I sold my side-project, Vibecast.
https://www.indiehackers.com/product/vibecast
As I've nearly finished handing it over to the new owner (who will keep it running as it is), and in the spirit of remaining open about Vibecast, here are some positive unintended consequences that happened from running a side hustle.
Although I can't (NDAs) breakdown the exact figures, Vibecast as a side project earned me almost £50k (around $65k) over two years split between three areas:
The sale of the licences was a complete surprise. One was a church website builder and the other for a Podcast application. Both were US companies who approached me directly after launching.
Money aside, the value that Vibecast has given and still gives me is enormous.
Constant freelance offers, which started before I launched it.
Headhunted for awesome web application projects.
A ton of consultancy work.
I'm currently building the 2021 McDonald's Monopoly website and app (using the same technology).
My next consultancy gig is for a big ticketing company, allowing users to create event landing pages.
None of the above would be possible without Vibecast.
And my next project, similar in spec but different in design and market, will be infinitely easier to create while armed with a wealth of knowledge, experience and resources. I have no doubt I'll benefit directly from Vibecast for many more years to come.
It's not all been plain sailing though, on several occasions, it almost broke me. But sometimes, bending yourself out of your comfort zone is the biggest lesson you can learn. And if what your creating was easy, everyone would be doing it.
It took a long time to build as I designed and developed it part-time while freelancing, and I had no idea what I was doing initially. Now I see Vibecast as the university degree I never had, and I will always be grateful for that.
Huge thank you to everyone close to me over the late 2010s for putting up with "The Vibecast Show" while I was building it. Your relentless ear-bashing never went unnoticed.
My first project down, and it didn't tank - thank god! Now on to the next.
And cheers to becoming a tech "thousandaire". 😂
🥂 🍾
Here's the original open letter when I put it up for sale a few months ago https://jackbarham.medium.com/vibecast-is-looking-for-a-new-owner-is-that-you-c7cb0973ba56