The journey from $0 to $10k to $0 and back to $10k MRR again

I actually saw you on YouTube and X. Thank god I got informative post from guy's like you!

These experiences are valuable, so that our latecomers can avoid many detours, thank you for sharing

This is an insane breakdown of iterative validation and pivoting—reading it feels like a masterclass in real-world SaaS experimentation.

From a copy and storytelling perspective, your narrative is gold because it combines transparency, metrics, and human experience. One subtle tweak could amplify impact even further: consider breaking down key lessons in micro-bullets for founders reading fast. For instance, “$0 → $10k MRR collapse → recovery” could be paired with a 1-line insight like “Rapid feedback beats perfect product”. It would make the story instantly actionable for someone scanning for takeaways.

Also, the high-ticket, high-touch advice is not just operational—it’s a storytelling angle for your content. Highlighting the tension of pricing “uncomfortable to say” creates a visceral reaction, which could double as a conversion tactic if applied in landing page copy or cold outreach for B2B SaaS leads.

Finally, love how you leveraged SEO + YouTube for inbound validation. From a copywriter’s lens, I’d say you could even frame landing pages around pain-to-gain storytelling, mirroring your post—people convert better when they feel the emotional journey of the founder/product.

In short: the post teaches, motivates, and subtly shows your credibility. Adding micro-actionable takeaways could make it a permanent reference for SaaS founders.

I just like that this story was different from the typical "tech success" stories from the valley. Thanks!

Really appreciate the honesty about going $0→$10k→$0. Most people skip that part.

I’ve seen the same issue with voice calls (pickup rates too low, churn too high). Text-first feels inevitable.

Curious: after the $5k dispute, did you change how you define a “qualified appointment” with clients? That’s where I always struggled.

Really inspiring, Timo. I love how you’ve been so open about both the wins and the setbacks — from the rush of going viral to rebuilding after the collapse. It shows the reality of entrepreneurship: resilience, iteration, and listening to customers matter more than the first idea.

Setter AI is such a smart pivot, and the way you validated early (even getting paid before building) is a lesson many founders can take to heart. Excited to see where you take this next — whether in B2B or back to B2C, your mix of creativity and execution clearly works. Keep going!

Wow this is super encouraging to read, I'm just starting my first SaaS and I haven't even made my first 1$ yet - seeing that you went from 0$ to 10k$ MRR, then back to 0$ and still managed to climb back is really motivating

Really appreciate your transparency, Timo. Seeing the full journey—from $0 to $10K, back to 0, and up again—is a great reminder that startup growth is never linear. Curious: what first convinced you that switching from voice to text was the right move?

Super motivating — proof that resilience beats perfection

Wow, Truly inspiring

loved it

Hi, I’m Jithu, building Clospect - Revenue Inbox AI.Most SaaS founders miss demo requests and pricing inquiries because they get buried in inbox chaos. The data is clear — replying within 5 minutes makes a lead 21× more likely to convert, but the average SaaS response time is 42 hours. That’s lost revenue.Revenue Inbox AI connects to Gmail/Outlook, auto-categorizes emails, and sends instant Slack/Telegram alerts so you never miss a lead again.

Great

The MRR rollercoaster is the headline, but the real story here is the meta-skill: you're operating less like a founder and more like a portfolio manager for your own ideas.

Every move feels like calculated de-risking. The $500 pre-payment wasn't for revenue; it was to buy validation data. The pivot from voice wasn't a failure; it was cutting a losing asset before it wiped you out. It’s a masterclass in building with evidence, not just hope.

This makes me wonder: how do you balance this hyper-rational validation process with the irrational belief sometimes needed to see a big vision through?

Setter AI isn't available in my country [ India ] 😮‍💨

Super inspiring story, Timo 🙌. I really like how you validated Setter AI with just a simple landing page and calls. It shows how important quick execution is.

I’ve been experimenting in a totally different niche, mobile gaming, and SEO has also been my main channel. For example, I run shadowfite2.comwhere I test growth strategies around game mods and downloads. It’s crazy how much traffic consistency SEO can drive when paired with the right content angle.

Curious, do you think your playbook of SEO, YouTube and high-ticket closing can also work in niches outside B2B SaaS?

This resonates deeply as someone currently navigating the validation phase with a productivity app. Three aspects of your journey particularly stood out:

Validation before code: Getting that $500 payment before ANY solution existed is exactly the conviction most of us lack. I'm wrestling with this right now - I had massive problem validation (500+ upvotes on r/productivity for manual energy tracking) but zero solution demand. Your approach of literally charging first cuts through all the self-deception around "people will pay when it's built."

The collapse and rebuild: Most founders only share the hockey stick. Your transparency about the $10k→$0 drop is valuable context - it wasn't just tech issues but fundamental model problems (voice reliability, churn). The decision to pivot from voice to text based on pickup rates alone shows real customer-first thinking vs attachment to original vision.

