4 ms·

Balsamiq, a bootstrapped startup featured here some time ago, makes $10k in 6 weeks

64 points by ph0rque 18y ago

tstegart 18y ago
Congratulations on the write-up on RWW as well by the way.
balsamiq 18y ago
Thanks for posting news about Balsamiq here on HN ph0rque. I am quite excited by the RWW review, it's incredible to read about my own company on the #1 blog I read every morning...I still can't quite believe it.
- siculars 18y ago
  thanks for your detailed blogging about the whole process of going from idea to quitting your job to launch. i spent about 30min going through all your blog posts. very encouraging and real. a great resource for others who are in the same boat.
  - terpua 18y ago
    +3.14
    - volida 18y ago
      why the pi?
      - terpua 18y ago
        Balsamiq has come full circle (concept, dev, launch, business).
        scott_s 18y ago
        Then wouldn't it be 2pir, ~6.28 if we assume a unit circle?
        terpua 18y ago
        I wasn't actually talking about the circumference per se, just that Balsamiq has come "full circle" which I represented using pi.
        scott_s 18y ago
        I know it's just a saying, but taken literally, "coming full circle" would mean the circumference. That is, going around in a circle.
        volida 18y ago
        actually, when a circle's diameter is 1, its circumference is π
        scott_s 18y ago
        I think "unit circle" means a circle with a radius of 1, not a diameter of 1: http://everobotics.org/projects/roboMagellan/img/UnitCircle.gif http://everobotics.org/projects/roboMagellan/img/UnitCircle....
- tocomment 18y ago
  How did you do the marketing for Balsamiq? Or is that covered in one of your blog posts?
  - balsamiq 18y ago
    It isn't, but a few people have asked me the same question, so I might write it up soon. No rocket science...I just followed some good advice: http://www.balsamiq.com/blog/?p=58 http://www.balsamiq.com/blog/?p=58
ericb 18y ago
When will you startups learn? Single founder companies can't succeed. badness=true
- balsamiq 18y ago
  Hi there. I don't intend to stay a one-person-company for long, but right now I can't afford to hire anyone and I don't want to get external funding. Care to elavorate on why I won't be able to succeed?
  - ph0rque 18y ago
    I think he was being sarcastic...?
    - balsamiq 18y ago
      Oh, oops. Why is sarcasm the hardest thing to convey via email/IM/simple text? Hey maybe a one-person startup could takle _that_ problem! :)
      - ericb 18y ago
        The author of this site, Paul Graham (pg), is an essayist who listed single founders as number one on his startup mistakes list. It's not an opinion I share, so yes, sarcasm intended. :-) Agreed 100% about sarcasm being hard to see in text. While an extra person can be an advantage, I think he overestimates the advantages and underestimates the disadvantages. Nice work on the site and app! Congrats! http://www.paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html http://www.paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html
        SwellJoe 18y ago
        It's merely a difference of approach. Balsamiq seems to be a very nice business...but it's not a startup according to pg's definition. The goal does not seem to be "get acquired or have an IPO". Building a lifestyle business as a solo founder is entirely feasible...if a little exhausting after a while (I ran a solo founder business for seven years before starting my current business).
deleted 18y ago
[deleted]
captk 18y ago
Congrats. May want to invest in some web design though, your site layout is pretty obviously copied from 37Signals' Basecamp... http://www.basecamphq.com/ http://www.basecamphq.com/
- balsamiq 18y ago
  Hi there, the design is mine (and sadly it shows), but when I did design it I was at the peak of my 37signal fanboy phase, so I'm not surprised you see similarities. I am working on a new design with a graphic designer friend...so there's hope. :)
- steveplace 18y ago
  And if I do recall, one of the points in "Getting Real" is to copy design of a website that is completely unrelated field.
- jharrison 18y ago
  Give me a break. Ya, the site could be designed better. Is it a Basecamp copy simply because he intelligently uses "above the fold" and then answers a few question in a two-column format below the fold? How many other sites do that? Many! Certainly those that want a modicum of success, and are aware of the home page "design patterns" that are in use today, do. I plan on using the exact same design pattern for my projects. I can't even say that 37Signals pioneered the pattern but they might be responsible for popularizing it. It works. If anything Peldi deserves a little credit for utilizing a well known pattern to get his site up and saving his time for developing his app.
- jamongkad 18y ago
  I'm pretty happy with Balsamiq's successs. He found a design that works for him and his customers. If anything this post is a troll cleverly disguised as a compliment.
mdolon 18y ago
Inspirational blog and success story. Congratulations and thank you for sharing!
DanielBMarkham 18y ago
Interesting app. Congrats! I think it's looking good!
wrigley 18y ago
Congratulations on your success, I suppose minus the costs for an individual this would be a healthy income, it or depends on your driving vision for the site, if it is to maintain that traction then I must agree with other comments that doing this alone simply wont work. If youve got good numbers as youve showed theres every chance you can try for funding. I must also note that while I am very glad you have succeded in your milestone and its obvious benefits from a marketing standpoint, I find the whole area of self promotion on such an early scale somewhat of a recipe of disaster. My own startup (Travel social networking / Commerce site) is in private until september time yet from friends, family and testers our turnover and profit in the last 4 weeks dwarfs this figure. I could easily push these figures for marketing purposes but until i have sustained traction in reaching our targets they add no real benefit to us. Nonetheless good job, but go get some extra help with that money!!
- agentbleu 18y ago
  wrigley "My own startup (Travel social networking / Commerce site) is in private until september time yet from friends, family and testers our turnover and profit in the last 4 weeks dwarfs this figure." wrigley "At present I cannot personally fund this project and in order to get to demo phase need to bring a hacker on board to work in partnership, what resources or methods would anyone suggest in trying to attract a hacker on an equity only option at present?," whats the truth then?
  - wrigley 18y ago
    Very misleading quote, you should be a journalist.. You are pointing to a new project I was looking to startup - NOT my current project, if you quote the whole item you will see that "I cannot personally fund this project" - relating to the new project I was looking to startup. The existing company (Travel website) I currently work for and manage is doing quite fine thanks, hence the comment in this post.
  - smanek 18y ago
    Wow, I just looked at his comment history, and you're right. The guy is a bloody moron and is self contradictory more than once. wrigley: "I think when the net goes to the IPv6 there will be many more domain options" There's nothing wrong with not knowing what IPv6 is, it's relatively domain specific knowledge. I know next to nothing about organic chemistry functional groups - but I don't go spouting bullshit in organic chemistry forums.

