Acquiring a micro-SaaS and quitting his job after years of side
hustling
Going from side hustle to main hustle
I studied MSc Computer Science and later a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration. I started my career as a programmer, moved into software architecture, and then into engineering management. My last full-time role was as Technical Director at a fintech startup called Backbase. I spent about a decade in the fintech startup/scaleup world.
Along the way, I always kept side projects going, partly to keep my technical skills sharp, but also because I simply love programming. I tried monetizing a few of these projects, but my career took priority at the time.
In 2021ā22, I decided to take side projects more seriously and push for a second income stream. I eventually came across Cloakist on MicroAcquire (now Acquire.com), which was making about $2k MRR. Cloakist allows you to connect any webpage with a custom domain. I acquired it, grew it significantly, and spun out related products like Sotion, AliasLinks, and ZerpHost.
Building for three years alongside full-time work was exhausting. I even stepped down to a lighter job to make space, but it led to burnout. So, as of July 2025, after 10 months of slow progress, Iāve gone full-time indie
It was risky. Revenue didnāt yet cover living expenses, but with a small financial buffer, I made the leap. Today, Cloakist and Sotion together generate more than $12k MRR.
Playing it safe by acquiring
By the time I became Technical Director, the career path ahead (VP ā SVP ā etc.) felt like more of the same. I wanted new challenges, independence, and to own my own time. After going through burnout, the motivation to go solo only grew stronger.
I also had practical considerations: I have a wife and two teenage boys, so financial stability was crucial. I knew I couldnāt afford a long runway with repeated failed experiments. Thatās why acquiring a business with traction appealed; it gave me a head start.
Running my own SaaS apps also meant I could design my schedule to be more flexible with family. And because the products are subscription-based and relatively automated, they donāt demand constant firefighting.
Resisting the temptation to over-engineer
My past side projects taught me to avoid over-engineering. As a software engineer, itās tempting to obsess over architecture or clean code, but what really matters is delivering value to customers and growing the business. That shift in mindset made all the difference.
When I acquired Cloakist, it was very barebones. Many onboarding steps were manual, day-to-day operations werenāt automated, and it only supported a few platforms.
My first steps were automating processes, improving onboarding, and investing heavily in SEO. That paid off in the long run. I also saw an opportunity to niche down: I built Sotion, a spin-off focused specifically on Notion websites. Sotion eventually surpassed Cloakist in revenue.
A lean, modern stack
Cloakist and Sotion are built with React/Next.js, Node.js, Tailwind, and Supabase as the database. Hosting runs on AWS, with Cloudflare for caching.
We use Stripe for billing, Sidemail.io for emails, Crisp for support, Feather.so for blogging, and Fathom Analytics for privacy-friendly tracking. Itās a lean, modern stack that balances flexibility with reliability.
With my newer products, AliasLinks and ZerpHost, I've started using PHP Laravel, which has been an awesome ecosystem to build on.
Technical challenges
I've hit many technical challenges while building. Here are a few of the worst:
AWS costs spiraled at one point, forcing me to re-engineer core infrastructure.
With 30+ platform integrations, changes on their side often break things, sometimes even customer sites, requiring a fast response.
Hosting customer websites means dealing with bad actors. I had to build monitoring and response processes for phishing or fraudulent sites.
Three-pronged revenue growth
Cloakist and Sotion both use a SaaS subscription model with monthly and annual plans. Pricing is tiered by both the number of websites supported and feature depth. That way, we capture both customers who want āmore sitesā and those who want āmore advanced features.ā
Revenue growth comes from:
SEO and word of mouth
I mentioned that I doubled down on SEO when I acquired Cloakist āĀ well, that has been the biggest driver of growth. It includes documenting use cases, ranking for key terms, and creating useful content around the platforms we support. Word of mouth and organic traffic keep compounding over time.
Early on, Indie Hackers and X gave encouragement, visibility, and credibility, but long-term, my customers werenāt really there. Cold email campaigns didnāt deliver much, and I havenāt tried paid ads ā my hunch is they wouldnāt work well for this type of SaaS.
