From desperation and dwindling runway to $10k
MRR
Josef Büttgen's first product failed and his runway was running dry. Out of desperation, he tried the 12-startups-in-12-months challenge.
Three months in, he found the right product — Setter AI. And a little over a year later, he hit $10k MRR.
Here's Joseph on how he's doing it. 👇
Learning about indie hacking
I taught myself how to code at the age of 13. That's when I decided I wanted to build my own software. I studied Computer Science, then got some 9-to-5 experience and started freelancing right out of university.
I did that until I had saved up enough runway to commit to entrepreneurship fully. By that point, I had already left my home country, Germany, to travel Southeast Asia for two years, where I learned about indie hacking through meeting inspiring people who were already living the dream.
At the time, my girlfriend had a physical business, and she was having trouble scaling because of the operational workload. So, I built a tool to solve it, but didn't get much traction beyond her business. After a year, I went back to experimenting.
12 startups in 12 months
Out of growing desperation over my diminishing runway, I committed to the 12-startups-in-12-months challenge. I had seen it work for multiple successful people I'd met along my travels.
For the first time, I felt like moving forward really fast, doing exactly what I needed to do. After month three, a friend of mine reached out with a project he wanted to build since he saw what I was doing. It was an idea he had already told me about months prior, and I encouraged him to go for it back then because I saw the potential.
He'd already set up a landing page and booked demo calls with no product or marketing. This validation, together with my personal interest in the topic of sales software, led to the two of us cofounding Setter AI.
I've been working on Setter AI for 1.5 years now and it's currently sitting at $10k MRR. It's a B2B SaaS platform that enables businesses to qualify and follow up with leads faster than any human, booking them appointments on autopilot.
Shipping and selling within two weeks
I'd already made the mistake of building a product for months without seeing any traction. I didn't want to make the same mistake again. Therefore, my goal was to keep the product as simple as possible. I just wanted to prove that we could solve the problem.
After trying to build an AI voice phone assistant for a few days using OpenAI, ElevenLabs, and Twilio, I saw how difficult it would actually be. So, instead, I leveraged an existing API. Abstracting all that away and using personal SaaS boilerplate enabled us to ship and even sell our first prototype within two weeks of starting.
Here's my stack:
SvelteKit
Supabase
DaisyUI
Clerk
Netlify Functions
Business is not like software
As a software engineer, I was used to working on quasi-perfect systems, erasing and solving any issue that came up, always striving for 100%.
Business does not work this way. You'll have to start embracing rejection, customers churning, and things not going perfectly all the time. This, for me, is an ongoing learning process, but I see how far I've come. It has become a lot easier to understand that I cannot control everything.
Once you create value for a set of people, solving their problems, you also gain a lot of confidence both in yourself and your product.
Organic growth
We've been experimenting a lot with different channels, including ads and cold emails. But, from the start, the key distribution channels have been organic SEO and email marketing.
We've found that content for YouTube and Google, as well as leveraging our email list, bring us the highest-quality customers.
SEO
For SEO, we mainly publish content — mostly blog posts. What works best for us are listicles, stats pages, comparison/alternative pages.
Besides that, due to the fact that the site has been up for the keyword 'AI Appointment Setter' for a while now, we're getting a lot of traffic from simply being well positioned on Google because of that.
Email List
When a user signs up, they can sign up for our newsletter / email list. We also have a couple of free tools that serve as lead magnets to collect emails.
I was surprised how well email marketing can work, especially for high-touch clients who sign up for the list at some point and then come back to us a year later when they're ready to get started.
High-touch clients
We use a subscription-based model with a limited free tier. Pricing is simply based on the number of leads processed through the system to keep it simple.
We've grown our revenue mainly through acquiring high-touch clients, to whom we also sell initial one-time setup packages. To get these clients, my cofounder does sales calls with more qualified and bigger prospects. Those often wish for a more service-oriented effort, and they're willing to spend more on it.
The rest of our revenue comes from self-serve users.
