assist in various tasks, such as creating landing pages or productivity tools. The speaker mentions using AI tools to build software, indicating the integration of advanced technology in their projects to streamline processes and enhance functionality.

💡Solo Entrepreneur

A solo entrepreneur is an individual who starts and runs a business alone, without any partners or employees. The speaker identifies as a solo entrepreneur, having built about 20 websites and generating significant revenue without hiring any employees, showcasing the potential for one person to create and manage successful online ventures.

💡Revenue

Revenue refers to the income generated from business activities, usually from the sale of goods or services. The video discusses the speaker's revenue from various websites and projects, highlighting the financial success of their entrepreneurial endeavors, with one product generating as much as '$50,000 a month'.

💡Landing Page

A landing page is a standalone web page, designed to promote a specific product or service and often used for marketing and sales purposes. The speaker mentions using AI to create an entire landing page, emphasizing the role of landing pages in their business strategy to attract and convert potential customers.

💡No-code Tool

A no-code tool is a software application that allows users to build applications or systems without writing any code. In the script, the speaker built a 'no-code tool for developers' to avoid disputes and chargebacks, demonstrating the utility of no-code solutions in simplifying complex tasks for non-technical users.

💡Subscription

A subscription is a payment model where customers pay a recurring fee to access products or services over time. The speaker mentions handling subscriptions in their packaged software, indicating the importance of subscription models in generating consistent revenue streams for their business.

💡Course

A course is a series of lessons or lectures on a particular subject, often provided for educational purposes. The speaker created a course, which made 'about $6,000 in the last 30 days,' showing the potential for knowledge sharing and education as a revenue source in addition to product development.

💡Monetization

Monetization refers to the process of generating income from a product, service, or content. The speaker mentions not intending to monetize their newsletter 'Just Ship It,' which is about sharing learnings rather than generating revenue, highlighting the different motivations behind content creation beyond financial gain.

Highlights

Self-taught coding skills led to a software engineer job and subsequent firing, sparking a journey of entrepreneurship.

Built 20 websites generating $50,000 a month with 90% profit margin and no employees.

Started learning to code during boredom in 2021 using online resources like Udemy and YouTube.

Landed a junior software engineer job on AngelList within a few months of learning to code.

Fired from the job for being a mediocre programmer, but discovered a passion for programming.

Programming was likened to playing with Legos, offering a creative outlet for building useful projects.

Moved to Bali at the end of 2021 to focus on personal projects and website building.

First website was a mood-based movie finder, sparking a love for the website building and launching process.

Utilized platforms like Product Hunt and Twitter to gain attention and make connections.

Gained a following and made friends by sharing updates on Twitter, starting with zero followers.

Focused on building websites that could generate income, studying tools like AI for landing pages.

Revenue in the last 30 days reached almost $60,000 as a solo entrepreneur.

Most websites did not make money, but one in particular covered all bills and more.

Developed an AI tool for language learning based on user interests, like K-pop for Korean.

Created 'Viral Libot', a messenger bot for escape room businesses to attract customers with games and discounts.

Developed 'Buy Dispute', a no-code tool to help developers avoid chargebacks and disputes.

Created 'Indie Page', a link tree for entrepreneurs to showcase startups and connect with payment providers.

Launched a course using videos with embedded personalities to increase product awareness during launches.

Developed 'Ship Fast', a code template to streamline the process of launching startups.

Earned revenue from Twitter for content creation, aligning with personal interests.

Sold three startups on Acquire.com, providing an outlet for entrepreneurs without ambitions for massive scale.

Plans to take YouTube seriously in the current year, sharing the journey of entrepreneurship for developers.

Maintains a newsletter 'Just Ship It' with 10,000 subscribers, focusing on sharing learnings rather than monetization.

