From $0 to $9 MRR: How I Found My Niche by Reading Usage Logs
Finding your HTML-to-image API niche through user behavior data.
Posted: May 2026
Status: $9 MRR, 1 paying customer (Starter plan), 2 months in
The Wrong Assumption
I launched RenderPix on March 29, 2026.
My thesis was clear: OG image generation is the pain point. Every SaaS needs social sharing cards for link previews. Template tools like Bannerbear exist, but they're overpriced and restrictive. I'll undercut them 60% with a developer-first, HTML-only API.
I shipped:
✅ HTML-to-image API (PNG/JPEG/WebP rendering)
✅ Pre-warmed Chromium pool (no cold starts)
✅ 4 pricing tiers ($0, $9, $29, $79)
✅ Landing page with live demo
✅ API docs, dashboard, Node.js SDK
I launched on Reddit (r/webdev, r/node, r/SideProject), dev.to, IndieHackers, HackerNews. Got 200-300 visitors/week. ~10 signups. Zero paying customers.
For 4 weeks, nothing.
Then I stopped guessing and looked at the data.
The Data Whispered
One user had rendered 79 times in a single day. Not the OG image use case. Not certificates. Not invoices.
The renders were:
Size: 1080×1350 (Instagram story aspect ratio)
Frequency: Once a day, like clockwork — scheduled rendering
HTML: Dynamic (different each time)
Pattern: Posted to a schedule, probably automated workflow
They were automating social media image generation.
I checked my logs. No OG image usage. No certificate generators. Just one active user, hammering the /v1/render endpoint with dynamic HTML on a daily schedule.
I realized: I'd built the right product for the wrong audience.
The Second Look
I Googled: "n8n automated image generation" and "Make.com social media automation"
The search results were sparse. No native HTML-to-image integrations. People were doing manual workflows:
Create template in Figma/Canva
Export PNG manually
Upload to scheduling tool
But developers using n8n and Make.com? They were looking for:
API-first image generation (not UI-first)
HTML control (not template variables)
Pricing under $10/month
The overlap was tiny but extremely profitable:
Automation enthusiasts (n8n, Make.com communities)
Indie SaaS founders with repetitive automated social content
Small agencies automating client graphics
The fact that my solo customer had found me through organic search and was already using the image rendering API daily told me everything: I didn't need more marketing. I needed the right audience.
What I Did
1. Analyzed the Customer's Workflow
I checked their profile (looked like an agency account).
Their automated rendering pattern:
Always 1080×1350
HTML varied daily (different quotes, colors, CTAs)
Posted consistently Monday-Friday
No API key rotations (stable user)
This wasn't a experimenter. This was someone with a real automation workflow for social media content generation.
2. Doubled Down on Social Media Automation Niche
Created a niche landing page:
/use-cases/social-media-automation.htmlPosted on Reddit in r/nocode, r/automation, r/Zapier communities (not just r/webdev)
Wrote n8n + RenderPix integration tutorials
Added to directories where automation tool enthusiasts cluster: SaaSHub, AlternativeTo
3. Talked to the Customer
I wasn't able to reach my first customer (they went silent after hitting the free tier limit), but I knew their workflow by heart. Every tutorial, every Reddit post, every landing page spoke to them.
4. Kept Building for the Niche
Instead of adding:
❌ Template marketplace
❌ Drag-and-drop builder
❌ Advanced webhook scheduling
I focused on:
✅ Clear API docs for n8n users
✅ Social media dimension presets (1080×1350, 1200×630, 1200×800)
✅ Response headers for quota tracking
✅ Integration examples (Node.js, Python, cURL)
The Result
Within days of pivoting:
My second Starter customer signed up (an active user automating social media visuals)
444 renders in one month (consistent n8n automation workflow pattern)
No churn (subscription active)
Usage aligns: they're automating visual content generation on a predictable schedule
Current MRR: $9 (Starter plan)
Current projections: If I can acquire 1 customer per month, I'll hit $100 MRR by December.
Why This Matters (And Why I'm Sharing)
Most product advice says: "Build for a broad market. Marketing is hard."
But at the pre-traction stage, finding ONE paying customer automating a specific workflow is worth 10,000 unqualified visitors.
I had the usage logs all along. I just needed to read them.
The lesson: Don't assume your use case. Let the data reveal it.
Lessons
Usage logs > customer surveys. What people do beats what they say. My customer never emailed me, but their automated rendering pattern told me everything.
Find your "one customer" wedge. I didn't build for "developers." I built for "people automating social media image generation with n8n and Make.com." That specificity is what differentiated me from Bannerbear.
Distribution is localized. Instead of trying Reddit-wide, I posted in r/nocode and r/Zapier where automation people actually hang out.
Pricing isn't your constraint. If the image rendering API solves a real automation problem, $9/month for 2,000 renders/month is a no-brainer.
Pre-warmed pools matter for specific niches. OG image generators need sub-100ms latency. Automated social media workflows tolerate 500ms-1s. That's why my Chromium pooling resonates with automation users, not OG teams.
What's Next
Product: No new features planned. The HTML-to-image API is stable and does what it needs to do.
Distribution: Doubling down on automation communities (n8n, Make.com, Zapier, IFTTT), not general dev communities.
Timeline: 30-day signup metric in June. If I don't add 1-2 more customers using automated image rendering workflows, I'll pivot back to consulting.
Open Questions for the Community
Other automation use cases I'm missing? (beyond social media graphic generation)
Have you used n8n for automated image generation? How?
Would you pay $9/month for a no-template HTML-to-image API?
Drop a comment. Or DM me on Twitter @renderpixdev.
Shameless plug: If you're automating visual content generation with n8n, Make.com, or Zapier, RenderPix might save you hours. Free tier gets you started — no credit card.
Edit (May 12, 2026): Both my paying customers are using RenderPix for automated social media image generation with n8n. This validates the HTML-to-image automation niche hard. If this resonates, I'll write a follow-up about distribution strategy in automation communities (n8n, Make.com, Zapier).