High-ticket early approach: This challenges conventional SaaS wisdom about starting low and scaling up. Your $4k setup + $1k recurring makes every lead count while you're figuring things out. For those of us without massive traffic, this is probably more realistic than trying to convert hundreds of $10/month users.

Quick question on the SEO approach - when you say you used backlinks from your existing high-DA site, was this the primary factor in ranking that simple Webflow page, or did you layer in other SEO tactics? Asking because I'm seeing similar challenges getting initial traction for landing pages in competitive spaces.

The validation → payment → build sequence you followed with Setter seems like the exact opposite of most failed products that build first and hope for customers later.

Wow, many more success to you

Wild journey, Timo — love how you turned early hype into something with real legs. As someone who’s been building and coding for almost a decade, two things stood out to me:

• Validation before code: charging $500 before you even had a solution built is exactly the kind of conviction I wish I’d had earlier in my career. Most of us over-engineer before testing demand.

• High-ticket/high-touch first: I’ve lived the pain of low-ticket SaaS → constant churn treadmill. Your $4k setup + $1k recurring approach resonates — makes every lead count while buying time to refine.

A couple of questions I’d love your take on:

1. When you collapsed from $10k MRR → $0, what was the single retention signal that helped you realize text > voice? (Feature usage, churn calls, or just gut from conversations?)

2. On the SEO front — was it really just leveraging DR from your existing site, or did you also layer cold outreach/guest posting to accelerate?

3. Looking back, if you were starting Setter 2.0 today, would you still go SEO + YouTube first, or would you test something more direct like outbound + paid?

Big respect for sharing the raw ups and downs. Most people only post the hockey-stick. This feels like the real SaaS founder grind. 🚀

I'm creating something similar, a startup focused on prompts for any AI. I'm using Notion testing board for every cold test that can work for users (subject A/B → F1 → F2). If anyone want the template, I can share the duplicate link.

Timo, your journey really resonates with my experience launching a loyalty card app. Like you, I learned that validation beats perfection - we got our first 10k downloads before building advanced features. Your pivot from voice to text mirrors what happened with our app - we started with complex gamification but users just wanted simple points tracking. The $500 pre-payment validation is brilliant. When we launched, I made the mistake of building for months without payment validation. Your high-ticket B2B approach is smart - we stayed B2C but should've considered enterprise loyalty solutions earlier. The resilience to rebuild after hitting $0 is what separates real entrepreneurs from hobbyists. Question: Did the $5k dispute teach you specific lessons about defining "qualified leads" upfront? That's been crucial for our app's merchant partnerships.

Wow man, this is inspiring.

Yesterday I got an IH account, because I wanted to learn some things about IA, SaaS and you got me here.

I'm a developer, and am not at your level at all, but i’ve been trying to build stuff for a while, always second guessing myself or thinking “it’s not good enough yet”.

I finally launched something last week and even if it’s small, it felt big to me.

What you said about charging high-ticket and making uncomfortable moves... really made me think. appreciate you sharing all this, honestly!

The $0→$10k→$0→$10k journey is such a powerful reminder that failure isn't the end - it's often the beginning of something better. Your pivot from voice to text was brilliant - you're absolutely right that phone pickup rates are abysmal now. The $500 pre-payment validation strategy is gold - it's so much more honest than waitlists that never convert. I love how you used existing domain authority to bootstrap Setter AI's SEO. The high-ticket, high-touch approach in early SaaS is undervalued - much better to have fewer high-value customers than chase volume initially. Thanks for sharing both the wins AND the rebuild process!

Nowadays, there are more and more AI products. Reading this article really touched me deeply. I am currently helping a BruhsO AI toothbrush, and I am looking forward to going global. Currently, I am full of energy and I also welcome everyone to experience our toothbrush!

Wow, what a journey! Timo’s story really shows the ups and downs of building a business, learning from failures, and finding success by listening to real customer needs.

Tried by fire... Thanks for sharing your amazing journey. It really helps to shift the mindset towards how we view offers.

Timo, this was an incredibly insightful and authentic read. Your ability to validate Setter AI with just a landing page and a $500 prepayment is a masterclass in lean execution. The pivot from voice to text automation based on real user feedback shows true product intuition. I especially appreciate your SEO + YouTube inbound strategy — it’s a reminder that sustainable growth often comes from compounding simple, effective channels. As someone building in the AI automation space, your journey is both inspiring and instructive. Thanks for sharing the full arc — not just the wins, but the rebuild too. 🙌

I love it especially the part "But we didn't want to spend lots of time building without validation. So, I got on a call with a lead and convinced him to wire us $500 without ANY solution existing."
this is so true. validate your idea first and then build it

it was a good read

This is such an authentic entrepreneurial story, Timo. Your transparency about the complete collapse to $0 and then rebuilding back to $10k MRR is refreshing - most founders only share the highlights. I particularly resonated with your decision to pivot from voice to text automation when the technology wasn't reliable enough. I went through a similar experience with an AI customer service chatbot where we had to completely rethink our approach after initial customer feedback showed we were solving the wrong problem. Your validation strategy of getting a $500 payment before building anything is brilliant lean startup execution. Thanks for the honest breakdown of the ups and downs!

