Growing a template portfolio to $30k/mo
Anatolii Dmitrienko traded his 9-to-5 for the world of freelancing. It took a decade of client work before he realized exactly what he wanted to build.
Now, his Framer-template business, Templifica, is bringing in $30k/mo.
Here's Anatolii on how he did it. 👇
Career insurance
I started in a small agency after university as a web designer. Two years there gave me a solid base, but I wanted to escape the 9-to-5 cycle and stop trading time for money. I wanted to build something that worked on my terms and generated value even when I wasn't working.
I also wanted career insurance. An audience provides the only real job security these days, so building this business created a safety net for me. Now, I know that no matter what happens to the market, I own a distribution channel that I can take with me anywhere.
So, I shifted to freelancing for more control over my work. For almost a decade, I took on client projects, improved my design skills, and explored different fields.
And currently, I spend most of my time on Templifica — I create Framer website templates for agencies/creators and sometimes partner with other creators. My revenue hovers around $30k/mo. That comes from a mix of one-time template purchases and the Framer affiliate program — approximately 70% from template sales and 30% from partner rewards.
Even with this financial stability, running a business is still a constant hustle. Some days remain chaotic, but the work itself feels far more meaningful than anything I was doing before.
Getting started
I started with zero knowledge of Framer. I spent a few weeks learning the tool by reverse-engineering free templates and studying their construction.
My first product was a free portfolio template. Building it took around two weeks, and I kept it simple. I quickly understood that people care more about a clear structure and a design that solves a specific problem than about overly complex designs.
I use the simplest tech stack possible: just Framer and Figma. Though, you can often skip Figma entirely and design everything directly inside Framer.
Then, I use LemonSqueezy/Polar to process payments.
Quick success
It took me three months and two templates to finally break the $1k mark. After that, things moved fast.
Every new launch nearly doubled my revenue month over month. My biggest hit is Fabrica — that template alone has generated over $100k.
My success largely comes down to design and animation. I have a strong background there, and I also learned development and prototyping. That combination allows me to build structures that make sense for specific niches. I focus on creating universal blocks so small businesses can easily customize everything and launch quickly without spending a fortune.
The challenge is the opportunity
I usually decide what template to build based on the audience. Right now, Framer users are mostly designers and tech professionals, so the biggest demand is always for portfolios and agency sites.
However, a major problem exists. That niche is incredibly overcrowded. The intense competition means your work must be head and shoulders above existing options to stay relevant. Otherwise, thousands of other invisible templates will simply bury it.
I usually say tough competition makes the market worth joining. The high quality bar naturally filters out people who show up for a month and disappear. If you stick with it and keep sharpening your design skills, you get a real chance to stand out and build something that earns money.
The challenge is the opportunity.
A straight-forward business model
My business model is intentionally straightforward: I sell Framer templates and my revenue grows almost linearly with the number of templates I ship. No subscriptions, just one-time purchases of individual templates.
I also added a lifetime pass that gives access to all my templates, partner templates, and every future release. This option brings more stability, as some customers prefer a single purchase instead of buying items one at a time.
I closely observe how a new Framer user would interact with each layout and I make every section easy to understand and straightforward to customize, assuming the user has no prior experience. That choice has helped significantly because users who try the free version later return and buy my paid templates once they find the workflow comfortable.
Other than that, there’s no magic spike or secret hack: When I publish more high‑quality templates, the catalog gets stronger, more people find something that fits them, and overall revenue curves up with it.
The value of a personal brand
I had zero social media experience when I started. I had never actively managed a personal account, so I learned the rules from the ground up. I realized quickly that I couldn't just build quietly anymore. Personal branding and product quality are inseparable links of the same chain — clients trust the product more when they see the person behind it, and that trust drives sales.
I followed a strict strategy to gain my first 500 followers. I didn't just broadcast my work; I first engaged with the community and commented on other creators' posts to build connections.
And building in public on X quickly became my main growth channel.
Beyond social media, I diversified my traffic sources.
Traffic from the Framer marketplace plays a huge role in my sales.
I listed my templates on marketplaces like UI8 and Awwwards for extra exposure. A single backlink from those platforms can drive thousands of visitors.
It was never one big viral moment, but a consistent effort to get eyes on my work from every angle.
If I started over, I would post my work and build my social media presence much earlier. For ten years, I worked in silence, and I accomplished more in just three months of building in public than in that entire decade.
And it wasn't just about the revenue. I connected with a huge number of incredible designers and creators. Plus, I still receive regular job offers because of that visibility. It is hard to overestimate the value of a personal brand.
Experiment constantly
Remember that progress is rarely a straight line. For almost ten years, I felt completely stuck: My income stayed around $2k a month, and I never felt proud of the work I was doing. I believed I had the skills to build something of my own, yet every time I tried to take that step, something held me back.
Constant experimentation helped me in the long run. I kept trying to leave design and jump into something completely different. At different points, I studied 3D, animation, programming, marketing, even music production, just because I felt like it. I’d get excited, hit a wall, give up, and return to design because it paid the bills. A few months later, I’d try something new again. It felt chaotic and frustrating, but I kept learning without noticing it.
Ten years later, it finally clicked. I found the niche that fit me perfectly, and all those scattered skills suddenly made sense and became useful to a much larger audience. This work's structure suits me well: I can switch between tasks all day (design, building, marketing, newsletters) and never get bored. It turned out to be the ideal setup for how my brain works.
