How We Built an Instagram Tool in 15 Days—and Turned Down $85,000

Hi Indie Hackers! 👋

Long time no see—my last post here was a while ago (mid-July), but I’m back with an exciting story to share guys!!!

I’m one of the creators behind Gramlab.io—a tool designed to help creators and brands grow their Instagram accounts using the Close Friends feature.

Today, I want to share our launch story, in case it inspires you or helps you stay motivated on your own journey as IndieBuilders. 🎉

Two weeks after launching, we received a $85,000 offer to sell Gramlab.

And we said No.

Here’s the full story of how we built Gramlab so quickly, the strategies that worked for us, and why we decided to bet on the long-term potential of the product. 🚀

The Inspiration: Why Close Friends?
🧙‍♂️ This all started with a voice note. Maxime, a friend, and Instagram growth expert sent me a quick message: "What if we built a tool that automates Instagram’s Close Friends feature for creators? It’s an untapped strategy to boost story views and engagement."

He was onto something.

Instagram’s Close Friends feature is a hidden gem for growing engagement. Stories shared with Close Friends get priority placement in the feed, showing up with a green ring that screams VIP access.

🧪 The results?

• 5–10x more story views
• Stronger audience connections
• Higher conversions

💫 Big names like Billie Eilish proved the strategy’s power. In December 2020, she used Close Friends to engage her 120 million followers, strengthening her bond with fans and driving massive engagement. (Read more about her strategy here.)

But here’s the catch: manually adding thousands—or millions—of followers to Close Friends is a nightmare. That’s where Gramlab comes in: it automates the process, saving users hundreds of hours.

🛠️ Building Gramlab in 15 Days
After Maxime pitched the idea, we jumped into action. The mission? Build a working MVP in 15 days flat.

🗓️ By December 23, the MVP was ready. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked—and we were ready to launch.

🧨 Launch Day: December 26
We launched Gramlab the day after Christmas. No fancy campaigns or big marketing budgets—just a simple announcement to our networks.

The Results - In the first 10 days:
✅ 250+ signups
✅ 85 paying users
✅ $5,000 revenue
✅ 1M+ followers added to Close Friends lists

The feedback was incredible. Users were reporting 5–10x increases in story views, stronger engagement, and more sales.

=====>>>>> Two weeks later, we got a WhatsApp message

"We’d like to acquire Gramlab for $85,000. Everything included (Brand + Tech)."

For something we built in just 15 days, the offer was tempting. But we believed the product had way more potential. So, after a quick team discussion, we decided to turn it down ⛔️

Why We Said No????

Here’s why we declined the offer:
📈 Traction Proved Demand: A 30%+ conversion rate and $5,000 in revenue after 10 days showed that people loved the product.
🌍 The Market Is Huge: Instagram growth tools are in demand, and Gramlab solves a unique pain point.
🧠 The Vision Is Big: We see Gramlab as more than a tool—it’s a service that creators and brands can rely on to grow their accounts.

💸 How did We Distribute Gramlab during those first days? In fact, Getting those 250+ signups wasn’t random. Here’s how we got our first users:

1️⃣ Telegram Groups of Infopreneurs: We shared Gramlab in Telegram communities filled with creators and entrepreneurs looking for Instagram growth hacks.

2️⃣ Affiliate Program with 30% Rev Share: We launched a generous affiliate program, and marketers were quick to promote the tool to their audiences.

3️⃣ SEO Targeting: We focused on keywords like "close friends automation" and "boost Instagram story views." This brought in organic traffic and positioned us as a leader in the niche.

4️⃣Mass Instagram DMs: We targeted accounts with link-in-bio setups (e.g., Linktree) to find creators using Instagram for business. These users immediately saw the value of Gramlab.

What’s Next for Gramlab.io?
We’re just getting started 🚀

Would You Have Taken the $85,000? If you were in our shoes, would you have taken the offer? Or would you bet on the long-term potential like we did?

Let me know in the comments 🔥