How I Kept Going When Nothing Was Working (And Why I’m Glad I Did)
Body:
Hey Indie Hackers,
I’m Julien, founder of Linkeme, a SaaS that automates social media content — from idea to visual to scheduled post.
Today, Linkeme passed $1K MRR, and users actually rely on it.
But 6 months ago… I almost quit.
Not because I ran out of time.
Not because the product was broken.
But because nothing was working.
The messy middle
I launched without a landing page → no one understood what it did.
I DM’d 20 people → 3 replied, 1 tried it, no feedback.
I posted on LinkedIn → almost no engagement.
I made product updates → no one noticed.
I tested free trials → people signed up, but didn’t use it.
It wasn’t failure.
It was silence.
And silence is brutal.
What kept me going?
1.Using the product myself
Even when no one cared, I used Linkeme to post content daily.
It saved me hours.
It worked.
And that gave me just enough motivation to keep tweaking.
2.One “yes” at a time
Every time someone replied “That looks cool” or paid €15 — I screenshotted it.
Small moments of traction = emotional fuel.
3.Treating feedback like gold
When someone finally gave real feedback (even criticism), I leaned in.
It made the product better.
And it made me feel like it mattered to someone.
Why I’m glad I didn’t stop
The silence became momentum.
I built something real, not just shiny.
Now I get messages like:
“Linkeme is saving me 6 hours a week.”
“I look like I have a marketing team now.”
And that’s everything.
If you’re in that phase:
Where it feels like you’re pushing and nothing’s moving —
You’re probably closer than you think.
Keep going. Talk to one more person.
Fix one tiny thing. Send one more message.
Sometimes traction doesn’t come in waves — it comes in whispers.
Happy to talk more if anyone’s in this same spot.
Julien
Good job ! Very inspiring.
Inspiring!!
Glad to see this! Congratulations! You are doing amazing.
Congratulations on reaching this milestone. I am also in the same silence phase as you. Hope I will achieve success.
Hey Julein,
Im Rafi, on a journey to be an accountant.
And im gonna be 100% honest with you,
I respect the story of you pushing through the brutal silence more than the product.
I’d love to work with you to manage your Ins and Outs of your money while you focus on creating something that will save people’s times.
congratulations Julien on this milestone of $1K MRR! It must feel very special, especially that you almost gave up on going forward. Your learnings are very inspiring to others who are in a similar situation and it's great to read that patience and perseverance pay off eventually. I guess in today's ever-changing world, we're so trained to expect immediate results, without appreciating the hard work and the daily grind it takes to achieve something long-lasting. I'm happy for you it paid off in the end and will give Linkeme a try!
still kinda in that space tbh. just launched KitlyHub recently — lotta work, big vision, but right now it’s mostly me whispering into the internet and hoping someone hears.
but you’re right. it’s those small moments — a reply, a DM, someone actually using your thing — that remind you it’s moving, even if slow.
appreciate this post. made the grind feel a bit less lonely.