4 ms·

Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses? (2022)

25 points by romeros 4y ago

Are content generation websites and earning revenue via ads still profitable?

lurn_mor 4y ago
Carrd.co is a one-man shop that's doing very well.
cable2600 4y ago
It is hard, I've tried since 2005 and being on a shoestring budget with one person I don't get the money from ads. I tried a WordPress blog and ad blockers kind of kill it. I tried writing books too. I can earn more money working for McDonalds or some other minimum wage job. I read dozens of books on online marketing and followed them but I still fail.
- giantg2 4y ago
  I worked at Lowes on the weekends one summer. I agree that doing something like that is easier to make money.
  - cable2600 4y ago
    You need money to advertise your ads and be like Alex Jones and sell weight loss supplements and boner pills like Viagra in your videos.
- sourcecodeplz 4y ago
  > I tried writing books too. What happened with that?
  - cable2600 4y ago
    I got laughed at for having bad grammar as I couldn't afford an editor. Amazon Kindle doesn't pay that much unless you are Neil Gaimen.
withinboredom 4y ago
In answer to your first question: a friend of mine hired me to work on a store locator software in 2012. It was basically a widget you put on your website that allowed searching for nearby stores/locations. He took it over all by himself from that point and was making six-figures for years. Maybe he’ll come along and elaborate. Beyond that, I’ve known people who were single-owner entrepreneurs for years and made enough to pay the bills and live comfortably. Browser extensions, CRM plug-ins, stuff like that. To answer your second question: yes and no — it depends on the niche. I did some research for my past employer and they accidentally voided the NDA when they laid me off… according to my lawyer anyway. I’m still not going to take the chance of dealing with the court system to prove one way or the other…. So sadly, I can’t tell you which niches are better than the others.
aae42 4y ago
Isn't https://pinboard.in/ https://pinboard.in/ run by one guy?
coreymaass 4y ago
Not quite what you’re asking, I think, but I know a few developers who nailed a piece of software that they live off of and gently maintain over time. Most of the examples I’m thinking of lucked into one or two big clients who are 80% of the revenue.
morgango 4y ago
I thought BuiltWith is an amazing idea, something small and useful and scalable without needing teams for things like customer support, marketing, and sales. See https://builtwith.com https://builtwith.com There is a recent interview with the sole proprietor that is more business focused https://5to9.beehiiv.com/p/builtwith-generates-14-million-year-zero-employees https://5to9.beehiiv.com/p/builtwith-generates-14-million-ye... . This was super informative for me and my search for something similar. Good luck!
manojkumarsmks 4y ago
https://lunchmoney.app/ https://lunchmoney.app/ This is was build by one-person, I think now a community helps her to maintain it, I might be wrong about the latter
codegeek 4y ago
Define "Successful". I bought a side project from someone else that does about 13k ARR with 90% profit. Not much but it is profitable and even though I don't do much yet on it (been about 10 months), I have plans to try and grow it next year. I already have a reasonable successful bootstrapped SAAS product that keeps me busy but that one is not a 1 person biz.
- xcubic 4y ago
  How did you find the project to buy?
  - codegeek 4y ago
    Microacquire, Flippa, empire flippers etc. The trick with all these sites is that they are mostly noise (99%) as in overpriced deluded sellers OR bad/failing products/businesses. So you have to understand that and work accordingly. There is a reason they are listing their business and only once in a while, you will find a real gem which with some work could really shine (they all need work). I was lucky to find a gem and they def. exist but less than 1% of listings.
michaelcao 4y ago
Facebook and Google Ads revenues are declining so it could affect earning revenue via ads.
sourcecodeplz 4y ago
I've been thinking about this myself as well. With the advent of ChatGTP, competition is going to be much tougher for just content sites imho.

25 points by romeros 4y ago

Are content generation websites and earning revenue via ads still profitable?

lurn_mor 4y ago

Carrd.co is a one-man shop that's doing very well.

cable2600 4y ago

It is hard, I've tried since 2005 and being on a shoestring budget with one person I don't get the money from ads. I tried a WordPress blog and ad blockers kind of kill it. I tried writing books too. I can earn more money working for McDonalds or some other minimum wage job. I read dozens of books on online marketing and followed them but I still fail.

giantg2 4y ago
I worked at Lowes on the weekends one summer. I agree that doing something like that is easier to make money.
- cable2600 4y ago
  You need money to advertise your ads and be like Alex Jones and sell weight loss supplements and boner pills like Viagra in your videos.
sourcecodeplz 4y ago
> I tried writing books too. What happened with that?
- cable2600 4y ago
  I got laughed at for having bad grammar as I couldn't afford an editor. Amazon Kindle doesn't pay that much unless you are Neil Gaimen.

withinboredom 4y ago

In answer to your first question: a friend of mine hired me to work on a store locator software in 2012. It was basically a widget you put on your website that allowed searching for nearby stores/locations. He took it over all by himself from that point and was making six-figures for years. Maybe he’ll come along and elaborate. Beyond that, I’ve known people who were single-owner entrepreneurs for years and made enough to pay the bills and live comfortably. Browser extensions, CRM plug-ins, stuff like that. To answer your second question: yes and no — it depends on the niche. I did some research for my past employer and they accidentally voided the NDA when they laid me off… according to my lawyer anyway. I’m still not going to take the chance of dealing with the court system to prove one way or the other…. So sadly, I can’t tell you which niches are better than the others.

aae42 4y ago

Isn't https://pinboard.in/ https://pinboard.in/ run by one guy?

coreymaass 4y ago

Not quite what you’re asking, I think, but I know a few developers who nailed a piece of software that they live off of and gently maintain over time. Most of the examples I’m thinking of lucked into one or two big clients who are 80% of the revenue.

morgango 4y ago

I thought BuiltWith is an amazing idea, something small and useful and scalable without needing teams for things like customer support, marketing, and sales. See https://builtwith.com https://builtwith.com There is a recent interview with the sole proprietor that is more business focused https://5to9.beehiiv.com/p/builtwith-generates-14-million-year-zero-employees https://5to9.beehiiv.com/p/builtwith-generates-14-million-ye... . This was super informative for me and my search for something similar. Good luck!

manojkumarsmks 4y ago

https://lunchmoney.app/ https://lunchmoney.app/ This is was build by one-person, I think now a community helps her to maintain it, I might be wrong about the latter

codegeek 4y ago

Define "Successful". I bought a side project from someone else that does about 13k ARR with 90% profit. Not much but it is profitable and even though I don't do much yet on it (been about 10 months), I have plans to try and grow it next year. I already have a reasonable successful bootstrapped SAAS product that keeps me busy but that one is not a 1 person biz.

xcubic 4y ago
How did you find the project to buy?
- codegeek 4y ago
  Microacquire, Flippa, empire flippers etc. The trick with all these sites is that they are mostly noise (99%) as in overpriced deluded sellers OR bad/failing products/businesses. So you have to understand that and work accordingly. There is a reason they are listing their business and only once in a while, you will find a real gem which with some work could really shine (they all need work). I was lucky to find a gem and they def. exist but less than 1% of listings.

michaelcao 4y ago

Facebook and Google Ads revenues are declining so it could affect earning revenue via ads.

sourcecodeplz 4y ago

I've been thinking about this myself as well. With the advent of ChatGTP, competition is going to be much tougher for just content sites imho.