From employee to freelancer to $10k/mo
founder
Thomas Sanlis got a job right out of college and quit three months later to become and indie hacker. Six years later, he's a full-time indie hacker making $10k/mo with his first product, Uneed.
Here's Thomas on how he did it. 👇
Going full time
I started building side projects very early, back when I was a teenager. I never thought I could actually make money from them; it was just for fun. After finishing my studies, I got hired by the company where I'd done my final year as an apprentice. And even though everything was great there, I realized something important: I hate constraints. I struggled to focus on a single topic, work specific hours, spend time in meetings, etc.
After just three months, I kind of lost it. I quit, moved to a different city, and started freelancing in development and design. My goal was simple: have enough free time alongside client work to build my own projects.
It's been six years now. I've been able to live off my projects since January 2025, and I feel really grateful for that. Beyond the freedom that comes with working on your own projects, what I absolutely love is the variety. I can start my day writing code, then switch to writing a blog post, handle customer support, scroll through X for inspiration, then jump into designing a new project. All of that is part of my job, and it means I never get bored!
My biggest product is also my oldest one. It's called Uneed, and it's a launch platform and community for builders. Think of it as a mix between Product Hunt and your X feed!
I'm currently making around $10K/month with Uneed. I hit this milestone back in July 2025, which felt amazing! However, I've been plateauing a bit since then and haven't been able to push significantly beyond that point yet.
That's one of the reasons that I'm trying to diversify my income — I don't want to be solely dependent on Uneed's revenue. And sometimes, when one project hits a ceiling, launching something fresh can teach you new lessons that can be applied to your main business. At least, that's what I hope)!
So, a few weeks ago, I started building Writizzy — a blogging platform — with a cofounder. We're launching it really soon, and I'm excited to see where it goes!
From laboratory to business
Uneed has a pretty weird origin story 😅. I started it during my studies just to test out a new JavaScript framework I'd heard about, NuxtJS. I was curious to learn it, and Uneed became my playground. It was a basic directory of tech products.
For years, it was basically a laboratory where I experimented with different ideas and technologies. I never took it seriously as a business.
It took me a really long time to realize that it could actually become something bigger. But that slow, organic approach had its benefits: it allowed the website to grow gradually, the brand to gain recognition, and the SEO to take off naturally over time.
Here's the stack
Nuxt JS for frontend
Nuxt UI for UI
Supabase for database
Bento for emails and marketing
Self-hosted on a VPS with Coolify to manage everything
Fernand for handling support
Self-hosted Umami for analytics
How to build for the long run
Interestingly, my biggest challenge hasn't been product-related, technical, or even marketing-focused. It's been personal.
The indie-hacker lifestyle is very particular. You work alone, nobody tells you what to do, and there's no playbook to follow. It's easy to get scattered or overwork yourself. And you have to be your own source of motivation.
Finding the right balance between work and personal life in these conditions can be incredibly difficult. It took me years to figure it out, and it wasn't easy. I went through periods where I'd work 10 hours a day and completely neglect my health, periods where I couldn't even bring myself to open my laptop, and periods where I wanted to quit all my projects and change careers entirely.
If I had to start over, I'd remind myself that everything is about balance. Success isn't just about hustle, it's about sustainability. Taking care of yourself isn't a luxury, it's what allows you to keep building for the long run.
Work-life balance is a strategic advantage
The only way I was able to find the right work-life balance was by experimenting.
I think the most important thing is working on that guilt you sometimes feel when you're not working. You have to make your brain understand that taking 15 minutes to go for a walk or 2 hours to grab drinks with friends isn't a distraction; it's necessary fuel for growing your projects.
Personally, I have two main things that help me maintain balance:
Cycling. I ride a ton, and it's become almost an addiction for me. If I don't ride, I start to feel down. It's basically become non-negotiable, which forces me to get outside and stay physically healthy.
