Founder stories
$10K MRRin 5 years
3 milestones
Fired Architect Creates LEED Exam eBook, Builds Multi-Million Dollar Brand
Founder
Pat Flynn
Solo Founder•Non-technical•USA
Commitment
Full-timeExperience
First-timeProduct
Blog and podcast teaching online business strategies.
Type
Info ProductIndustry
Content CreationModel
One-time PaymentMarketing Strategy
How Pat acquired customers
Primary Channel
SEO / Content
Tech Stack
Tools used to build Smart Passive Income
WordPressEmail marketingCourse platforms
The Full Story
Pat Flynn was fired as an architect in 2008. He launched an ebook about the LEED exam based on his own study materials.
The Pivot
That first info product generated his first passive income. He started smartpassiveincome.com to share experiences and income reports transparently.
Breakthrough
In July 2013, he launched 'Breakthrough Blogging' which generated over $50K, breaking six-figures in monthly revenue for the first time.
- First product: LEED exam ebook
- Breakthrough launch: $50K+
- Model: Income transparency
Key Takeaways
1
Turn your own learning experiences into products
2
Income reports and transparency build trust and audience
3
Pre-sell to validate demand before building the full product
4
One successful launch can be a major inflection point
Originally published onSmart Passive Income
Inspired by Pat's journey? Generate a business idea in the Content Creation space using AI and real founder data.
Milestone Journey
Pat achieved 3 milestones on the path to $10K MRR
First Customer
1 month
November 2008
69% faster
vs avg 3 months+5 months to next milestone
$1K MRR
$1,000
6 months
April 2009
46% faster
vs avg 11 months+5 years to next milestone
$10K MRR
$50,000
5 years
July 2013
Avg: 1 year
5 years
Total journey time
3
Milestones achieved
Pat's Path to $10K MRRPremium
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
Unlock Pat's Full Journey
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