Founder stories
$1K MRRin 1 month
From Product Hunt employee to building and selling Makerpad
Founder
Ben Tossell
Solo Founder•Non-technical•USA
Commitment
Full-timeExperience
ExperiencedProduct
Learn to build software without code. Tutorials and community for no-code builders.
Type
Info ProductIndustry
Developer ToolsModel
One-time PaymentMarketing Strategy
How Ben acquired customers
Primary Channel
Twitter / X
Also Used
CommunitiesProduct Hunt
Tech Stack
Tools used to build Makerpad
WebflowMemberstackAirtableZapier
The Full Story
After leaving Product Hunt, I wanted to teach people how to build without code - the skills I had learned myself.
The Launch
I launched Makerpad in January 2019 with a simple membership model. $99/year for access to tutorials on building with no-code tools like Zapier, Airtable, and Webflow.
Quick Traction
Within 30 days, I hit $1K MRR. The no-code movement was growing, and I was one of the first to create structured education around it. Building in public on Twitter helped drive early signups.
The Exit
In 2020, Zapier acquired Makerpad. The whole journey from launch to exit was less than 2 years.
- Launch to $1K MRR: 30 days
- Launch to acquisition: ~18 months
- Exit to Zapier: 2020
Key Takeaways
1
Being early to a trend can accelerate everything
2
Non-technical founders can build successful education businesses
3
Building in public creates accountability and customers
4
Community + content is a powerful combination
Originally published onIndie Hackers
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Ben's Path to $1K MRRPremium
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
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