How I Code Profitable Apps SOLO (no wasted time / beginner friendly / with AI)

Today I'm breaking down every single step you  need to know to find your killer app idea, build it, market it, and sell it online  so you can finally make your first dollar. Look why should you listen to me - I've  been in the app game for 10 years now and this past year I helped my clients  launch 56 apps and they're making millions. I saw that and got jealous so  late last year I took my framework and launched three micro SaaS products  that already pulled in over $15k.

I know personally how tough it  is to earn that first hundred—or even that first thousand bucks. I'm on your level, I'm not one of those billionaire gurus giving  you that bullshit advice like "discipline. " So, let’s cut the crap—when it  comes to finding your app idea, you don't need to reinvent the wheel. 

Seriously, you can just copy what's already working out there. One of the hottest  questions in my YouTube and X DMs is: “How do I find and validate my idea? ”  Sweetie, you do not need a new idea.

I hate these startup accelerators like  Y Combinator. Been there done that. They repeating always the same old song: “Find your  customers, find their problems, do interviews, iterate and pivot fast, and use your  unique value” Yeah, thanks.

I’m done. These gurus looking for a new slaves that  will work 24/7 with their accelerators and their investments to have a  3% chance to become an average business and less than 1% to become a unicorn. So, if you’re still struggling to  make your very first dollar online, you don't need to deal with all that extra  hassle.

Just build a product that’s already out there. Why? Because someone else already  did the heavy lifting of proving the market exists for that idea.

You don’t have to  validate it again—you already know it works. Now, I know some of you might have that  little voice in your head screaming, "How dare you! That’s not original! 

How will I stand out from all the other copycats? " Just shut that down.  Originality is dead, especially when you’re just starting out.

It’s not about  reinventing the wheel—it’s about getting your foot in the door and making that first  buck. So, stop overthinking it, just copy. You think you original?

Think twice. Ahrefs and Semrush  GitHub and GitLab Zoom, Google meet, Teams WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber And so on One more thing. How many taco shops do  you think can survive in one big city?

Look, competition is normal, and being a clone is  totally fine. I built my micro SaaS as a clone, but I added just one feature. With my  NextJS Starter SaaS Kit, you'll be able to launch your own micro SaaS faster than  anywhere else.

That's it—nothing fancy. Only now, four months after the release and  after earning $15,000, I truly understand the pain points of my customers and the new  features they really need. So, stop whining about being 100% original—focus on getting  your product out there and learning on the go.

By the way, you know what kills 99%  of startups? Wrong ambitions. Look, you and I, we are dreaming of building a $100M  company and making a killer exit.

But that’s not how it works. To earn your first million, you  need to start with a mini startup clone. Make a profit of $10,000, get acquired, and sell  it for $30,000.

Then, build a second clone, earn $100,000, get acquired, and  sell it for $300,000. And repeat. After your second or third mini startup sale,  you'll have the experience, the know-how, and—most importantly—the cash to launch your  AI disrupter startup like Pieter Levels.

Disrupter startups its Uber, Booking. com, or  Pieter Levels’ Photo AI. So, its startups that destroy old models.

But here’s the real kicker: if  you try to build a business around your so-called unique idea right now, you either need $1M in  funding from the get-go or you need 7+ years of experience with 70+ startups under your belt  like Pieter. Which one do you have right now? Remember, never put all your eggs  in one basket.

In the startup world, your ventures are your  bitches, and you’re the PIMP. Once again—stop thinking big.  Because I remember 7 years ago, I was dreaming about a startup that would  bring me ten, maybe even a hundred million dollars.

I gathered what I thought was the  dream team, found an awesome co-founder, raised $80K in investment, and invested $100K  of my own cash. We were building this massive video streaming platform that was supposed  to revolutionize the DJI drone market. Long story short?

Two years later, we had one user  who paid $800, and our company went bankrupt. So your homework, just hit up Indie Hackers,  go to the Products section, and start writing down ideas that catch your eye. Then hop over  to the Starter Story YouTube channel and see how other founders built their startups quick  and easy - you can grab any ideas that inspire you.

And your third stop? Product Hunt - but focus  on the best products of the month and year. Just copy ideas that you like.

Find 10 competitors and  start. Please copy, do not reinvent the wheel. Wanna more AI startup ideas and tech guides? 

That's cool, BUT building them seems overwhelming, right? THAT'S WHY I share no-code hacks to launch  solo, without money, BUT you might miss the next game-changing tip. THAT'S WHY hit like and  subscribe - let's build your startup together.

Next up, let's talk about building  your application. Now, I know some of you have a bit of coding experience, while  others might be complete newbies. But trust me—the advice I'm about to drop applies  to everyone, from beginners to experts.

Step Zero: Developers, you'll get it. 
 Before you dive into building your full product, start with a simple landing page  using AI tools like Cursor AI, BoltNEW, or Windsurf AI. Test the waters—see if  people are even willing to pay for your idea.