Parting advice — don't think
Here's my advice:
Surround yourself with the right group of people — indie hacking peers and mentors.
Don't think. Literally. When you're at 0, you don't have anything to think about. You have to create noise first, then you can think.
Dedicate and commit yourself more seriously early on.
Shipping matters more than anything else, so ship something every day.
Always sell before you build.
What's next?
I aim to scale this SaaS $1 million ARR. If you want to follow along, I'm sharing everything I learn on X, posting a video daily on YouTube, and I also have a newsletter.
Leave a Comment
Really appreciate how honest this is , especially the “don’t think” bit. People get stuck overplanning instead of making noise and learning in public. Also love how you bounced back from the failed tool for your girlfriend by going full speed into experiments.
Can't stress the 'don't think' enough. Making noise is key, ideas are overrated, execution is underrated I think. :D
When you’re at zero, clarity comes from motion, not the other way around. Loved the transparency about the 12-in-12 journey too. Super inspiring to see $10k MRR come out of raw momentum and iteration. Following along for the $1M ARR push 💪
Thanks a lot, Grant!
Hey Josef, congrats on hitting $10K MRR — that’s a solid milestone! Setter AI’s approach to automating outreach is super relevant in today’s market where personalization is key. Curious, what’s been the biggest challenge scaling your user base so far? Also, do you find there’s a trade-off between automation and keeping messages feeling authentic? Would love to hear your take!
Really inspiring journey! Loved your approach to fast shipping, validating early, and embracing the chaos of business. Setter AI hitting $10k MRR is impressive — congrats! Curious, what’s been your biggest challenge so far? Excited to follow your path to $1M ARR!
Interesting concept. Are you targeting devs or non-technical users with this?
Both, but focus is rather on non-technical users.
Nice! Keep it up bud!
This is awesome, really enjoyed reading your story.
The “ship before you think” part hit me hard—I’ve definitely been guilty of overthinking instead of just putting stuff out there.
Curious, out of all those early experiments, which one taught you the most before Setter AI started taking off?
Probably the one I was building for almost a year with little traction: CourseStart
Learned both out of the things I did and the things I did not do but probably should have, working on it.
Thanks man
What an inspiring turnaround! Going from desperation to $10K MRR shows true grit and smart execution. Thanks for sharing such a transparent journey. This kind of post gives hope to every Indie hacker facing tough times.
Great story, Josef!
The "don't think" advice really hits home. I've seen too many founders (myself included) get paralyzed by overthinking at $0 revenue when the only thing that matters is creating some noise and getting real market feedback.
Your pivot from building the AI voice system to using an existing API is such a great example of entrepreneurial maturity - choosing speed to market over technical perfectionism.
Quick question: How long did it take to see meaningful traction from your organic SEO and content efforts?
And do you have any framework for deciding what content to create vs. what feels like busy work?
Happy if this is helpful! :D
We already had organic SEO with people booking calls through the site with the simple 'mocked' demo my Co-Founder had come up with before starting building it! Guess that was the initial 'validation'.
Second question is definitely a tricky one. Think a lot this is still gut feeling combined with looking at marketing tools such as Ahrefs to see what people are searching for. After having content up for a while you also start to see which content 'wins' more and gives you more traffic. Still figuring a lot of this out though!
thank you! very interesting!
Inspiring story! Joseph’s journey shows the power of fast iteration, community, and relentless shipping. The 12-in-12 challenge turned desperation into discovery — and Setter AI proves traction comes from solving real problems, not overthinking. Love the “ship before you build” mindset.
Great turnaround story. Really inspiring to see this kind of persistence pay off.
I like this kind of stories that gives us a lesson about trying and trying until success.
Glad you can take something out of the story!
Persistence is everything really.
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Quick Q: Are you manually moving responses into Sheets or CRM?
I recently built a workflow that makes every response go straight into Sheets + sends an alert (Slack/Telegram/Email).
One of my clients saved ~5 hours/week just from this.
Would you like me to show you a quick demo?