Really an inspiring journey and even the courage to get back up and get the rubber hit the road. This is a true fuel. I hope to reach here one day. I will for sure.

Timo, this was raw and real. From skipping the corporate path to scaling, collapsing, and rebuilding—your journey shows what founder resilience really looks like. I’m building White Waters Sentinel, a civic tech platform for pipeline security in Nigeria. Bootstrapped, live, and mission-driven. Your story reminds me that setbacks aren’t failure—they’re fuel. Respect.

Great story. Happy to see that we are using a very similar tech stack!

This is an awesome story. Very inspiring. I had a small doubt on your Whatsapp interface. How are you integrating with WhatsApp. Could you give us some idea.

Really inspiring journey, Timo. Love how you pivoted quickly when the tech around phone calls wasn’t working out. That openness to listen to customers and adjust is probably what saved Setter AI. Props for being transparent about the ups and downsmost people only talk about the highlight reel.

Your SEO + YouTube playbook makes total sense.
I’ve been experimenting with Reddit + X as inbound, but I can see how having one strong owned channel def compounds... I just need the mental space to try YouTube. It feels like the right place to be for my platform.

wow that's awesome man!

What an inspiring journey, Timo! Love how you’ve navigated pivots, failures, and wins while doubling down on SEO + content as growth engines. Huge respect for the persistence and clarity of focus Setter AI sounds like just the start of something much bigger.

Good to hear your pivot story

Really enjoyed your honest journey, you turned collapse into comeback beautifully. The lean validation, customer focus and smart pivots are lessons all founders should absorb. Thanks for sharing!

very informative

Good！

We were born to be creative and think. Hence us who create valuable tools. Tend to think outside the box as we provide value and benefit rather than doing what we weren't supposed to do to start with.

I went from 0 to 23k in 14 days lol. By offering PDR lvl prompts that no-code app builders can use to go from idea to product in just a few steps. https://basemvp.forgebaseai.com/

Love how you turned setbacks into a growth engine by pivoting quickly and validating with lean experiments. The SEO + long-form video loop is a smart, sustainable strategy. Curious, what’s been the single strongest retention signal you’ve noticed since the comeback?

Loved this arc, Timo; the voice → text pivot, the collapse, then rebuilding Setter back past $10k MRR is a masterclass in listening to customers and tightening the wedge.

The fast validation stood out too: a bare-bones Webflow page that pulled 30+ calls from SEO and even a $500 pre-product wire; that’s elite signal before code.

And the distribution is clean: SEO + long-form YouTube feeding either self-serve or a “book a call,” with high-ticket, high-touch closes early on.

Curious: what single activation best predicts retention for Setter, first booked appointment, a threshold of leads contacted, or first manager “this saved me time” moment?

P.S. I’m with Buzz, we ship conversion-focused Webflow sites and pragmatic SEO for product launches. Happy to share a quick 10-point GTM checklist if useful.

Thanks for sharing your journey from $0 to $10k MRR and back. I found the part about spotting problems and opportunities really interesting and inspiring for my own startup ideas.

Really inspiring journey, Timo. Loved how you turned challenges into opportunities and kept iterating until you found what works

Incredible journey, Timo . Love how you validated Setter AI so quickly with SEO and simple landing pages proof that speed + customer feedback beats overbuilding. The high-ticket, high-touch approach is gold for early B2B SaaS founders. Excited to see what you build next in B2C!

This is an amazing post. apart from tiktok, did you use any other platforms to promote the first time?

This post tells the story of Timo going from 0 to 10K MRR, dropping back to 0, and then climbing back to 10K—a journey full of setbacks and lessons learned. I was really inspired by how he used fast validation and flexible iteration to pivot his product the right way.

As an indie developer, I’m also constantly refining my project photocollagemaker.io, an online photo collage tool. We pay close attention to user feedback and keep improving the experience. Timo’s journey is a great reminder that success isn’t just about tech—it’s about understanding your users and staying sharp on market changes.

What a trip, Timo! Love how you turned setbacks into steps. The way you combined content, SEO, and high-ticket B2B to recreate Setter is impressive — serious SaaS playbook material.

