Mattia Righetti, building business in public: “Build an Audience.”

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

I freelanced in marketing for six years, so my first dollar came from there. But I consider my real first dollar the one I earned as an indie one year before quitting the freelance life.

It was with GestioneShop, a service I built for Italian Shopify store owners back in 2021.

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

I’d say 30 days, the time it took to build everything, but I didn’t actively work on the project for the following six months, and the first customer came organically. So seven months after starting with the idea, or just 1 🙂

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

Build an audience before even looking for product market fit. Ideas are overrated; you could build the best product ever, but if no one knows it, what matters? Prioritizing an audience first means going after problems for people actively following you.

4. What resources would you recommend to a beginner?

I suggest reading The Minimalist Entrepreneur by Sahil Lavingia to understand the difference between product-first and audience-first.

5. Who would you recommend to follow?

If I had to choose only one, I recommend following @MeetKevon. He is the “build in public” guy, and he will show you how to create connections, build an audience, and leverage it by sharing your work in public. It’s a game-changer!

About Mattia