From ten years of failed products to $10k/mo and five acquisitions

It's a great story! Greetings and blessings!

'Ten years of making $0 online.' Thank you for sharing this honest metric.

As a founder who recently burned $160k trying to reinvent the wheel in fashion-tech before finally finding traction, this is the validation I needed today. We often only see the 'overnight success' stories, but the decade of invisible grinding is the reality for most of us.

Joshua’s advice to 'Use existing business models, don't invent your own' is a hard pill to swallow, but it’s exactly the lesson I learned the hard way. Great interview.

I'm more interested in how you did the SEO, this is the most difficult part I guess

Powerful advice on targeting B2B and pricing higher ten years of $0 online is a long time, but it clearly built the grit needed for the 'micro-business' model. Looking back, do you think discovering Bubble was the turning point, or was it the shift in your networking approach?

Some projects don’t fail — they incubate.

17 years building in silence taught me this:

the world underestimates ideas, but it never outruns execution.

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Building from Brazil. Scaling for the world.

The race isn’t about starting first — it’s about executing with purpose.

Consistency beats doubt. Execution beats time. The world is next.

Beautifully put, James.

This really resonated with me. I’ve been trying to start a business for about 10–11 years now, YouTube, Shopify, Twitch, digital products, you name it. A lot of failed attempts, but a lot of learning too.

In October 2024, my partner and I finally committed to an idea and spent months building it with almost no coding experience. Somehow, we made it work😅

For the first time, it genuinely feels like this might be the one. Now the real challenge is building the community, and that’s where I’m focused.

Still going after it after 11 years. I will leave you with a quote I made a few years ago and it guides my life. "you can only fail so many times until you finally succeed" Nathan Gasior

This really resonates, especially the part about focusing more on community than tech. A lot of founders (myself included) tend to overbuild before there’s real pull. Starting with Slack + a newsletter and letting monetization emerge feels like a lesson many people skip. Also appreciate the honesty about income fluctuating $0 to $25k/mo is a reality most case studies don’t show. Great reminder that consistency and iteration matter more than “one big win.”

This is a great example of how consistency, community, and leverage beat overnight success myths. Ten years of “failure” quietly built the instincts that made no-code click. Also love the lesson: focus on people and distribution first, tech second.

Love this.

The "ten years of $0" part is something people rarely talk about, but it explains a lot. Feels like the kind of experience that makes you stop overthinking and start building what actually works.

Such great advice, especially on your lean tech stack. All power to you

This is such an inspiring journey. The thing that really stands out is the persistence—ten years of failures before a breakthrough—and the way Joshua turned each “failure” into learning that informed the next project. His approach to community-first growth is a masterclass: starting small, listening closely, and letting the business evolve naturally as the community grows.

I also love how practical his advice is—taking startup best practices seriously, building while learning, and leveraging proven business models rather than reinventing the wheel. It’s a great reminder that consistency, iteration, and understanding your users often beat chasing shiny new ideas.

Seeing someone go from $0 to multiple successful exits with simple stacks like Bubble, Stripe, and Beehiiv really underscores that you don’t need complex tech to build something valuable—you need persistence, clarity, and a deep understanding of your audience.

What an amazing experience! I think learning marketing can help many people with entrepreneurial aspirations achieve such miracles. Of course, now everyone is using an AI marketing tool called Amplift, which is said to have helped many people realize their dreams.

Hey everyone, I’m starting dropshipping and building my first store.
Anyone here doing ecommerce? I’d love to connect.

Really inspiring story. What stood out to me most is how you turned ten years of “nothing working” into a repeatable system by keeping things simple and focusing on community and content. It reminded me of when I first started building my own project — a good reminder that persistence and clear execution matter more than over-complicating things. Thanks for sharing such an honest and motivating journey.

pricing higher than you think is very interesting advice. It seems counter-intuitive somehow, but hey - if that works, that's amazing!

This is very insightful. Yet I would like to know, what would you say made you persist for so long until finally achieving success?

"This is such a refreshing and honest read! The phrase '10 years of making $0' really resonates with me. As an ex-engineer currently building my first AI product, I often fall into the trap of over-engineering the tech stack instead of focusing on the community value, just as you mentioned about wishing you had used off-the-shelf tools like Circle earlier.

Your strategy of transitioning from a manual newsletter to a Bubble-based directory for SEO purposes is brilliant. I'm currently trying to optimize SEO for my anime line art tool, but creating content manually is a grind.

I’m curious about the UGC (User Generated Content) flywheel you mentioned: In the early days, what was the main incentive for users to submit their startup details to your site? Was the promise of exposure in your newsletter enough, or did you have to manually seed the content for a long time before it became organic? Thanks for sharing your journey!"

Really loved this story — it’s one of those rare founder journeys that actually feels honest and relatable. Ten years of trying and failing before seeing any real traction is wild, and most people would’ve given up long before that. The fact that Joshua kept going says a lot.