Saying "yes" to everything. When a friend invites me to hang out, I refuse to let myself say, "Sorry, I have to work." It might sound extreme, but I think it's incredibly important. As indie hackers, we don't have colleagues, and we spend way more time alone than most people. That's not healthy. I believe you need to seize every opportunity to socialize and connect with people.
At the end of the day, balance isn't about perfect time management, it's about recognizing that your health and well-being directly impact your work. Taking care of yourself isn't a waste of time: It's strategic.
Growth via time and consistency
Uneed has grown mostly through time and consistency.
It has been around for years, and that slow, organic growth that I mentioned earlier really paid off. The SEO built up naturally, the brand became more recognized in the indie hacker community, and word-of-mouth started kicking in.
One specific feature that really accelerated growth was the waiting list I introduced on Uneed. Instead of letting people launch whenever they wanted, I created scarcity by having them join a queue. This had two effects:
It made launches feel more valuable and exclusive.
It kept people coming back to the platform regularly to check their position and engage with other launches while waiting.
Beyond that, I've just been consistent. Shipping features, being active in communities, and genuinely trying to build something useful for other builders.
There's no magic growth hack; it's been mostly about showing up every day.
A diversified business model
Uneed has a diversified revenue model, which has been one of the keys to reaching $10K/month. Instead of relying on a single revenue stream, I've experimented with different ways to monetize the platform. Some work better than others, but having multiple options means I'm not dependent on just one source of income.
Paid launches: Builders can pay $30 to launch on a specific date of their choice, or $4.99 to join the waiting list.
Directory submissions: We manually submit products to 100+ directories.
Premium spots: Featured placements that give products more exposure on the platform.
Advertising: Two sidebar ad spots for companies wanting to reach our audience.
Newsletter sponsorships: Sponsored spots in our newsletter (11K subscribers).
Product reviews: Both public and private review services for builders looking for feedback.
The product reviews have been particularly valuable. Not just as a revenue stream, but also for building authority online! They generate significant SEO traffic and help establish Uneed (and my personal name) as a trusted voice in the indie hacking space. Every review we publish becomes a piece of content that ranks and brings in organic visitors over time.
Plan for the long haul
I have one main piece of advice, and it might go against what you sometimes see on the internet: Statistically, if you want to make a living from your projects, it's going to take time. So plan for it!
Don't quit your job right away unless you have significant savings. I see too many people burning out because they put immense pressure on themselves to succeed quickly. The reality is that building a sustainable indie business usually takes years, not months.
What's next?
I'm not trying to become ultra-rich or build a unicorn startup. My goal is actually pretty simple: I want to eventually sell my projects for enough money to retire early and have the freedom to do whatever I want.
I love building products, but what I love even more is freedom. The ultimate goal is to reach a point where I can wake up every day and choose what I want to work on (or not work at all) without any financial pressure. That's the dream.
To get there, I have more ideas brewing and will probably release a few more projects in the coming months. Stay tuned !
I'm active every day on X, and on Uneed Community, which I launched a few days ago!
Leave a Comment
Nice write-up. Shifting from employee to freelancer to founder is a path a lot of people think about but rarely articulate well. It feels like the real transition happens when you start treating the business like something you have to sustain every day, not just something you hope will work.
I’m curious whether there was a specific moment you realized the founder mindset clicked, or if it just gradually became obvious as you worked through the early stretch.
Super inspiring! I am trying to do the same thing right now and I am finding it to be an uphill battle, I am getting little wins here and there and just working every day to get there.
Thanks for sharing this, Thomas.
That reframe of "Work-life balance is a strategic advantage" is a powerful insight. The "guilt you sometimes feel when you're not working" is so real for many of us.
My question: Did you find that your non-work activities, like cycling or saying "yes" to friends, directly led to better breakthroughs or clearer ideas for Uneed?
That’s an inspiring transition, moving into founder mode often comes with new legal responsibilities, and having solid contracts, terms, and compliance in place really helps protect that growth.
Very interesting post! Would you say though, that being a freelancer is not for everybody, and might even require a certain character trait?
Very inspiring! To build my own SaaS is also my goal
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Inspiring man!
