Founder stories
$10K MRRin 3 years
2 milestones
Copywriter Spots SEO Demand, Builds $30K/Month Content Agency
Founder
DS
Derryck Strachan
Solo Founder•Non-technical•UK
Commitment
Full-timeExperience
First-timeProduct
Content agency providing SEO-optimized copywriting services for businesses.
Type
Agency / ServiceIndustry
MarketingModel
HybridMarketing Strategy
How Derryck acquired customers
Primary Channel
Paid Ads
Also Used
SEO / Content
Tech Stack
Tools used to build Big Star Copywriting
Google AdsWordPressSEO tools
The Full Story
TL;DR
Derryck recognized the growing demand for SEO content and built Big Star Copywriting to $30K/month, surviving the 2008 crash.
Derryck Strachan started his business after realizing the rapidly growing demand for SEO content. He initially set up a basic website and ran PPC campaigns to attract clients.
Timing the Market
Derryck spotted that businesses were increasingly needing SEO-optimized content but few agencies specialized in it. He positioned Big Star Copywriting to fill this gap.
Surviving the Crash
Despite challenges during the 2008 financial crash, he persisted and focused on delivering high-quality SEO-optimized content. The demand for content marketing actually grew during the downturn as businesses sought cost-effective marketing.
The Results
The business has since grown to approximately $30,000 per month, serving clients who need consistent, search-optimized content at scale.
- Time to $30K/month: ~3 years
- Started: 2008 (during financial crash)
- Primary acquisition: PPC ads
- Service focus: SEO content
Key Takeaways
1
Identify market demand before building - SEO content demand was growing rapidly
2
PPC can be effective for service businesses if ROI is tracked carefully
3
Survive economic downturns by providing essential services (SEO content is evergreen)
4
Scale through consistent delivery and building a reliable content production system
Originally published onStarter Story
Inspired by Derryck's journey? Generate a business idea in the Marketing space using AI and real founder data.
Milestone Journey
Derryck achieved 2 milestones on the path to $10K MRR
First Customer
1 month
February 2008
69% faster
vs avg 3 months+3 years to next milestone
$10K MRR
$30,000
3 years
January 2011
Avg: 1 year
3 years
Total journey time
2
Milestones achieved
Derryck's Path to $10K MRRPremium
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
Unlock Derryck's Full Journey
See the complete breakdown: launch strategy, validation methods, startup costs, expert analysis, replication playbook, and more actionable insights.
Upgrade to PremiumInstant access to all founder journeys
Share this story:
More Stories You Might Like
Founders with similar journeys or strategies
Pieter Levels
How I turned a spreadsheet into a $2M+/year business as a solo founder
In 2013, I sold all my possessions, packed a backpack and a laptop, and flew to Thailand to begin my digital nomad life. I was once a lost musician ea...
$10K MRR in 1 year·Solo
SaaSTravel🌍 Remote
Tony Dinh
How I made $22K in 7 days with a ChatGPT UI tool
On March 1st 2023, OpenAI announced the ChatGPT API. Right on that day, I came up with the idea to create a new UI to solve my own pain points with th...
$10K MRR in 7 days·Solo
SaaSAI / ML🇻🇳 VN
Jon Yongfook
BannerbearMy 2-year journey to $10K MRR as a solo founder
When I quit my job in January 2019, I had a 2-year runway. For almost 1 year I made no money and burned through my savings. That's because I was doing...
$10K MRR in 2 years·Solo
API / Developer ToolDeveloper Tools🇯🇵 JP
Enjoyed this story?
Get more founder journeys like this delivered to your inbox every week.