Growing an MVP-building service to ~$15k/mo

While Manoj Ahirwar built side projects, people kept asking him how they should turn their ideas into MVPs. So Manoj quit his job and started offering it as a service — while building his own MVPs at the same time.

Now, UniqueSide is bringing in between $10k and $20k per month.

Here's Manoj on how he did it. 👇

Going all in

I launched my first mobile app in 2015. I wanted to do it full-time, but as a fresh graduate in 2017, I could not go all in. So, I began my professional career and launched side products in my free time.

During that time, many people asked me how to turn their ideas into products. They didn't know how to build a complete product they could launch to acquire customers and generate revenue. So, I guided them, suggesting their next steps after coming up with the idea. That's where the idea for UniqueSide — an MVP-focused software development company — came from.

It brewed in my mind for a long time. Then, in 2023, I decided it was now or never. So I said F**K it and went for it. I left my job to pursue indie hacking full time.

UniqueSide gets most of my attention and it brings in $10-$20k per month. But I am also working on my SaaS, UseArticle.com, which I launched last year. It's currently at about $300 MRR.

The best tech stack for MVPs

My current tech stack includes NextJS, Postgres, Supabase, and TypeScript. I also use Python for specific projects.

I chose NextJS and Supabase because they consolidate everything. NextJS allows me to combine frontend and backend. Supabase provides my database and user authentication in one place.

I believe this is the best tech stack for a product's initial phase. However, as a product's traffic and resource needs grow, it's a good idea to cut operational costs by looking for more scalable solutions, such as deployment on VPS and moving to other services.

Your price must increase as you grow

UniqueSide primarily charges founders to build an MVP. Our charges depend on the MVP's scope, but it's usually around $8k right now. I only charged $3k for our first couple of projects, but as we've grown, so has our pricing.

And that's important: Growth necessitates price increases.

From there, most customers continue working with UniqueSide long-term after we launch their MVPs, which sustain and grow revenue.

Diversifying growth channels

Before UniqueSide, I launched multiple apps and SaaS. Most failed. I thought users would come if I built a perfect product, so I built them in private and did no marketing.

I was completely wrong.

Now, when I build an initial product, I market from the very beginning and focus on a handful of features. I only add more features later, based on user feedback.

UniqueSide's initial customers came from Twitter. And that's still our main channel. I share everything I do and build products in public. I share my ups and downs, revenue growth, and product shutdown stories. This lets people know what I am working on.

Done right, a personal brand is a huge help with both short-term and long-term growth.

But relying on just one customer channel is not enough. And the Twitter Algorithm is now unreliable. It seems random most of the time. So, I've diversified my sources a bit, including LinkedIn, Reddit, and organic traffic via blogs and free tools.

Adding relevant free tools is one of my favorites. I recommend it. This will definitely increase your organic traffic.

Avoid over-engineering

Here's my advice:

• Build your personal brand. Share your journey on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Reddit. People should know who you are.

• Avoid over-engineering the initial product. Many people become indie hackers after working in the professional software industry and follow the same pattern for their side projects. That's wrong. Building a solid tech product is good, but it can become over-engineered without you realizing it. Launch a base version. Get users and revenue. Then, add features and improvements as you go.

What's next?

My goal is to have one SaaS that makes at least $10K in MRR.

UniqueSide has already reached that goal, but UniqueSide is still a service-based business and requires a lot of my time. I'd like to grow it more so I don't have to be involved all the time in every stage.

I share my journey and activities on Twitter. I also share updates on LinkedIn. And to learn more about UniqueSide, visit UniqueSide.io