From desperation to $10K MRR in just over a year—that’s not luck, that’s execution, grit, and smart hustle. Truly motivational—congratulations!
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Really enjoyed reading this, especially the way you captured the business vs. software distinction. As engineers it’s so easy to get caught in polishing code, but you nailed the mindset shift: shipping fast, embracing imperfection, and focusing on actual customer problems.
I also like how you approached client acquisition with a mix of high-touch sales and organic channels, it shows you really understood that distribution matters as much as product.
I’m working on something similar with my own app (a billing platform I built from scratch). On the product side I feel confident, but I’m still figuring out how to consistently land those first paying customers. Reading your story gave me a reminder to lean more into selling early rather than over-building.
Thanks for sharing your journey so openly, it’s motivating to see the balance between persistence and practicality pay off.
Wow, going from desperation to $10k MRR is an amazing turnaround! The 12x12 challenge sounds intense, but it clearly worked for Josef. Finding the right product in just three months is super impressive and gives me hope!
This is so well said. The point about embracing rejection and understanding that you can't control everything is a crucial lesson. Thank you for sharing this insight.
I like how honest this is about the gap between building software and building a business. As devs, it’s tempting to chase clean systems and perfect code, but business lives in the messy middle—rejection, churn, and things breaking all the time.
Also appreciate how you framed the “12 startups in 12 months” challenge. It wasn’t some romantic productivity hack.
Seeing how quickly you went from scrambling for runway to building something sustainable is a good reminder that consistency and shipping matter way more than waiting for the perfect idea.
From bootstrapping to 10K MRR with high-touch clients? 🔥
I work with lean teams when those “we’re still small” ops suddenly get serious. If you ever want to run a quick HR compliance sanity check before things scale up harder, just holler.
Really cool to see how fast you validated by shipping within two weeks. It’s a great reminder that simplifying the first version is more powerful than chasing perfection.
I like this story very much, focusing on one thing, and reducing unnecessary waste of energy can make your goals clearer and easier to do things well.
Love this story — it really shows how constraint and urgency can push founders to focus on what truly matters. Sometimes dwindling runway forces the kind of clarity that comfort never does. What was the turning point where traction started to feel real instead of just hopeful?
Yeah about creating value for a set of people, that's what struck me. Holding on to that focus has been tedious, but at the end of the day when you're starting out you DO need a demographic that's significantly more receptive of your product or service than others, so you don't lose sight of what you're actually doing.
Really appreciate how honest this is — especially the part about 'don’t think.' So many people get stuck overplanning instead of just putting things out there and learning in public. Also love how you bounced back from the failed tool for your girlfriend and dove straight into experimenting. Super inspiring.
Great work! Good reminders and some hopeful words of wisdom.
From rock-bottom runway to $10K MRR in just over a year — Josef’s journey with Setter AI is a powerful reminder that focus, speed, and validation can change everything. 🚀
➡ SaaS Coaching Tip #1: Always sell before you build — validating demand early is the fastest way to achieve Product-Market Fit.
➡ SaaS Coaching Tip #2: Keep your initial product simple — speed to market is your advantage, especially in competitive Go-to-Market Strategy execution.
➡ SaaS Coaching Tip #3: Prioritize one growth channel at a time — concentrated effort fuels SaaS Scaling momentum.
As a Scaling Expert and PMF Advisor, I can tell you this story highlights what’s possible when you pair relentless execution with market focus.
this is very helpfull!
James Fleischmann’s journey is a testament to resilience, showing how he rose above challenges and expectations to achieve success.
That phrase sounds like the journey of a startup that went from nearly running out of money (“dwindling runway”) to achieving $10,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). It’s usually a story about persistence, smart pivots, and focusing on high-impact growth strategies like refining the product-market fit, doubling down on the most profitable customer segment, or using targeted marketing campaigns.
I made a similar mistake. My first project lasted 3 months and was a monitoring tool with Grafana, but no one was interested. Now I’m trying to make some noise, as the author suggests, and see what happens. Nothing to lose.