This story is incredibly inspiring—from sparking virality with Jinni AI to hitting $10K MRR again with Setter AI after a collapse. A few things really stood out:

• Minimalist validation is powerful. A simple Webflow landing page + $500 prepayment from a lead effectively launched Setter AI. That’s lean, smart entrepreneurship right there.

• High-ticket, high-touch works. Switching from <$6 to enterprise pricing and using calls as the closing mechanism isn’t flashy—but it’s effective and sustainable.

• Inbound strategy that scales. SEO backed by your own domain authority remains a killer channel, and doubling down with long-form YouTube content gives a smart 1–2 punch.

A question for you: TikTok clearly gave Jinni its moment. Do you think short-form content still holds that kind of potential for SaaS founders today—especially in B2C—or has the window shifted toward long-form like YouTube and SEO?

ChatGPT said:

Timo’s journey with Setter AI shows how fast pivots, validation, and high-ticket offers can rebuild momentum after setbacks. It’s a reminder that with the right strategy, you can turn $0 back into $10k MRR—just like how businesses reinvent themselves with smart upgrades, whether in SaaS or in real-world transformations like

Guys, how do you make viral TikTok videos for your products?

okay good

This was really motivating thank you

Your journey highlights the true entrepreneurial spirit—embracing ups and downs while staying adaptable. What new challenges or opportunities in B2C excite you most ?

But generally I have heard B2B market is lucrative thatn B2C in SaaS. Don't you think so?

That's good

I guess the road is with ups and downs... but at the end, the feeling you have of accomplishment, I hope one day I can feel it too. Awesome!!

I sympathize with your description of the fear of paying salaries in the agency model. We pay salaries on the first day of every month, so each month starts with a large deficit.

Very inspiring, SEO is best, you have any SEO advices ?

That's really impressive. Your use of SEO is amazing. I was wondering if you would have the chance to share some more SEO tips with us. Thank you so much!

good one buddy

great

Wild how fast his story swings between extremes. From $55k/mo agency to $0, then back up with SaaS. That pivot from calls to text makes total sense though, nobody answers unknown numbers anymore

Timo’s journey is really inspiring! Starting over, spotting opportunities, and going viral shows the power of persistence and smart decision-making. While building and scaling a business, maintaining focus and clarity is equally important. Reciting Surah Yaseen can help bring peace and mental clarity during stressful or high-pressure periods.

This was such a refreshing read, Timo — thanks for breaking it down so honestly.

A few things really stood out to me:

• How you didn’t just ride the viral TikTok wave with Jinni, but then transitioned into a more defensible SaaS model with Setter.

• The fact that you actually rebuilt after the $10k → $0 collapse. Most people would have given up there.

• Your playbook of SEO + YouTube inbound is super actionable — love how simple but effective it is.

One thing I’m curious about: you clearly used TikTok to spark Jinni’s viral moment. Do you think TikTok (or short-form content in general) still has the same potential for a new SaaS founder today, especially on the B2C side? Or has it shifted to more of a “right timing, right idea” kind of luck?

Would love to hear your take on whether TikTok is still worth doubling down on, or if you’d lean more into YouTube/SEO for a fresh start.

Enjoyed reading this. Love the simplicity of the landing page for validation.

Inspirational article! Thanks for sharing

Excited to see where Setter AI goes next..

Honestly, this is aawesome and really inspiring.

Really inspiring, Timo! Your resilience from agency to AI SaaS, validating with SEO, demo calls, and a $500 pre-payment shows how smart validation and pivoting can rebuild MRR. Excited for Setter AI's next chapter!

Really inspiring journey, Timo! 🚀 Love how you went from agency work to SaaS, failed fast, pivoted, and bounced back stronger. The part about validating Setter AI with a simple landing page + \$500 prepayment was gold — pure proof that execution beats ideas. Excited to see where you take this next!

Every piece of this story proves that both the wins and losses are learning experiences providing clarity and momentum into the next phase of your journey. Love the lessons!

Really inspiring journey, Timo 👏. The bounce back from $0 to $10k MRR shows resilience. I noticed you leaned heavily on SEO + YouTube — do you think that’s still the best growth channel for SaaS today, or would you diversify earlier if you started again?

Wow, this is incredibly inspiring, Timo. The way you leaned into validation before building Setter AI deeply resonates. At xMap, we’re building an AI-powered mapping platform that helps teams decide where to growfranchises, EV infra, retail, etc. and we’ve also learned the hard way that velocity without customer input leads to wasted cycles.

Loved your SEO + YouTube combo, reminded me we need to double down on organic again.

Thanks for sharing your playbook 🙌

James, If you had to start over today, what would you do differently?

I'm creating something similar, a startup focused on prompts for any AI. I'm using Notion testing board for every cold test that can work for users (subject A/B → F1 → F2). If anyone want the template, I can share the duplicate link.