A Tiny Side Project That Just Crossed 100 Users — And Somehow Feels Even More Real Now

A couple of days ago I shared the early story of building a simple screen recorder Chrome extension… and how it unexpectedly grew from 19 to 59 users.

Since then, I’ve just kept doing what I always do:

Fix one tiny thing.
Polish a weird corner.
Clean up an animation no one else will ever notice.

Basically, the usual:

“just one more tweak before bed.”

I wasn’t expecting anything new.

But today I opened my dashboard and saw:
109 users.

Still small.
Still humble.
But… it hit differently.

✧ The Quiet Momentum of Small Numbers

There’s something special about crossing 100.

It’s not a big milestone in startup land — but as a solo dev, it’s the moment where things switch from:

“A few people randomly found it”

to

“There is actually a tiny little community forming here.”

And it’s happening without marketing.
Without launch campaigns.
Without pushing it anywhere except sharing the journey here on IH.

Just slow, quiet, organic growth.

𖡼 The Unexpected Part

What surprised me most this week wasn’t the number — it was how users behave.

I noticed something strange:

People who install it… actually use it.
Like, consistently.

They record tutorials, demos, bug reports, lessons — and I see the pattern:
If someone uses it once, they come back again.

For a tiny utility with zero friction, that feels like its own kind of validation.

If you’re curious, you can take a peek here ➙

𖣠 The Stuff I’ve Been Fixing in the Background

Since my last post, I focused on the things that look invisible but feel important:

• timing tweaks so the recorder feels smooth
• removing “techie” edges in the UI
• making the popup feel calmer and less interruptive
• cleaning up camera layouts
• fixing the small annoyances I’d personally hate

None of these make for big shiny announcements…
but they make the tool feel more honest.

The kind of thing you can use 20 times a week without thinking.

𖡎 What I’m Trying to Learn at This Stage

The big question on my mind now:

How do small, simple tools find their real audience?

I’m noticing little patterns:

• users tend to come from unexpected places
• the small details matter more than the big features
• people prefer “no account” more strongly than I expected
• growth comes from trust, not from promotion

I’m still figuring it out — but it’s fascinating to watch it unfold slowly.

✯ If You’re Building Something Small Right Now…

Don’t underestimate tiny progress.
Don’t underestimate the first 10 users.
And don’t underestimate the quiet growth that happens when you focus on quality instead of noise.

Your little project might be more alive than you realize.