If you start making sales, that’s  your green light. Pieter Levels sold his book before he wrote a single word. He  just created a landing page, and payment.

Here's the harsh truth: your biggest  mistake right now is obsessing over the technology instead of focusing on speed and  capitalizing on what's trending. Look at my track: my team and I helped to launch  56 micro Startups during 2024, 80% are AI-driven, powered by AI  agents working behind the scenes. You basically have two paths: Use no-code tools like Make or n8n to  build your workflow and wrap it up.

Or. If you're a developer, write the code  yourself and plug it into your wrapper. But here's a reality check—most people get  full focus on the wrapper.

Sure, there are endless options out there—Vue, Next. js, Python,  Node. js, Laravel, and more—but in most cases, a simple, conventional stack is more than  enough.

And here’s a secret: in 90% of cases, you build your cash cow once, then milk it  until it runs dry—without touching anything. So, if you're about to argue over  which framework or tech stack is best, you've already lost the race. Stop overthinking.

If you're ready to launch  quickly, here's the ideal stack. . .

Web. Next. js—Is it perfect?

Hell no, but  it's one of the most popular full-stack frameworks out there. That's exactly what I use  for all my projects and 80% of my clients’ apps. For your database, stick with PostgreSQL  paired with Supabase plus Prisma.

Forget MongoDB—it just doesn’t scale. Supabase costs  about the same as AWS RDS but packs in so many extra features you can’t even count  them. It's insanely fast and easy to use.

As for design, listen up—by 2025, flashy  design is overrated. Forget Behance, Drbbble, or Awwwards; none of that stuff sells. Just use  TailwindCSS for your website and shadcnUI for your dashboard's pre-built components.

Keep  it simple—no need to overcomplicate things. When it comes to emails,  use Resend. Skip Mailgun.

For user auth, there's only one choice—Clerk.  It gives you everything you need straight out of the box, from sign-ins to user profiles, and  you can stick with the free plan almost forever. Installation?

Just five clicks, that’s it. 
 Payments? Go with Stripe—only Stripe.

It's easy to install and use. Forget Paddle, Lemon  Squeezy, or PayPal—they're not for you. And don’t stress about international taxes right away. 

Every small business starts with Stripe and, once they hit their first $1,000, they hire  accountants to sort out the tax headaches. If Stripe isn’t available in your  country, no sweat—you can quickly set up a company in the US, UK, Singapore,  or the EU using services like Stripe Atlas, and then link your Stripe account to that  company. It’s all done online in just a day.

For deployment, I use AWS Amplify. For just  $1 a month, you get one-click deployments and access to the entire AWS infrastructure.  Seriously, Vercel is way too damn expensive.

What about mobile tech stack? Listen up—mobile  is a cancer. Never build mobile apps.

Sure, people spend more time on their phones, but  it's all for entertainment—TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Tinder, and the rest. You'll  struggle to snag attention from these monsters, especially if you're just starting out. Mobile  users aren’t in the mindset for solving business problems; they’re there to kill time.

Mobile only  makes sense for super niche cases, like advanced video editing apps, and that’s not beginner  territory. In my 10-year outsourcing career, I've seen tons of success with web apps—and  zero, I repeat, ZERO, with mobile apps. Now, let's talk analytics: PostHog.

It integrates  super easily with your Next. js project, and its killer feature—Session Replay—lets  you see exactly what your customers are doing so you can make decisions based  on hard data, not wild guesses. Plus, PostHog gives you tons of free events, so  you're not immediately locked into a paid plan.

I remember hooking up one of my  clients with this exact analytics setup. We started developing his software  based on what his users actually did, and within a year, we doubled  his ARR from €1. 5M to €3M.

And for online chat, there's Crisp. Crisp is sleek and modern—it gives your landing  page a youthful edge and can boost conversion rates on cold traffic up to 10%. Back in  2018, with a simple landing page for "Hire Python Developers" paired with an online chat  like Crisp, I pulled in $110,000 in one year.

You know what's killing most Micro  SaaS startups? Information overwhelm, THAT'S WHY people get stuck before they even  start, BUT that's not even the worst part. Instead of building your actual product,  you waste months setting up Stripe payments, designing landing pages, configuring emails,  optimizing SEO, adding metatags, creating sitemaps, setting up blogs, managing databases,  building user auth, designing user profiles, and fixing infinite bugs, THAT'S WHY most people  give up, BUT I've been through this pain 15 times.

I spent hundreds of hours on these repetitive  tasks, BUT I knew there had to be a better way. So I built the Micro SaaS Fast Starter Kit - a  complete SaaS starter kit that helped me launch 3 successful projects making over $10,000 already. THAT'S WHY I'm sharing this with you now, BUT here's the twist - you don't need to waste months  building basic features that are already done, AND you don't need to spend weeks overthinking  about minimum features set for a quick launch.

One week with my ready-to-use infrastructure, and you  can start making money from your Micro SaaS today. Keep in mind that you should  never rely on one chick, that’s why your startups it’s  your chicks and you are the PIMP Link in description. Next—how to market and sell your product.