What I personally love is how simple the path actually was once things clicked: start a community, listen, build what people ask for, and keep iterating. No huge tech stack, no crazy product launches — just showing up consistently and making something useful.

The evolution from a small Slack group into a real business is also such a cool reminder that big things often start out tiny and scrappy. And the way he turned sponsorships and user-generated content into growth is something a lot of people overlook.

Also, his advice is spot on: stop inventing new business models, charge more than you think, and focus on businesses, not consumers. Simple, but powerful if you actually follow it.

Overall, this is one of those stories that gives you motivation to keep building when nothing seems to be working yet. Super inspiring.

Excellent!

This Indie Hackers post shows how a founder turned a decade of failed projects into success — building no‑code products that reached $10K/month and led to five acquisitions.

Ten years of failed products built resilience, clarity, and real market insight. Each setback refined strategy, sharpened problem-solving, and improved customer understanding. Reaching $10K per month was not overnight success but the reward of consistency and learning. Five acquisitions later, the journey proves that persistence, adaptability, and execution turn repeated failure into scalable success.

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Congratulations on the launch and thank you sharing!

Congrats on the launch! I’m curious: did you run into any challenges with deployment?

informative content really appreciate iH

Love how you’ve blended hands-on products like dbrief and LoomFlows with deep insights through your newsletters. Looking forward to learning more from your experience!

This is an inspiring journey! A decade of interviewing founders gives you a rare perspective, and it really shows in your content. Love how you’ve blended hands-on products like dbrief and LoomFlows with deep insights through your newsletters. Looking forward to learning more from your experience!

This was a great read — super refreshing to see someone openly share a decade of “failing” before things finally clicked. It makes the later wins feel way more real and earned.

What stood out most is how simple your approach actually is: build small, ship fast, lean on community, and repeat. No fancy stack, no over-engineering — just consistency and listening to what people actually want.

Also love the reminder that communities evolve. Most people underestimate how much work it is to keep a community valuable as it scales, so hearing the behind-the-scenes shifts was really insightful.

The advice section is gold too. “Price higher than you think” is something almost every indie founder learns the hard way.

Excited to see what you build next — especially products that help people spend more time offline. That mission hits home.

The journey to success highlights the importance of perseverance and learning from mistakes after ten years of failed products. By analyzing what didn't work, iterating ideas, and understanding market needs, we eventually generated $10k per month. The success of this firm was further validated by the acquisition of five companies, demonstrating the importance of resilience, adaptability, and strategic decision-making for long-term business success. A powerful reminder that failure is a stepping stone to success.

Great success story

I need a success story. I build several techs and launching is harder than it looks

I've built something good this time. I hope it moves the way I want

incredibly inspiring

Joshua’s journey is super inspiring! Turning failures into multiple successful no-code businesses really shows the power of persistence and community. I especially love how he leveraged content and SEO to grow organically — it’s a strategy anyone can learn from.

For anyone interested in exploring web development and no-code strategies, I’ve shared some practical tips and insights on my site divireinvest

This is such a refreshing story — especially the honesty about “10 years of $0 online.” Most people only talk about the wins, not the decade of struggling before things clicked.

What really stands out is how you leaned fully into no-code at exactly the right moment. A lot of founders keep forcing themselves to code or over-engineer, but you turned your constraint into a business model: build → validate → sell → repeat.

The point about community needs changing every 6–12 months is so true. A Slack group of 100 feels intimate and active, but at 10k+ it becomes a totally different product. Curious — how did you decide when to introduce paid membership vs. sponsorships? That timing seems like a huge factor in your growth.

totally inspiring .. teaches that how not to quit before you make it Big.. Thank you for sharing this post.

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Awesome information. Learning from failures really brace us for future learning

That was an awesome share! It's so inspiring. I'm gonna follow you.

great post, how did you get these founder on the interview?

Great client to work with! Clear consistent cooperation, and always provides the needed details on time. A smooth monthly workflow — looking forward to continuing our SEO partnership.

Inspiring journey! Shows persistence, learning from failures, and strategic growth can lead to remarkable success.

A decade of “failing forward” turning into multiple exits is the most indie hacker story ever. Love how you proved community + simple stacks can scale. Super inspiring journey!

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This is a really inspiring growth story! Taking No Code Founders and Tiny Empires from simple ideas to $10K/month shows how smart execution and community-driven strategy can create real impact. Joshua Tiernan’s approach is a great example of how powerful the no-code ecosystem has become.

By the way, DNP India also features similar founder success stories and valuable updates on startups and tech trends — definitely worth checking out if you're building something in this space!

Great story, this story is exactly the reminder I needed right now. 10 years of things not working out → finally cracking it with community with simple tools. Super motivating for a solo founder like me who’s just starting the journey. Thank you for the transparency

Love this story James. Ten years of nothing working encourages many of us. Your post is a good reminder that you don’t need a huge launch just a clear niche and steady value. Thanks, your information gives me important insight! :)

Turning ten years of failed products into a business earning $10k per month and achieving five acquisitions is a powerful example of persistence and smart learning. Each failure can reveal what customers truly want, helping refine ideas and strategies. Success often comes from improving execution, understanding the market, and staying consistent. When founders keep iterating, validating, and adjusting, even long periods of setbacks can eventually lead to strong, profitable outcomes.