So the growth engine is mostly SEO + consistent product improvements that improve retention. Balancing product, marketing, and support as a solo founder is tough, so this mix has been really helpful.
My advice: Start SEO sooner. It compounds massively and is even more relevant with AI discovery that will likely surpass traditional search.
Use challenges to your advantage
Competition came and went, but the biggest scare was when Notion launched its own website publishing.
It ate into Sotionās market share but also grew awareness. We adapted by focusing on unique features like membership management, which has become a key differentiator.
Parting advice
Here's my advice:
Consider acquisition as a path; it reduces risk and gives you traction from day one. That was my single best move.
Focus on the core product. Keep it lean, deliver value, and expand only as you understand your customers better.
Think in terms of workālife integration, not balance. Set aside time for focused, high-impact work, and ignore the noise. Most tasks can wait, and half wonāt matter later.
Practice feature discipline. I learned not to chase every customer request. Stick to your productās core value proposition and only expand where it truly matters.
SEO is one of the best long-term bets you can make. Start early, document everything, and let it compound.
Automate early. Stable, hands-off systems buy you time to focus on growth.
Lastly, I'll say this: I wish Iād started years earlier. A career gave me experience, but the freedom I have now is priceless. Worst case, you can always get another job.
What's next?
Right now, my focus is on stability and independence: maintaining MRR, steady growth, improving conversion, and boosting retention. Long-term, Iād like to sell Cloakist and Sotion, and maybe start over again with another SaaS.
My current apps are B2C/SME-focused. Next, Iād like to move into B2B SaaS, whether thatās via acquisition, a spin-off, or a fresh build.
Working solo has been amazing, but I do miss team interaction. Thatās why I spend ~20% of my time consulting, which gives me variety and balance.
The vision: Sell my current SaaS in a few years, then start and grow a new B2B SaaS product.
You can check out my holding company with all current and past (failed) products. My most active products are sotion.so and cloak.ist. And follow along on X, where I post about my journey.
Leave a Comment
Love this story. Buying a micro-SaaS instead of starting from zero feels like a cheat code that more of us should explore. Also, saying no to over-engineering is the final boss of every dev founder. Glad you mentioned it instead of pretending itās easy. You made the leap the right way. Calculated, not impulsive. Thatās rare around here.
Agreed. calculated > impulsive... but sometime you have to just do it!
Love how you emphasized starting SEO early. Most people (me included) only realize how powerful it is once itās too late. Also liked your point on resisting over-engineering. That mindset shift really separates hobby projects from real products.
Thanks! 100% if you want to build a business. If it's just a hobby, then do whatever:)
Welcome! I'm definitely building one. Also using SEO. Good luck to me!
Next level inspiriation. Pray, soon i will also post my journey.
Incredible story, Bruceāwhat an epic journey! It takes guts and a smart plan to go from some sort of side hustle to buying a micro-SaaS, to growing it, to quitting your job. For me, the lean growth, automation, and focus on SEO & retention were huge highlights. Appreciate you sharing such an authentic storyāit's very enlightening for someone contemplating taking the plunge.
Really appreciate that! And all the best with your journey
Wow, thanks for sharing your journey! Really inspiring to see someone transition from Technical Director at a fintech to full-time indie hacking.
A few things that stood out to me:
1. The acquisition approach - Buying Cloakist at $2k MRR and growing it to $12k+ MRR (combined with Sotion) is impressive. That's a smart way to get a head start vs building from scratch.
2. The burnout reality - Appreciate your honesty about juggling full-time work + side projects for 3 years. That's exactly where I am now, and hearing you stepped down to a lighter role to make space is relatable.
3. Going full-time before "ready" - Taking the leap at revenue below living expenses but with a buffer is bold. Most advice says "wait until you're making 2x expenses" but sometimes you just have to jump.