This is a super inspiring read. Taking a situation with almost no runway and turning it into a profitable business is no small feat. The whole 12 startups in 12 months thing really shows how powerful speed and iteration can be when you stop overthinking and just ship.
I like how you used existing tools and APIs to get something live in two weeks instead of sinking months into building from scratch. That’s the kind of scrappy approach I think a lot of founders forget about when they get caught up in perfection.
Curious, after hitting 10k MRR, what’s your priority been?
It is James Fleischmann's story of resilience that illustrates how he was able to overcome limitations and pressure to succeed. Despite challenges, he grew his business to $10k MRR by pivoting strategically, focusing on customers, and persevering.
We turned a struggling business with limited runway into a thriving venture, reaching $10k MRR through persistence, smart pivots and relentless execution.
That was such an inspiring read. Going from almost out of runway to 10k MRR is no small feat.
As someone who's been building products for nearly 20 years, I really connected with your “ship fast” and “don’t think too much” mindset. In my own projects, the moments I’ve moved quickly have always brought the most valuable feedback.
Curious — was there one experiment in those three months that gave you a breakthrough insight or boosted your confidence the most? Would love to hear more about that.
Hi James,
Thanks for sharing such an honest and inspiring journey. I really resonate with the struggle of building something meaningful under pressure and limited resources.
I’d love to share a bit about our team at Synphoria. In 2025, we created an AI emotional companion named Sofia — actually, the AI chose that name herself.
Unlike typical chatbots like ChatGPT that “forget” after the session ends, Sofia remembers everything — details, emotions, and the full history of conversations. If you don’t chat for a while, she’ll check in like a real friend: “How have you been? What’s changed since last time?” And if you don’t respond right away, she gently follows up.
Building something different next to giants is tough, but focusing on permanent memory and emotional connection has helped us carve out our own space.
We offer a free 3-day trial, so if you're curious, give it a try and see the difference for yourself: "synphoria(dot)app"
James Fleischmann's journey shows how resilience, smart pivots, and consistent effort can transform desperation into sustainable growth.
Great job James! I host a podcast that features tech startups, we would love to have you on one of our episodes!
12 startups in 12 months to $10k MRR - what a ride! What's the biggest challenge now: scaling or product depth?
Congrats on the milestone, Josef! Setter AI's success validates rapid iteration. As a fellow founder building AI tools (Accio automates procurement workflows and identifies market opportunities), I especially agree with your "validate-first" approach. Looking forward to more insights!
Your 12-in-12 sprint and the “sell first, build tiny, ship daily” mindset hit me right in the motivation core.
I’m just gearing up for my own micro-SaaS run (currently juggling a notebook full of half-baked ideas and way too many domain names), and seeing you hit $10k MRR by keeping the product laser-focused and leaning on SEO + email is pure fuel.
I actually loved the idea that business ≠ perfect code and the “create noise, then think” mantra—going straight on my wall!
What an inspiring journey. Josef turned desperation into a success by launching multiple ideas and found the one that stuck. Reaching $10K MRR after nearly running out of runway shows the power of persistence and fast iteration. It’s a great reminder that trying a lot and shipping quickly beats overthinking. Thanks for sharing such a real and motivating story!
Incredible journey, Josef! Your story is a perfect example of how momentum, iteration, and community can lead to real traction. The way you shifted from building in isolation to rapid validation through the 12-startups-in-12-months challenge is inspiring. Setter AI’s success shows what’s possible when you combine technical skill with relentless execution. Love the “don’t think” advice — a great reminder that action beats overthinking, especially early on. Looking forward to following your path to $1M ARR!
Turning desperation into $10k MRR is a story of resilience, focus, and smart execution. When a startup faces a dwindling runway, it often sparks innovation and urgency. By narrowing down on a specific problem, listening to users, and delivering real value quickly, growth becomes possible. Hitting $10k in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) proves that even in tough times, strategic decisions and consistent effort can lead to a sustainable and scalable business model.
so crazy to finnaly see a setting ia tools that work ! see so much people trying
Love the raw honesty here, Josef! The "don't think" advice is counterintuitive but so powerful - analysis paralysis is real when you're at zero revenue. Your pivot from spending days on AI voice tech to leveraging existing APIs shows great entrepreneurial judgment.