So, my main advice is simple: Don’t be afraid to try things, even if they look unrelated or impractical. Life rarely works out perfectly on the first try, and most attempts won’t work. You might fail ninety-nine times, but on the hundredth attempt, you may find the thing that fits.
And when you do, it doesn’t just pay the bills, it finally makes you understand why you never quite fit anywhere else.
What's next?
I’m a big fan of automation. The idea of decoupling my time from my income has always sounded incredibly appealing. Over time, I’ve built a system that does that, and my next step is to move up a level, hire a small team, and focus on managing the process instead of being the process.
You can follow along on my X/Twitter. I've been very active there and documented every step from zero, so if you’re curious about the process, you can scroll back and see the whole journey.
Also, you'll find a large pinned post on how to get started with Framer templates and why it's a good decision for designers in 2025.
To see what all of this eventually became, you can also visit my website, templifica.com.
Leave a Comment
Love Anatolii’s story. The part that stood out most is how long he operated before finding the exact niche that clicked. A lot of founders underestimate how valuable those “wandering years” really are… but they’re usually where the stack of skills quietly forms.
What also resonates is how simple his business model is. High-quality output + a clear niche + consistency = $30k/mo. No magic, no viral moment. Just compounding execution.
Something he mentioned about removing friction really hit home for me. In my world, I’m seeing the same pattern: if you lower the barrier for people to get started, adoption explodes. We’ve been experimenting with a $1 activation model for operations support, and the psychology mirrors exactly what Anatolii experienced AND once people see value, the relationship grows naturally.
Huge respect for this level of focus and consistency. It’s a great reminder that simple businesses executed well can outperform complicated ones every time.
I came across your story at the perfect time. I just started my solopreneur journey and your success story gives me hope.
I come from a marketing background, not engineering. But I recently helped a friend set up a Framer site for his gym and it gave me the confidence that I can do the same for others since it needs very little coding. After sitting with it for a while, I decided to take the template selling route, though I have not listed anything yet.
If you have any suggestions for someone starting fresh, I would appreciate it.
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Love reading this — it’s inspiring to see how all those years of experimenting and learning finally came together. Templifica feels like the perfect fit for you, and it’s a great reminder to keep trying and building in public.
love how this shows the real grind behind a template business most people only see the revenue screenshot not the ten years of skill compounding the part that stood out for me is how he built a simple repeatable system and let distribution do the heavy lifting its a good reminder that momentum comes from shipping consistently not chasing hacks.
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Really inspiring journey! if i want to do same where should i get started from?
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Really inspiring journey! Loved how you turned years of client work into a scalable product business. The consistency, experimentation, and focus on building in public really stand out. Thanks for sharing such a detailed breakdown — lots of great lessons here for anyone starting out.
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This is insanely inspiring to read — I just launched my first digital product and I'm very much in that “early days, tiny audience, figuring everything out” stage.
Hearing how long it took before things really clicked for you is oddly comforting. It’s easy to feel behind when you’re starting out, but your story makes the long game feel a lot more realistic (and worth it).
Really appreciate the transparency about competition and personal branding too. As someone who’s only recently started building in public, it’s encouraging to see how consistency compounds.
Thanks for sharing all of this — it gave me a big boost to keep going.
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I wanted to escape the 9 to 5 and stop trading time for money. I started learning Framer by reverse-engineering templates and built my first simple portfolio. My business model is straightforward. I sell templates with optional lifetime access. I focus on quality and building in public to earn trust and visibility.
Years of experimenting with design, animation, and programming finally paid off when I found the niche that fits me. Now I automate processes and plan to grow a small team. The key lesson is to keep experimenting, ship consistently, and stay visible.
Incredible journey! Turning years of experimentation into a $30k/mo template business shows the power of consistency, design skill, and building in public. As I’m building Sketchready[dot]com, I see how empowering creators with simple, accessible design tools can make a huge difference. Excited to see what’s next!
Love this journey. Ten years of client work looks slow from the outside, but it built the exact skill stack you needed for Templifica to take off. Framer + strong design + building in public is a powerful combo, and the “simple business model = linear growth” lesson is gold. No hacks, just consistent shipping and a personal brand that creates its own safety net. Thanks for sharing the real path behind $30k/mo.
Incredible journey — I love how you turned a decade of experimentation into a system that finally fits your strengths. Templifica is a great example of combining design skill, product intuition, and audience understanding. The focus on simple, high-quality templates, consistent visibility, and building in public really shows how thoughtful execution beats “tricks” or hacks. Excited to see where the automation and team-building next steps take you — this is the kind of story that inspires other creators to stick with it and iterate.
resilience is a key in the business world
and you truly showed how tough you are to show up and do the work
congrats on you mate and remarkable revenue indeed
keep it up... all the best
'I wanted to escape the 9-to-5 cycle and stop trading time for money.'
That shift from selling hours to selling assets (templates) is the holy grail for designers.
What stood out to me was your point on 'Career Insurance.' In 2025, an audience and a distribution channel are the only real safety net.
The fact that you accomplished more in 3 months of building in public than in a decade of silence is the ultimate validation for personal branding. Incredible pivot, Anatolii.
I personnaly know him on X. Today impressed by this case study. Well done Anatolii Dmitrienko.
Really inspirational! I started studying web design last year just so I can dive into the template world.
Now I'm running FreeWebsiteThemes.com, ServiceThemes.com, and HelpThemes.com!