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I run https://updown.io https://updown.io since 2012, a website monitoring service I created. I'm working about 5-10 hours per week on it. It makes about $6,000

I run https://updown.io https://updown.io since 2012, a website monitoring service I created. I'm working about 5-10 hours per week on it. It makes about $6,000 per month and is still growing linearly. I also keep a full-time job alongside for now as an engineering manager. The key for me is to take time, make something useful, delight your clients, and don't try to become uber or airbnb.

annamargot 7y ago
Awesome job. This type of service is critical for e-commerce businesses like mine. Just curious, I see you accept payment in crypto. What percentage of customers pay with crypto, and how has that changed since 2012?
- adrienjarthon 7y ago
  Thanks Haha, less than 1% now that the trend is over, when I added it (2014) it was around 5%.
  - ChicagoBoy11 7y ago
    Hope you kept those coins -- must've made a decent chunk of change on the valorization of those alone!
    - adrienjarthon 7y ago
      I kept only a small part, I sold most of them right away as there were already over-valued to me ^^
XIVMagnus 7y ago
how much time do you spend maybe talking to people who are constant clients? or is there little interaction?
- adrienjarthon 7y ago
  Probably half of the time (~2-3h per week) is spent answering questions/requests from clients or helping them diagnose downtime. I try to improve the product to make sure my clients don't need me so that when they do I can help them properly.
aspyct 7y ago
Ha neat! I was actually looking at your product a few hours ago. Might use it in the not-so-far future.
- adrienjarthon 7y ago
  Sounds great ;) let me know if you have any question.
outime 7y ago
I just checked it and looks awesome! I’d have used it in a previous startup job if I just knew about your product back then. Special mention goes to the landing page as you list all the features right away, no bs and a clear cost calculator. Couldn’t ask for more :)
- adrienjarthon 7y ago
  Thanks <3
justinchen 7y ago
Awesome! Happy updown.io customer here. We use it for https://www.pickfu.com https://www.pickfu.com Always happy to support fellow entrepreneurs.
- breakerbox 7y ago
  Ironically, your pricing page is down. Starting an updown competitor now!
kingkongjaffa 7y ago
Can you explain who you customers are and why they want to know the stats for uptime and would be willing to pay for it?
- Insanity 7y ago
  Just waging a guess here, but people / businesses who depend on data from those websites?
- MiSeRyDeee 7y ago
  I'm curious too. Tracking your own website makes sense but there're definitely better ways if that's your own website. Why do people want to track other website regularly?
  - tbyehl 7y ago
    I think you're giving too much weight to what's in their example image. I use a competitor's free tier to monitor my own stuff. Using a SaaS is better for several reasons: 1. Don't have to install / maintain anything. 2. Who monitors the monitoring? 3. Monitoring from inside my network doesn't always fully approximate end-user availability.
    - adrienjarthon 7y ago
      That's pretty much it, my customers are people who have websites and want to be the first to know when there's an issue on it so they can fix it, in which case a SaaS solution is usually better than some internal tools because it eliminates setup/maintenance, keeps working when all your infrastructure is down and monitors everything (including internet link). Some other clients monitor website they do not own when they depend on it, for example as a vendor I could monitor Amazon if I sell products on it to be aware of any issue, or if I'm a digital customer engagement platform (what my full-time job does) I can monitor services I interact with like facebook API, twitter API, etc.
- AdamGibbins 7y ago
  I am a customer, I run a bunch of personal sites and hobby projects. updown.io is wonderfully cheap, the pay as you go model is perfect for my monitoring needs. I have no need for the stats, just the monitoring which it does well.
FragrantRiver 7y ago
WOW! This exactly what I've been looking for :D And if the pricing calculator is correct, it seems way to cheap :D
- adrienjarthon 7y ago
  It is quite cheap indeed, I try to keep a fair pricing :)

annamargot 7y ago

Awesome job. This type of service is critical for e-commerce businesses like mine. Just curious, I see you accept payment in crypto. What percentage of customers pay with crypto, and how has that changed since 2012?

adrienjarthon 7y ago
Thanks Haha, less than 1% now that the trend is over, when I added it (2014) it was around 5%.
- ChicagoBoy11 7y ago
  Hope you kept those coins -- must've made a decent chunk of change on the valorization of those alone!
  - adrienjarthon 7y ago
    I kept only a small part, I sold most of them right away as there were already over-valued to me ^^

XIVMagnus 7y ago

how much time do you spend maybe talking to people who are constant clients? or is there little interaction?

adrienjarthon 7y ago
Probably half of the time (~2-3h per week) is spent answering questions/requests from clients or helping them diagnose downtime. I try to improve the product to make sure my clients don't need me so that when they do I can help them properly.

aspyct 7y ago

Ha neat! I was actually looking at your product a few hours ago. Might use it in the not-so-far future.

adrienjarthon 7y ago
Sounds great ;) let me know if you have any question.

outime 7y ago

I just checked it and looks awesome! I’d have used it in a previous startup job if I just knew about your product back then. Special mention goes to the landing page as you list all the features right away, no bs and a clear cost calculator. Couldn’t ask for more :)

adrienjarthon 7y ago
Thanks <3

justinchen 7y ago

Awesome! Happy updown.io customer here. We use it for https://www.pickfu.com https://www.pickfu.com Always happy to support fellow entrepreneurs.

breakerbox 7y ago
Ironically, your pricing page is down. Starting an updown competitor now!

kingkongjaffa 7y ago

Can you explain who you customers are and why they want to know the stats for uptime and would be willing to pay for it?

Insanity 7y ago
Just waging a guess here, but people / businesses who depend on data from those websites?
MiSeRyDeee 7y ago
I'm curious too. Tracking your own website makes sense but there're definitely better ways if that's your own website. Why do people want to track other website regularly?
- tbyehl 7y ago
  I think you're giving too much weight to what's in their example image. I use a competitor's free tier to monitor my own stuff. Using a SaaS is better for several reasons: 1. Don't have to install / maintain anything. 2. Who monitors the monitoring? 3. Monitoring from inside my network doesn't always fully approximate end-user availability.
  - adrienjarthon 7y ago
    That's pretty much it, my customers are people who have websites and want to be the first to know when there's an issue on it so they can fix it, in which case a SaaS solution is usually better than some internal tools because it eliminates setup/maintenance, keeps working when all your infrastructure is down and monitors everything (including internet link). Some other clients monitor website they do not own when they depend on it, for example as a vendor I could monitor Amazon if I sell products on it to be aware of any issue, or if I'm a digital customer engagement platform (what my full-time job does) I can monitor services I interact with like facebook API, twitter API, etc.
AdamGibbins 7y ago
I am a customer, I run a bunch of personal sites and hobby projects. updown.io is wonderfully cheap, the pay as you go model is perfect for my monitoring needs. I have no need for the stats, just the monitoring which it does well.

FragrantRiver 7y ago

WOW! This exactly what I've been looking for :D And if the pricing calculator is correct, it seems way to cheap :D

adrienjarthon 7y ago
It is quite cheap indeed, I try to keep a fair pricing :)