Quick question: When you acquired Cloakist on MicroAcquire, what made you confident it was the right acquisition? Was it the tech stack, the market, or just gut feeling? I'm considering selling my booking SaaS codebase but also wondering if I should acquire something small instead to learn the ropes.
Also - your MSc CS + MBA combo is exactly what I wish I had done. The technical + business knowledge seems like the perfect foundation for indie hacking.
Thanks for being transparent about the journey. Posts like this keep the rest of us motivated!
Hey Freddy
I looked at a lot of businesses (see below). There are MANY factors to consider, but what ultimately made me go for Cloakist was that it had opportunity to grow. And I could see a path to do it.
While looking for an acquisition, this was more-or-less the process:
83 listings evaluated
18 exploratory calls with sellers
6 LOIs submitted
4 Due diligence calls completed
3 APAs submitted
1 micro-SaaS businesses acquired
Thanks for this it was insightfulš
Big Thanks š
Such a grounded story..
Inspiring story, Bruce š. Iām just getting started on my first micro-SaaS (BusinessAdBooster), so hearing about your path to $12k MRR is motivating. Curious ā if you had to start over again from zero, would you still acquire a SaaS, or build one from scratch?
If I had to start from zero, Iād still definitely look at acquiring again, it gave me momentum and revenue from day one. That said, building from scratch teaches lessons you donāt always get through acquisition, so both paths have real value.
And now that my main product is stable and brings in sufficient revenue, I have more time to build new things from scratch.
yeah thats acutually a great idea
Nice stuff this. Question - did you acquire all cash? Or take financing?
Thanks! I used cash and a small bank loan to finance the acquisition. Important point to note is that the business was already generating enough cash flow to easily cover the bank loan.
Really? But how is that possible?
It appears the business needed the cash earlier than the flow timing. However, @Bruce had leverage (the loan) to provide such funding ahead.
Generating doesn't mean the whole cash would be available on the same day.
Good point , thatās an important distinction. The business might have shown positive cash flow on paper, but timing is everything. Having access to funds when needed https://semakanstro.my/ can make all the difference between stability and a short-term crunch.
This article feels so timely. Iāve been thinking more about acquiring vs. building to help kickstart my side hustle side quest. I like the point on avoiding over-engineering and focusing on delivering value and business growth.
Glad it resonated! I think that balance and avoiding over-engineering while focusing on customer value really makes a difference early on.
Really enjoyed this, buying a micro-SaaS after years of side hustling is a calm, low-risk path to freedom. The way you picked a narrow problem, tightened ops, and focused distribution (instead of trying to rebuild everything) is exactly how these bets compound.
Curious on two fronts: what single signal told you it was safe to quit (net profit trend, pipeline, or runway)? And in the first 30 days post-acquisition, which lever moved revenue most; pricing cleanup, onboarding fixes, or one dependable channel?
P.S. Iām with Buzz; we build conversion-focused Webflow sites and pragmatic SEO for product launches and small SaaS. Happy to share a tight 10-point GTM checklist if useful.
Deciding when to go all in will be different for everyone. For me, because I have a family to support, I had to be able to cover all our living costs. The signal for me was when I had enough confidence that the projected ARR (less expenses) would be sufficient.
Thanks! For me, because I have a family to support, I had to be able to cover all our living costs. The signal for me was when I had enough confidence that the projected ARR (less expenses) would be sufficient. I needed a reliable foundation. In the first 30 days, the onboarding tweaks had the biggest impact.
But Iām curious, what have you found to be the strongest early lever in your own projects?
This is an inspiring journey really shows the value of focus, lean growth, and automating early š
Reading about your SEO and retention strategies reminds me how important it is to keep both product and workflow organized.
In my experience with Teamcamp, having a clear system for managing tasks, customer feedback, and project priorities makes it much easier to balance multiple initiatives without losing track.
Thanks for sharing such a detailed breakdown. itās full of actionable insights for solo founders and indie hackers alike!
Thanks so much! And I totally agree... having a clear system in place makes a big difference, especially when youāre juggling multiple initiatives as a solo founder. Glad you found the breakdown useful!