This  is where most developers get stuck. Building your product is one thing, but selling it?  That’s a whole different ball game.

There are endless marketing strategies out there, but I’m  going to focus on the ones that actually work. Start with something super simple—Product  Hunt. There are hundreds of guides online; just watch a couple of videos and you'll be set. 

In my experience, the key is a Loom-style video where you, as the founder, give an inside  look at your product. That’s what sells your product—everything else is just fluff. 
 Next, tap into the power of storytelling.

People love reading about those who’ve fought  their way to the top. Write about your journey on Indie Hackers—not just about your startup, but  about you as a person. Share your struggles, your breakthroughs; even if you built your startup in  a bunker while cruise missiles were falling near your home (I’ve been 400 meters from one myself). 

It makes you real, relatable, and memorable. Then, take that story to Submit. co and pitch it to  journalists hungry for an authentic narrative.

Then, consider running ads on X. Yes, spend  your hard-earned money on ads because sometimes the simplest tactic works best. Here’s  the rule: we don’t reinvent the wheel—if it’s working for your competitors, it’s  worth copying.

I remember a few years ago, my best friend launched an online pickup course  by copying a competitor’s website and ad campaign exactly. In just one week, he got twice as  many leads as that competitor. Spoiler alert: his competitor was a friend, so he knew the  conversion rates inside out.

The takeaway? Your competitors aren’t your friends—copy  what works, and don’t be afraid to mimic success. If you need my blessing.

I’m  giving it to you right now. Copy! Amen.

Don’t want to blow cash on ads? Then give Reddit a  shot. I’ve had my fair share of struggles there—my account got banned more times than I can count,  and my posts were frequently deleted.

But even so, I still managed to land leads who paid and  even used my services for free. The truth is, I never quite cracked the code on Reddit. Most of  my clients rely on competitor analysis and tools like f5bot to see how folks in other niches push  their products with “helpful” posts.

Sometimes, you might even need to buy upvotes—surprise,  surprise. There’s no magic formula here; just watch what successful competitors are doing  (or, if you’re feeling cheeky, bribe a moderator). Remember why we’re cloning products in  the first place?

There’s always someone dissatisfied with the current solution, always  on the hunt for a better alternative. That’s where Google Ads come in. Simply gather the  names of your competitors, target keywords like “Google Analytics Alternatives,” and set  up a basic landing page.

People searching for alternatives are super aware—they’re practically  ready to buy. And trust me, Google Ads can be a lot more affordable than you might think. 
 If you’re planning to become the next big influencer on TikTok or X, forget it.

Content  marketing on these platforms is a long, expensive slog with no guaranteed payoff.  TikTok is swarming with silly, mindless videos—your product won’t get the attention it  deserves there. X might work as a side channel, but it can’t be your main lead generator—unless  you’re cold-DMing and dishing out free value upfront, which might work for validating your  idea and landing your first 10 users.

Again, just copy what successful people in your niche  are doing and adapt it to your own style. Speaking of dishing out value, let  me share a quick story: A client once came to me needing a $200 Angular landing  page. My team and I spent four weeks on it, and the project cost me about $2,000 (my  dev salary plus my team lead involvement plus many issues with Angular 1 back in a days)  So I get tiny $200 profit (a NET loss $1,800, really).

But just one month later, that same  client returned with a $500K contract. The lesson? Always over-deliver, especially at the beginning. 


Next up, hunt down influencers in your niche on YouTube, Instagram, and even TikTok. Pitch them to  promote your product—whether that’s through a paid deal, an affiliate program, or even by offering  lifetime free access. Some will turn you down, and some will bite.

You can also arrange  cross-promotions where they market your product to their audience and you return  the favor via your email list. Speaking of which, are you building that email list from day  one? If you’ve got a killer product and a solid client base, hit me up—I’m all about cross-promos. 


Finally, start your own YouTube channel. It might sound intimidating, but it’s way  simpler than you think. Here’s the formula: Find a keyword that resonates with your audience,  identify related topics that need coverage, jot down some bullet points, invest in a  decent microphone (sound quality is the key), and then fire up your phone camera and  screen recorder.

Record your insights, then edit out the mistakes. The first video  is always the hardest, but with each one, it gets easier. Plus, YouTube works like  magic—while it’s essentially SEO on steroids, it also hooks people on your personality,  turning casual viewers into loyal customers.

Look at Jason, a guy who started a  YouTube channel while being a project manager. He didn't stress about camera, sound,  script, and all that stuff - he just started documenting his journey into the AI world and  the cool stuff he found there. Now it's a channel with 150,000 subscribers and he's got a Skool  community generating around $14k on autopilot.

Love these Marketing tools and SaaS  ideas? THAT'S WHY I share even more on X, BUT not just ideas - exact prompts, tech stack,  no-code tools, action plans and real case studies of solo founders who started without money. Follow  me on X before you miss the next big opportunity.

See you!