That's really inspiring! Shows the power in simply not giving up

Reminds me that persistence and small cycles beat having "the one idea." Congrats on the outcome!

Really inspiring to read how your journey evolved from years of failure to finally finding momentum through no-code tools. The part that stood out most is how community played a bigger role than the tech itself. It’s a great reminder that growth often comes from consistent engagement, storytelling, and understanding what people need at each stage. Your transparency about shifting business models and learning seo along the way is genuinely motivating for anyone building in the no-code space.

amazing work

Joshua’s journey is such a solid reminder that persistence pays off — ten years of “failure” before a breakthrough is inspiring. Love how he leveraged community first, letting value and connections drive growth instead of overcomplicating tech. The emphasis on content and SEO as a growth engine, combined with a simple, no-code stack, shows you don’t need complexity to succeed. His advice on using existing business models, targeting businesses, and pricing confidently is gold for any aspiring founder. Excited to see what he builds next, especially tools that give people more time offline — exactly the kind of thoughtful impact we need.

you have defined the perseverance which is the key factor in any area of life. Kudos to you!!

thank you so much for sharing

I appreciate the honesty in this post. It's not often we hear about the decade - long struggles before success. It makes the achievements even more impressive.

Thank you so much for sharing

love how your story shows that it’s not one big idea but small, consistent systems that win community, simple tools, and content that compounds. most people chase scale too early. you proved that depth > speed.

Your story is a reminder that persistence plus community focus beats everything. Really motivating read

'My business model is building and selling micro-businesses.'

This is a massive mindset shift. Instead of trying to build one massive unicorn for a decade, you cracked the code on building repeatable, sellable assets.

I also love your admission about the stack: 'If I had to start over, I would focus more heavily on community and less on tech.'

We often over-engineer the MVP. Seeing you start with just Slack and evolve into a Bubble/Stripe/Beehiiv stack is the perfect validation for keeping it lean. Inspiring breakdown, Joshua.

This is incredibly inspiring to read, thank you so much for sharing. As a solo dev currently in the trenches with my own project, it's stories like yours that provide the fuel to keep pushing through the tough days.

Love this story, thanks for sharing Joshua!

I never started a community, but when I was building my Zendesk consulting business, I found the most success by helping users of an existing community.

What's better than hearing directly form your target market?

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yeah this was great, i like it

Wow, multiple years with 0$, but then finally made it, so proud when i hear these kinda stories

yeah this was a great for me

Excellent post, I've heard a lot recently about pricing higher than what you think, but with so much competition out there, pricing higher than the successful businesses, who can price low, is a struggle in itself. Community sounds like the right approach to take. Definitely going to follow on X and LinkedIn

Great post! I always enjoy trying new free games and Rope Hero Mod APK is definitely one of the best — packed with action, missions, and an open-world experience that keeps you hooked.

Really appreciate you sharing this! Curious — what was the hardest part of building it？

Great read. Joshua’s persistence and focus on simple community-driven execution is a solid reminder that consistency beats everything. The way he turned years of trial into a repeatable system is motivating. Thanks for sharing this breakdown

but what is bubble?

I can only think of the Golang CLI framework but I doubt that should be it
thanks for your sharing you story mate

looking forward to reading more of these

“Really enjoyed this one. Joshua’s journey shows how long ‘overnight success’ actually takes. The way he kept iterating—community → newsletter → sponsorships → SEO flywheel—is a masterclass in keeping things simple and leaning on momentum. Big respect for turning years of failure into a repeatable system.”

Crazy inspiring, fam. The resilience here hits different. Most folks tap out after a couple misses, but you kept iterating until the market had no choice but to pay attention. Love the mix of storytelling, product scars, and practical game. Definitely taking notes on how you leaned into content, SEO, and community. Appreciate you sharing the blueprint.

Congrats James, those story should be an inspiration for people in the same situation as you 10 years ago.

Incredible journey! Ten years of failures transformed into $10k/month and five successful acquisitions.

Ten years of failure leading to $10k/month success.

Awesome view. As a founder struggling to get things going and generate revenue, it is awesome to see people succeed. Best of luck to you!

“Inspiring journey! Turning ten years of failed products into $10k/month and five acquisitions shows remarkable persistence.”

"Building and selling micro-businesses" as a business model is something I hadn't considered before. Most people talk about building to scale forever, but there's something appealing about the exit-focused approach from day one.

“Inspiring journey! Turning ten years of failed products into $10k/month and five acquisitions shows remarkable persistence.”

Really inspiring story. It’s cool how consistent effort, even after years of “failing,” eventually turned into multiple exits. The part about community-driven growth stood out the most for me.

“Inspiring journey! Turning ten years of failed products into $10k/month and five acquisitions shows remarkable persistence.”

Thanks for the feature James 🙏

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