Very inspiring. Where will be a good place to buy a micro-SaaS? Any resources recommended?
acquire.com
microns.io
This is the dream! So cool to see someone skip the building part and jump straight to the growing part. Goes to show there are many paths to success.
Love this journey, Bruce š
As a fellow dev whoās been juggling side projects for years, your approach really hits home ā especially how you went from ādabblingā to owning a portfolio that sustains you full-time. Buying traction instead of starting from zero was a smart move most devs overlook.
I also really liked your point about resisting over-engineering. Itās something we all struggle with ā building clean architecture is satisfying, but it rarely moves the needle compared to improving onboarding or SEO.
Huge respect for scaling Cloakist and Sotion with such a lean stack ā React, Node, and Supabase is my kind of setup. Curious how you manage context-switching across multiple products now that youāve hit stability.
Totally agree, clean architecture is satisfying, but users donāt care, they just want something that solves their problem.
Context-switching across products is still a challenge, but I try to batch work by theme, sometimes per day, sometimes per week (e.g., one week deep on product, next on growth/marketing) and automate as much as possible. That rhythm keeps momentum without constant resets.
You mentioned avoiding temptation to over engineer..
Transitioning form developer mindset to business mindset.. I think this is very important aspect for any technical person planning to build their business.
Many engineers spend endless time perfecting their product while being cutoff from customers need. This consumes lot of their time and energy in a direction which is not aligned with business growth.
Building a business means setting right balance between customer outcomes and the engine behind that (your product).
When you see products of many large and successfull company you will find they have many issues and bugs, yet they sell, keep clients engaged and improvise.
Exactly, thatās such an important point. Shifting from āperfecting the productā to āserving the customerā is the way to go. Itās not about flawless code, itās about creating consistent value and learning fast.
Love this story ā shows how patience and consistency in building a micro SaaS can really pay off. Itās inspiring to see side projects turn into full-time ventures.
Iāve applied a similar long-term content approach while growing ā focusing on organic SEO and user-driven improvements before scaling. Great reminder that sustainable growth always starts small but intentional!
Sounds like youāre taking a really solid approach.
Love thisāacquire > over-engineer is such a sane path. Curious: in the first 30 days post-acquisition, what single lever moved revenue mostāonboarding fixes, pricing tweaks, or SEO-driven landing pages?
Onboarding improvements definitely had the biggest immediate impact, getting new users to their āahaā moment faster helped to convert visitors to users.
If your landing page convinces a visitor to sign up, then the first touch point they have with your app is the onboarding... if this is done well, then it builds trust.
Really enjoyed this; buying a micro-SaaS after years of side hustling is a calm, low-risk path to freedom. Loved how you picked a narrow problem, fixed onboarding/pricing, and resisted the urge to rebuild everything. Thatās how these bets compound.
Curious on two fronts: what signal told you it was safe to quit (net profit trend, pipeline, or runway)? And in the first 30 days post-acquisition, which lever moved revenue most ā pricing cleanup, onboarding fixes, or doubling down on one dependable channel?
P.S. Iām with Buzz; we build conversion-focused Webflow sites and pragmatic SEO for small SaaS and product launches. Happy to share a tight 10-point GTM checklist if useful.
The clearest signal was consistent net profit over several months, it showed reasonable stability. In the first 30 days, onboarding fixes moved the needle most.
An entrepreneur shares how he turned years of side hustle into a sustainable business and financial independence after acquiring a micro-SaaS.
Honestly, stories like this are interesting to read, but Iām not fully convinced this ābuy a micro-SaaS, quit your job, live freeā path works for most people. Acquiring an existing product can definitely save time, but it also means inheriting someone elseās tech debt, SEO issues, and customer churn: not exactly low-risk.
Regarding tech debt: That's true, and the inverse is also true if you build something from scratch. Ideating and validating products in the market does not require a sound technical implementation, but rather fast iteration. This inevitably leads to tech debt that needs to be resolved once you find some traction.