Really cool to see makers sharing openly like this. What advice would you give to someone building a similar tool?
Your journey really resonates with me! I also transitioned from a research lab to running my own business full-time—Peptide Hubs. Love how you highlighted freedom, variety, and balance as key drivers. Truly inspiring
"Your journey is inspiring — turning curiosity into freedom and building a thriving indie business is pure magic!"
Great story - love how consistently you leveled up and turned freelance skills into a real business. Super inspiring momentum!
Truly appreciate
Freedom + consistency. The two things that actually make this path work.
What stands out here isn’t the $10k/month or the years of consistency, it’s the fact that Uneed only became a business after it spent years as a place for you to learn, mess around, and experiment. Most people want results on day one, but your story shows how much power there is in giving something time to mature before you try to squeeze it into a business model.
A lot of indie hackers accidentally treat every idea like a race. You’re showing what it looks like when the “laboratory phase” isn’t a detour, it's the reason the product survives long enough to become valuable. There’s a different kind of durability in something that grows up slowly instead of going viral fast.
So inspiring! Your story is a reminder that indie hacking isn’t just about the grind, it’s about building smart, staying consistent, and actually enjoying the process.
Such an inspiring journey, Thomas! Your approach to building Uneed slowly and steadily really highlights the power of consistency and patience. The emphasis on work-life balance as a strategic advantage is something all founders can learn from. I also love how you diversified your revenue streams to reduce risk—it's a smart move for long-term sustainability. Excited to see how Writizzy evolves next! Keep sharing your insights, it's a real motivation for anyone on the indie hacker path.
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iam in the stage where you were just before you pivoted. Hopeless and lost
Really enjoyed this. The slow and steady growth of Uneed is a good reminder that long-term consistency pays off. Your take on balance also hit home. It is easy to overwork, but health is what keeps you building. Excited to see where Writizzy goes next.
Super inspiring, Thomas. What stood out to me is how something that started as an experiment became a sustainable business. Reminds me that most meaningful products come from curiosity first, revenue later.
great.
Such an inspiring story! Thomas’s discipline stands out. Curious what was the biggest turning point that helped Uneed scale?
Inspiring story, Thomas!
Inspiring story, Thomas! That's also my goal with my SaaS
The slow, organic growth approach really resonates...shipping small, useful features consistently while taking care of yourself is something too many indie hackers overlook. Also, the diversified revenue streams on Uneed are a smart move for long-term stability.
Incredible journey! Truly inspiring how you transformed years of experimentation into a profitable, sustainable ecosystem. Your focus on balance, long-term consistency, and diversified revenue streams highlights what most indie builders overlook.
The honesty about burnout, guilt, and sustaining motivation makes this even more relatable. Your approach proves that patience, self-care, and steady iteration compound into real freedom.
Really inspiring story, Thomas! Your journey resonates a lot with me. I've spent 13+ years in enterprise Java architecture and recently transitioned to focus on AI-enhanced workflow automation and building indie mobile apps. The part about work-life balance being a strategic advantage hits home — it's so easy to fall into the trap of overworking when you're building your own products.
I'm curious about your tech stack choices. You mentioned using Nuxt JS as a learning playground that eventually became a business. Did you find that experimenting with new frameworks while building something useful helped you learn faster than traditional tutorials? I'm currently exploring this approach with my own projects, combining React.js, Spring Boot, and process orchestration tools.
Also love the diversified revenue model approach. Multiple income streams definitely reduce risk when one area plateaus. Thanks for sharing so openly!
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Inspiring journey! Shows how skills, persistence, and smart transitions can turn experience into a successful $10k/month business.
Amazing article. If possible, I would love to meet you, Jone.
Could you share your email address or phone number pls?
Honestly this was a really inspirational read, thank you for sharing!
