Designer generates > $280K in 6 weeks using no-code tools

With only about 2 hours of work, James Traf not only created and launched a new Apple iOS icon set for customizing iPhone Home Screens running iOS 14 — he also created the web site to support the sales of his new product, all using available no-code tools. His product found a ready audience immediately, willing to lay down hard cash.

How did he do it?

One day shortly after the launch of Apple’s new iOS 14, designer (and indie hacker) @traf noticed a couple of tweeted screenshots of people sharing their newly customized home screens. For the first time, Apple iPhone users are now able to add custom icons, using the Siri Shortcuts app.

Recalling his previous experience with custom icon sets back in 2013, James put together a package of icons using his own aesthetic style, and tweeted about it with a screenshot of his own. Interest and questions followed almost immediately, so he productized the icon set, uploaded the package to Gumroad, and embedded them on a Notion website using Super. Focusing on the overall user experience, James also created and published a few guides and tutorials on getting the icons loaded into the phone. You can find James' icon set package here.

It went viral quickly, with almost a million impressions within two days, and soon afterward, prominent YouTube influencer MKBHD featured James' icon set in his own video about customizing the iPhone with the new iOS. Within six days, the icon set had generated over $100,000 in revenue. And now, six weeks later, the tally stands at over $280,000.

In episode #179 of the Indie Hacker Podcast, Courtland Allen and James Traf reviewed the elements of preparation, luck, and opportunity that contributed to the huge success. With full transparency for his followers, James also posted a very popular blog article “Six figures in 6 days”, outlining his tools, his process and his thinking.

It's quite clear that luck played an early role in enabling James to discover the initial screenshot tweets that started the process rolling. However, luck favors the prepared mind. James’ experiences and skills gained over the past seven years allowed him to move quickly to take advantage of the interest shown for his own tweet. None of the resultant success would have happened, if not for James’ acumen in realizing that the opportunity existed, and his understanding and initiative to take immediate action.

Lessons Learned

Simplicity, ease of use, and pleasing aesthetics — these are the hallmarks of James' product solution, and of other wildly successful offerings in the marketplace.

“You need less than you think to get started.”

James highlighted that with the growing availability of excellent no-code tools such as Notion and Super, all a solo indie hacker entrepreneur really needs is:

A computer with an Internet connection, and
The initiative to take effective action and get started.

For those who may be envious of the disproportionate relationship between input and income, James has this to say:

"Other people’s success is not ‘your’ failure, but it could serve as motivation for your own actions."

by Nicky Milner