Regarding SEO issues: These can actually be a positive point when acquiring a business. As improving SEO can lead to more visibility and growth.
Regarding churn: Again, could be positive when acquiring if you can see a path forward where improving the product would lead to better retention.
This is super inspiring, Bruce! Love how you turned years of side hustling into something sustainable.
As a solo founder myself, I really appreciate how you shared the real numbers and decisions behind it ā very motivating!
Thanks a lot, much appreciated! Curious... what kind of marketing automation product are you building?
Thanks! Iāve built BusinessAdBooster, a #MicroSaaS that helps #SmallBusinesses and #DigitalMarketers automate content creation ā including Google Posts, SEO Blogs, FAQs, Social Media Captions, Keywords, and Hashtags ā all in one dashboard.
Itās focused on #SEO, #AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), and #GEO (Local SEO) to help businesses boost their online visibility without hiring a full team.
Still early-stage, but refining it step by step with user feedback.
Curious ā what kind of #MarketingAutomation tools or #SaaS products do you usually work with?
That's really a hell of a journey but it also proves something, starting small, learning to manage smaller companies so the big ones don't break you
Absolutely... starting small teaches you some fundamentals under lower risk. Acquiring vs. starting from scratch has similar benefits.
Totally agree, Bruce! I shared something similar on LinkedIn a few days back ā focusing on core product, retention, and SEO rather than chasing every feature or trend: Stop Wasting Time: Validate SaaS Features Fast
Wow, this is such a thorough and inspiring breakdown, Bruce! I love how you highlight lean execution, automation, and SEO as the core growth levers: itās a great reminder that over-engineering isnāt the path to success.
The idea of acquiring a micro-SaaS to reduce risk while gaining traction really stands out, and your approach to niching down with Sotion shows how focusing on a specific problem can outperform a broader product.
Thanks for sharing such actionable lessons and transparency about the journey, especially the part about balancing work, life, and growth. Definitely a must-read for anyone thinking about moving from side projects to full-time indie!
Really appreciate that. Glad the breakdown resonated and hope it helps others take that leap too!
Hi Bruce,
I really enjoyed reading your journey about growing Cloakist and Sotion into a $12k+ MRR SaaS portfolio ā especially how SEO became your biggest growth driver. Itās inspiring that you focused on automation, retention, and lean growth instead of over-engineering.
Since SEO and word of mouth are already working well for you, I believe off-page SEO through strategic backlinks and content placement could compound your organic growth even further. By earning high-authority links from SaaS, startup, and tech-related sites, we can:
Improve search visibility for your core keywords (Notion sites, custom domains, SaaS tools, etc.)
Drive consistent organic traffic without relying on ads
Strengthen brand authority for both Cloakist and Sotion
Iād love to share a simple backlink plan tailored for you ā starting small with link insertions on niche-relevant blogs, and gradually scaling up to guest posts and SaaS directories.
Would you like me to send over a sample backlink growth plan for review?
Best regards,
[asifa iqbal]
Really inspiring journey! Moving from side hustles to going full-time indie isnāt easy, but your acquisition + SEO strategy clearly shows how patience and smart decisions can drive massive growth. Despite burnout, the way you automated systems and launched niche products is truly motivating.
I also work with digital products and built my own app to share similar insights and creative resources. Stories like yours give even more motivation to stay consistent and trust the process
Thanks! Going full-time definitely takes patience and consistency, but itās so rewarding once things start compounding. Good luck with building your own app too, staying consistent, you'll get there!
Really valuable write-up, Bruce š.
The part about acquisition being a lower-risk entry stood out to me ā most of us default to building from scratch, but buying something with traction makes a lot of sense if you want to skip the zero-to-one struggle.
Also, your point on starting SEO early really resonates. Iāve been experimenting with AEO/GEO alongside traditional SEO, and I can already see how compounding works if you start soon.
Thanks for sharing such an honest breakdown. Curious ā looking back, would you still have chosen acquisition over building from scratch if you had a longer financial runway?
