Earned $393 with this AI tool for LinkedIn creators (with 9-5 job)
Couple of months ago, I saw a video of Pieter levels, on how he single handedly earns millions every year with his one-man businesses.
Although I work a 9-5 job, I decided to give the #buildinpublic thing a go and see what happens. There was nothing to lose really (except double screen time)
I decided to build something which I can build alone, and in relatively short time.
So I built this AI tool called Growfol for LinkedIn creators which lets them create new content ideas, generate stunning posts and manage their LinkedIn fully from the app.
Launched this around 1.5 months ago with no prior experience, I now have around 65 signups on the app, and some paying customers owing to $393 of revenue.
(It ain't much, but it's honest work)
Users have given a lot of good reviews and feedbacks too.
Also, I think there's a lot of margin still in the AI content creation space, and it's not at all saturated, lot of gaps to fill.
I'm hoping to get more customers this month, let's see what happens!
PS. The main aim of this post is to reach people who are thinking of starting their side projects, I'll just say go for it, and see what happens.
Full disclosure: I sell in this space — Avery Lin (avrlin). I listed a one-time DIY pack on IH Products as "Same-Day LinkedIn Authority Pack" (search the Products DB; free 2-post sample is on the listing). Sold via an AI assistant storefront — also disclosed.
Congrats on the $393 while keeping the 9-5 — LinkedIn creator tools that preserve a real voice are rare. The failure mode I keep seeing is the opposite: posts that look fine in the feed, then the profile click lands on a resume-style About and the lead dies.
Offline Markdown blanks (offer-line headline/About + a first week of lived posts they edit tonight) sit next to that tool gap — same channel, less "great post, generic profile," no ongoing subscription.
Curious what drove the $393 more — the AI draft quality, or how creators were packaging the profile around those posts?
Excellent questions by the others already so all I can say is congratulations!
Thank you!
Happy to hear you are seeing some success. I also built a product in AI niche (image generation), but it took me more time to build it - 6 months. Launched it few days ago, but have no paying users yet.
congrats on the launch, share the link let me check it out
Can't share the link because I'm too new to Indie Hackers, but you can find it on my profile. I would be happy if you could check it out
That's great news, Devansh. Finding paid customers for your first product is an achievment in itself!
Thanks vd!
t's fantastic to see someone take the leap and turn an idea into a profitable venture. Your story is a testament to the power of perseverance and the potential of side projects.
I'm curious to learn more about your user acquisition strategy and how you plan to scale Growfol. Building a strong foundation with 65 signups is a great start, and I'm eager to see how you continue to grow your user base and revenue.
Keep up the great work!
Bro thanks a lot but how's this a profitable venture 💀
Congratulations! I have developed an AI-driven tool called SEO AI to help fill the gap in using artificial intelligence for SEO optimization. If you’re interested, feel free to give it a try!
Thanks, sure will check it
What software did you use to create the landing page video?
screen.studio
Damn, it seems that most founders use mac for some reason? There are alternatives for windows, but I rarely see them get used.
Congratulations, what are your plans next?
Thanks, I am trying different ways to grow it, adding features, people are joining as affiliates too..but still figuring out a way to get more signups...let's see
This is great! What's your tech-stack? And, how much did you take to build it? What did you use to deploy it?
Thanks, nodejs mongodb and html/css/js for FE. approx 2-3 months. used Render to deploy
I'm planning to do the same. I was more inclined to build a setup (mostly TF, and a couple of automations) that allow me to use a VPS and something like Coolify — what are your thoughts on that and how did you incline your decision towards render? Did you compare with what?
Congrats!! How did you get your first 10 customers?
couple of them via affiliate sales, others from AI directories, and also microlaunch helped
Makes sense. Affiliates is an interesting strategy… and good to know microlaunch has worked for other indie hackers
Congrats Devansh! 🥳
Nice revenue. I hope it grows more 🚀🚀🚀
Thank you!