How we spent $10k on 2 failed products to then generate $100k with just Google Sheets

Nice summary Courtland, especially sticking with the same problem part.

Thanks Courtland - phrased it quite beautifully.

I would also like to mention one aspect which wasn't covered in my original thread.

I think bootstrapping our journey was also a very important part of us being able to achieve what we have.

It allowed us to be patient and at the same time frugal with our experiments. Extending your last point, if we had tons of money, I fear we might have been tempted to pivot, thinking the problem needs changing rather than the solution.

No doubt, bootstrapping is super difficult and it was. But I doubt if our journey would have been the same or even as fulfilling, otherwise.

Thanks :)

Sure - I do think that for most marketplaces that is a fair generalisation. But it probably also holds true for a variety of different startup ideas.

For e.g. Recently a friend wanted to build an app where pet parents (particularly dog parents) can store their medical records, get recommendations specific to the dog's breed, etc.

She started by trying to build an app. Personally, I think that's a mistake. I don't think she is solving her most immediate problem.

What she is fighting for at the beginning of her journey is the pet parents' attention, without which no app can succeed. Trying to achieve that while also building an app is a tall challenge. Not to mention that once she actually engages with them, she might have a very different view of how she wants the app to be or the problem she wants to solve through it.

So instead, building an audience on Instagram, a Facebook group, a newsletter with helpful tips, a website optimised for SEO keywords related to the pet industry, etc. might have been far more useful.

Once she has that, her app's chances of success increase multifold.

I think the same context can be applied across different contexts. The solution might not always be a Google Sheet, but it can certainly be a low-tech output.

Nice - congrats on your startup!

Yes, it is for Flexiple. I wouldn't call us a recruitment agency - we are a vetted tech freelance network.

We have pre-negotiated rates with freelancers and mark that up and quote that to clients. The difference is the money we make.

Thanks Harsh :)