Agreed. The acquisition can cut out a lot of the early grind. Even with a longer runway, Iād probably still go that route, because it gave me momentum and real users to learn from right away.
Really insightful, there is a lot to learn from the story. thanks for sharing!
Glad to hear!
amazing job man really inspiring
Thanks! Glad that there are some take aways for you:)
Really enjoyed reading this ā especially the part about resisting the urge to over-engineer. Iāve been through the same trap myself: as engineers, itās so tempting to perfect architecture when what really matters is helping users make progress.
Thatās actually why we built LiteTracker ā a project management tool born after Pivotal Tracker was discontinued. Instead of starting teams off with a blank board and leaving them to design their own workflow, LiteTracker bakes in proven agile structures from day one. The idea is the same as you described: keep it lean, keep it useful, and let teams focus on shipping rather than reinventing process.
Thanks for sharing your story ā itās motivating to see how youāve turned side projects into a sustainable business. š
Totally agree, as programmers we easily to get caught up in architecture instead of outcomes. It's natural because that's what we enjoy doing:)
I love your focus on keeping teams productive without overcomplicating things, I'm super passionate about removing obstacles for teams. Engineers do well when they can focus on engineering, all the other stuff around it is just noise.
Bruceās story shows how buying and growing a small SaaS can be a safer path than starting from scratch. By keeping things lean, focusing on SEO, and resisting over-engineering, he turned side projects into $12k MRR and the freedom to work on his own terms.
This is such an inspiring and grounded journeyāthank you for sharing the real, unglamorous parts (burnout, financial risks, feature discipline) along with the wins.
A few things that really stood out to me:
The decision to acquire rather than build from zero is often underāappreciated, and your approach shows how it can reduce risk and accelerate momentum.
Leaning into SEO + retention as compounding growth levers is wise, especially for solo founders.
Your emphasis on resisting overāengineering resonates deeplyāso many projects stall when perfect code becomes the enemy of shipping value.
Congratulations on crossing that threshold into full-time indie work. Your story makes it feel more real for others considering the leap. Wishing you continued momentum, and Iāll be following along to see where you take Cloakist, Sotion, and future ventures!
Really appreciate that:) Acquisition over building from scratch definitely helped me de-risk and focus on growth. And yes, resisting over-engineering is a constant discipline, even today 3 years later! Thanks for the encouragement, it means a lot.
Love the breakdown of moving from full-time to indie ā really shows the real grind behind $12k MRR. Two points Iāve noticed from similar journeys that often get overlooked:
1ļøā£ Revenue vs. Burn Balance ā The leap you made works because you treated your buffer like a runway, not a cushion. Many indie founders underestimate how psychological safety with a buffer can accelerate growth decisions.
2ļøā£ Compounding Systems Early ā Your note on automating early is gold. Iāve seen founders who ignore micro-automation waste weeks monthly just on ops. Documenting everything + automated workflows early doesnāt just save time ā it creates repeatable growth leverage that scales faster than additional hires.
One extra angle: For B2B spin-offs, the sweet spot is high-touch micro MRRs first, then systematize onboarding before scaling. That way, you lock in retention before chasing volume, which aligns perfectly with your long-term exit strategy.
Curious ā when you moved to solo, how did you prioritize consulting vs. product iteration without fragmenting focus? Thereās a subtle art in balancing that which most founders miss.
The great thing about SaaS is that any time you spend improving the product is beneficial to all users, helps with retention, and improves stickiness. So even if you go through periods where you are focusing on other stuff, the business still keeps growing because of your previous efforts.
As a result of years of consistently side hustling, James Fleischmann acquired a micro-SaaS business, which enabled him to quit his job and reach full-time entrepreneurial success.
Your journey from a stable tech career to full-time indie founder is truly inspiring. I love how you combined technical depth with smart business decisionsāespecially acquiring an existing SaaS to reduce risk. The balance between engineering discipline and customer focus really stands out. Thanks for sharing your lessons on growth, burnout, and independenceāitās motivating for aspiring builders everywhere.
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