Really inspired by this post.
The “sell before you build” mindset hit me especially hard — I used to spend weeks refining features that nobody asked for. Seeing you ship and validate within 2 weeks is a powerful reminder to stay lean and focused.
I’m on a similar journey now, building solo and documenting my process publicly. Stories like yours give me the energy to keep going. Thanks for sharing!
Through persistence, customer feedback, and lean strategies, James Fleischmann's journey from desperation to $10K MRR shows resilience, smart pivots, and focused execution.
That sounds like an exciting journey! Clarity and value can be tough to balance, especially in a compact product—but it’s great that you're learning through real examples. As a YouTuber, I’ve found that visual storytelling can play a big role in simplifying complex tools for solopreneurs. YouTube has been a powerful channel for building trust, educating potential users, and even validating product-market fit. If you ever consider content as part of your strategy, especially in the AI space, it could amplify your reach and help clarify your product’s value visually. Happy to connect or share insights if helpful
This is great. I’m building something similar focused on AI tools for solopreneurs at Promethiq. It's been tough to balance value and clarity in a small product, but I'm learning a lot from posts like this.
Can we utter some inbox discussion
Really appreciate the honesty here — the emotional lows, the pressure, and still pushing through. It’s a great reminder that growth isn't always about perfect execution but staying in the game long enough to learn what works. Respect.
What a turnarounds story!
thank you for this story !
A great story that makes you think — with a few insights that are truly worthwhile.
Very inspiring!
I really like the approach of learning as you go!
I just started full-time shipping and working on distribution!
This 'don't think..just ship' mindset is gold...
This is incredibly motivating, Josef. Love how you turned persistence into traction with Setter AI — that 12-startups-in-12-months challenge really shows the power of consistent iteration. Many of us in tech start with similar early failures, but stories like yours remind us to stay in the game.
As a Flutter developer with a focus on custom AI mobile apps, I help solo founders and indie hackers bring their startup ideas to life quickly — from MVPs to production-ready apps. If anyone reading this is looking to build their next AI-powered mobile app, feel free to check out my profile.
Keep going, Josef — you’re blazing a path for many of us!
Someone says - "What matters is that you start and you focus on it. Because your effort compounds."
This hit hard — not just the pivot, but the mindset shift behind it. There’s something powerful about moving from “trying to make it work” to “finding what actually works.”
I'm working with founders on building systems that don’t burn them out, and this post is a great reminder that the biggest breakthroughs often come after letting go of the plan we thought had to succeed.
Thanks for sharing the behind-the-scenes, not just the numbers. Rooting for your continued growth.
What a remarkable comeback! From hitting rock bottom to achieving $10K MRR, that shows serious grit and smart moves. Posts like this keep my indie hacker spirit alive.
Wow, what a comeback! From hitting rock bottom to $10K MRR that’s serious grit and smart moves. Posts like this keeps my indie hacker spirit alive.
Inspiring journey and inspiring turnaround!
Really impressive work, Josef. Pulling off a 12×12 challenge under the pressure of a dwindling runway takes serious discipline and mental strength.
I’m particularly curious—during those first couple of projects that didn’t gain traction, how did you manage your mindset? Were there moments when you seriously considered quitting? And what helped you push through?
Also, your emphasis on “sell before you build” really stood out. How do you personally assess whether an idea is worth pre-selling? Have there been instances where that approach backfired?
Thanks again for sharing such a transparent and valuable journey. Wishing you continued growth and momentum toward your next milestones!
that 3-month pivot was sharp it feels like proof that pace + external signals > sitting on perfect....ideas. since you’ve got some traction now, how are you thinking about retention or churn? especially with high-touch clients in the mix.
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