64 points by ph0rque 18y ago

Congratulations on the write-up on RWW as well by the way.

Thanks for posting news about Balsamiq here on HN ph0rque. I am quite excited by the RWW review, it's incredible to read about my own company on the #1 blog I read every morning...I still can't quite believe it.

siculars 18y ago
thanks for your detailed blogging about the whole process of going from idea to quitting your job to launch. i spent about 30min going through all your blog posts. very encouraging and real. a great resource for others who are in the same boat.
- terpua 18y ago
  +3.14
  - volida 18y ago
    why the pi?
    - terpua 18y ago
      Balsamiq has come full circle (concept, dev, launch, business).
      - scott_s 18y ago
        Then wouldn't it be 2pir, ~6.28 if we assume a unit circle?
        terpua 18y ago
        I wasn't actually talking about the circumference per se, just that Balsamiq has come "full circle" which I represented using pi.
        scott_s 18y ago
        I know it's just a saying, but taken literally, "coming full circle" would mean the circumference. That is, going around in a circle.
        volida 18y ago
        actually, when a circle's diameter is 1, its circumference is π
        scott_s 18y ago
        I think "unit circle" means a circle with a radius of 1, not a diameter of 1: http://everobotics.org/projects/roboMagellan/img/UnitCircle.gif http://everobotics.org/projects/roboMagellan/img/UnitCircle....
tocomment 18y ago
How did you do the marketing for Balsamiq? Or is that covered in one of your blog posts?
- balsamiq 18y ago
  It isn't, but a few people have asked me the same question, so I might write it up soon. No rocket science...I just followed some good advice: http://www.balsamiq.com/blog/?p=58 http://www.balsamiq.com/blog/?p=58

ericb 18y ago

When will you startups learn? Single founder companies can't succeed. badness=true