Transcripts

hey it's Mark in the last 3 years I

taught myself how to code managed to get

a software engineer job and get fired

and I also built 20 websites that are

now making $50,000 a month at 90% profit

and zero employee I'm going to break

down all those sites but before I'm

going to share uh how I ended up in this

journey in 2021 I was living at my

parents house and I was a bit bored so I

Tau myself how to code using UD me and

uh YouTube videos uh this is me learning

how to program at my parents place um

within a few months I started to apply

on Angel list which is now I guess well

found and I miraculously found a job as

a junior software engineer and within 5

months they fired me CU they realized I

was a really mediocre programmer but

thanks to the job I realized that I

actually love programming because it

kind of reminded me of Lego which I used

to uh be crazy about when I was a kid

where I could build stuff and with

programming you can show it to people

and it can be of use of other people so

back then uh it was the end of 2021 I

moved to Bali and I decided to work on

projects of my own build my own websites

my first website was uh this little

thing where uh you can find movies that

are related to your mood if you're in a

romantic mood maybe you want to watch

some uh whatever movies um and I get I

get to love the process of like building

and launching those websites um I would

go on product Huns and share my uh

website there it would uh get a little

bit of attention I will also share it on

Twitter uh with other people doing

similar things where I also get to me a

lot of friends uh I studed Twitter in

2022 with zero followers and the fact

that I was sharing what I was doing um I

managed to build a little audience there

and made a lot of friends and when I

realized I could actually also make a

living by building website I studed to

focus on other tools like AI tools like

this one where uh you can make an entire

landing page uh than thanks to AI um I

built softwares I bu I built

productivity tools uh anything think

that I could add a pricing on so I could

pay my bills and fast forward to

2024 um my Revenue in the last 30 days

is almost

$60,000 and I am a solo entrepreneur I

built about 20 websites most of them

never made money uh a lot of them may

make just very like very little money

and one of them is uh paying the bill

much more than I need so I'm going to

break down the revenue for all those

this is making uh less than $100 month

it's a uh AI tool that will create

workbooks uh so you can practice a new

language based on topics that you like

so if you like uh K-pop you can learn

Korean with K-pop topics it will craft

the workbook just for

you um I also built a software called

viral libot I used to work with escape

room businesses uh to help them get more

uh customers they would get a messenger

bot which is what I called a viral bot

um this is it on messenger it's a an

automated conversation with uh it's not

even an AI it's just a basic um you know

just a basic replies but you can play

games as a player and you can say oh I

want to play this game and the bot will

reply to you with uh some riddles and if

you solve the puzzle you can get a

discount coupon for the escap room

businesses I work with and that would

get them more business and I would

charge a monthly subscription for that I

also built a buy dispute it's making uh

I would say less than $1,000 a month

which is a tool a no code tool for

developers like me who work with uh with

tripe uh to avoid getting dispute

chargeback like Angry customers that

would uh make yourself get banned from

the platform uh it connects to the plat

to your strap accounts and you can add

rules uh where you say oh if this then

that and if something suspicious happen

then prevents the action uh I also built

something called Indie page is kind of

like a link tree for entrepreneurs where

you can showcase your startups and you

can connect with your your payment

provider so it shows your revenue and it

links to all your startups it's making

um actually this is built using Indie

page uh it's making 1.2k in the last 30

days um I also created a course recently

uh because some of the video some of the

product that I would launch on Twitter

and product hunt uh I would use videos

like this one where I would embed myself

with a personality either in a movie or

someone that's famous uh to help the

launch uh to get some awareness during

the launch and this made uh about $6,000

in the last 30 days and finally uh my

biggest product is ship fast it's a code

template um that you can use to ship

startups faster I used to so because I

made 20 website I realized I was doing

the same thing over and over uh which is

like sending up a database uh sending

emails to the customers processing

payments handling the subscriptions and

so I package all that into a bottle

plate and this is making um about

$50,000 $50,000 a month and finally uh

this is not a website but I got paid by

Twitter uh this is recent um it's paying

something between $150 a month to

sometimes $400 a month uh which is

pretty cool because I love Twitter so

being paid for something a love it's

it's super nice um and yeah um I didn't

count this but I also sold three

startups last year on this platform

acquire. comom uh it's a place where you

can buy and sell mro startup like a

product like a habit tracker for

instance uh I sold one for

$10,000 uh this is this allows people

like me who have no ambitious to um

build a unicorn or go crazy and raise VC

and have a lot of employees it allows

people like like me um just you know

make a living and and get into the

startup world without uh going super big

and finally I have a new later uh that's

called just ship it that is about to

reach 10,000 subscribers it's not

monetized and I have no intent to

monetize it U but I keep sharing my

learnings in there and if you want to

join it I'll add the link below I'm

taking YouTube seriously this year and

I'm going to share everything that I do

and learn about this entire um

entrepreneurship for developers Journey

uh so if there's any questions or

anything that's helpful please let me

know that would help me craft better

videos cheers