The transition from employee to freelancer to $10K/month founder requires strategy, discipline, and persistence. Learn the essentials of business while leveraging your existing skills to gain freelance clients. Develop a strong personal brand by providing high-value services and marketing consistently. You should gradually scale operations, delegate tasks, and reinvest profits. You can turn freelancing into a sustainable, high-income business with patience and smart planning.
indeed inspiring, these kinds of stories of business growth should be tought in school's, and the kids should have access to modern tools to build some kind of business in the early years
Really cool to see Uneed growing slowly but steadily. So many try to rush it, but this shows that patience pays off. Also, the honesty about balancing work and life hits home. Taking breaks isn’t slacking, it’s what keeps you going long term.
This is awesome. I am currently a PM at a Saas co. building my first agentic app. Thanks for being an inspiration for me to keep going!
This is a game-changer — turning conversational AI into embeddable widgets and landing pages opens up so many possibilities!
Amazing article. If possible, I would love to meet you, Jone.
Could you share your email address or phone number pls?
Really inspiring journey — love how Thomas turned years of small experiments into something sustainable. It actually reminds me of how platforms like KK33 Game on also grow through steady community support and consistency.
Your journey is inspiring—making the leap from employee to freelancer to hitting $10K/month really shows the impact of taking risks and staying focused on solving real problems!
This is such an inspiring read — Thomas’ journey from a full-time job to making $10K/month with Uneed really shows what consistency and passion can build. I love how he treated Uneed as a “playground” first, letting it grow organically, and the way he emphasizes work-life balance as a strategic advantage is super powerful. The honesty about plateauing and diversifying his business is refreshing, and it gives a really realistic (and hopeful) picture of how indie hacking works long-term. Thanks for sharing your story so openly!
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It was amazing to read this....
Loved this breakdown. What stood out to me is how long Uneed stayed a “playground” before it became a real business — it’s a great reminder that steady iterations compound. Your point about balance being a strategic advantage is spot on too. Curious how you’re approaching the next stage of growth now that you’ve hit a plateau.
This was a very helpful read for me. I feel like, since my first child was born earlier this year, I've been sprinting, trying to get financial independence as quickly as I can. In theory, I want to get all the hard work and long hours done now, so I can spend time with the family down the road... in reality, I am prone to spin to many plates and burn myself out.
This article was a great reminder to slow down, take a breathe, and find balance in the journey.
I really appreciate how you emphasized the importance of taking care of yourself. It's truly important to remember that you need to rest and keep yourself healthy, and being social is part of that! Great stuff!
Hard work always pays off! Get up early and work long hours because it's tough at first, but once you get going, it pays off!
Very inspiring - thanks for sharing this story!
Awesome story, Thomas, and huge congrats on hitting $10k/mo.
It's fascinating that you quit your job just 3 months in. My whole world right now is building a tool (Matcha Resume) to help people get in the door, so your story is a powerful reminder that the "dream job" isn't the same for everyone.
For indie hackers, the dream is often to build your own door.
Really appreciate the transparency on the revenue model and the honesty about plateauing. Inspiring stuff.
This is really inspiring, it's going to take time... but it can be done! Thanks
Really inspiring journey — especially how you leaned into variety and freedom instead of forcing yourself into a traditional path. The honesty about the ups and downs, the burnout cycles, and finding balance makes it super relatable. Hitting $10K/month with something that started as a small experiment is huge, and it’s cool to see how consistency and small iterations paid off. Excited to see where Writizzy goes next!
Inspiring story, thanks for sharing.
it’s such a refreshing reminder that success isn’t always about speed, but about patience, consistency, and balance. The part about work-life balance being strategic really stood out that mindset shift is something every indie founder eventually learns the hard way.
Also love how Uneed evolved organically from a simple playground into a real business. Proof that genuine curiosity, when paired with persistence, can grow into something sustainable. Inspiring journey , thanks for sharing it so openly!
Annie from the SoftlyWished Team
Congrats on the journey from employee to freelancer to a $10k/month product. Your story underscores the importance of honing skills and building relationships before launching your own product. It would be great to hear more about how you validated Uneed and which channels drove your first paying users. For anyone taking a similar path, freelancing in your target market can surface the problems worth solving. Keep sharing your experiences as you scale.
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