balsamiq 18y ago
Hi there. I don't intend to stay a one-person-company for long, but right now I can't afford to hire anyone and I don't want to get external funding. Care to elavorate on why I won't be able to succeed?
- ph0rque 18y ago
  I think he was being sarcastic...?
  - balsamiq 18y ago
    Oh, oops. Why is sarcasm the hardest thing to convey via email/IM/simple text? Hey maybe a one-person startup could takle _that_ problem! :)
    - ericb 18y ago
      The author of this site, Paul Graham (pg), is an essayist who listed single founders as number one on his startup mistakes list. It's not an opinion I share, so yes, sarcasm intended. :-) Agreed 100% about sarcasm being hard to see in text. While an extra person can be an advantage, I think he overestimates the advantages and underestimates the disadvantages. Nice work on the site and app! Congrats! http://www.paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html http://www.paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html
      - SwellJoe 18y ago
        It's merely a difference of approach. Balsamiq seems to be a very nice business...but it's not a startup according to pg's definition. The goal does not seem to be "get acquired or have an IPO". Building a lifestyle business as a solo founder is entirely feasible...if a little exhausting after a while (I ran a solo founder business for seven years before starting my current business).

deleted 18y ago

[deleted]

captk 18y ago

Congrats. May want to invest in some web design though, your site layout is pretty obviously copied from 37Signals' Basecamp... http://www.basecamphq.com/ http://www.basecamphq.com/

balsamiq 18y ago
Hi there, the design is mine (and sadly it shows), but when I did design it I was at the peak of my 37signal fanboy phase, so I'm not surprised you see similarities. I am working on a new design with a graphic designer friend...so there's hope. :)
steveplace 18y ago
And if I do recall, one of the points in "Getting Real" is to copy design of a website that is completely unrelated field.
jharrison 18y ago
Give me a break. Ya, the site could be designed better. Is it a Basecamp copy simply because he intelligently uses "above the fold" and then answers a few question in a two-column format below the fold? How many other sites do that? Many! Certainly those that want a modicum of success, and are aware of the home page "design patterns" that are in use today, do. I plan on using the exact same design pattern for my projects. I can't even say that 37Signals pioneered the pattern but they might be responsible for popularizing it. It works. If anything Peldi deserves a little credit for utilizing a well known pattern to get his site up and saving his time for developing his app.
jamongkad 18y ago
I'm pretty happy with Balsamiq's successs. He found a design that works for him and his customers. If anything this post is a troll cleverly disguised as a compliment.

mdolon 18y ago

Inspirational blog and success story. Congratulations and thank you for sharing!

DanielBMarkham 18y ago

Interesting app. Congrats! I think it's looking good!

wrigley 18y ago

Congratulations on your success, I suppose minus the costs for an individual this would be a healthy income, it or depends on your driving vision for the site, if it is to maintain that traction then I must agree with other comments that doing this alone simply wont work. If youve got good numbers as youve showed theres every chance you can try for funding. I must also note that while I am very glad you have succeded in your milestone and its obvious benefits from a marketing standpoint, I find the whole area of self promotion on such an early scale somewhat of a recipe of disaster. My own startup (Travel social networking / Commerce site) is in private until september time yet from friends, family and testers our turnover and profit in the last 4 weeks dwarfs this figure. I could easily push these figures for marketing purposes but until i have sustained traction in reaching our targets they add no real benefit to us. Nonetheless good job, but go get some extra help with that money!!

agentbleu 18y ago
wrigley "My own startup (Travel social networking / Commerce site) is in private until september time yet from friends, family and testers our turnover and profit in the last 4 weeks dwarfs this figure." wrigley "At present I cannot personally fund this project and in order to get to demo phase need to bring a hacker on board to work in partnership, what resources or methods would anyone suggest in trying to attract a hacker on an equity only option at present?," whats the truth then?
- wrigley 18y ago
  Very misleading quote, you should be a journalist.. You are pointing to a new project I was looking to startup - NOT my current project, if you quote the whole item you will see that "I cannot personally fund this project" - relating to the new project I was looking to startup. The existing company (Travel website) I currently work for and manage is doing quite fine thanks, hence the comment in this post.
- smanek 18y ago
  Wow, I just looked at his comment history, and you're right. The guy is a bloody moron and is self contradictory more than once. wrigley: "I think when the net goes to the IPv6 there will be many more domain options" There's nothing wrong with not knowing what IPv6 is, it's relatively domain specific knowledge. I know next to nothing about organic chemistry functional groups - but I don't go spouting bullshit in organic chemistry forums.