“What Are You Waiting For?” – Lukas Hermann, bootstrapper

Story by Lukas Hermann

My masterplan: 1. Bootstrapped stagetimer.io to $1M ARR; 2. Venture-Funded to $100M ARR in 2024; 3: Moonshot Project in 2029

1. How and when did you make your first dollar online?

My first $$$ came through a post on Reddit in 2020.

I built this timer app for video and event professionals. But as a developer, I had no idea where these people hang out. So I looked in the next best place I could think of: subreddits. I found one, posted it, and one Redditor became the first to pay money for my thing.

In hindsight, it was neither the perfect place nor the time, but it worked out anyhow. When I released the first paid version 6 months later a user from that original Reddit post became my first customer.

2. How long did it take between the idea and this first dollar?

224 days!

Why so long? I released it as a free tool and, unexpectedly, people actually used it. Building it out enough to justify a premium plan while having a full-time job took a while.

3. What best actionable advice would you give someone who wants to start TODAY?

What are you waiting for? In 6 months, you wish you had started 6 months ago.

4. What resources would you recommend to a beginner?

The My First Million podcast, it’s basically a drug getting you high on entrepreneurship.

5. Who would you recommend to follow?

About Lukas

My masterplan:
1: Bootstrapped to $1M ARR → stagetimer.io
2: Venture-Funded to $100M ARR → in 2024
3: Moonshot Project → in 2029


Lukas
Lukas Hermann

stagetimer.io – Remote-controlled Countdown Timer: Show a fullscreen timer to your presenter while you control it from another device.

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