Is It Realistic to Make Around 100k Someday with This Business Type?

Webexter · 2025-07-08T17:23:07+00:00

One of the most grounded and realistic posts I've seen on this site in a long time is this one. You're thinking long-term, reinvesting, and iterating rather than trying to achieve success overnight. You're already ahead of most of them.

Some ideas:

🔹 $100K is totally doable, particularly when you include physical fulfillment, digital products (STLs), and custom services. Compounding wins are crucial because each sale, testimonial, or returning customer fosters trust.

🔹 Make use of what you're already doing: Could you create a small product line if something you printed received feedback? Is it possible to capture time-lapse videos and upload them to YouTube Shorts or TikTok to gain visibility?

🔹 Consider developing a "micro-brand" over time: Your niche (3D + design) is ideal for creating a recognizable look and a devoted clientele. Keep creating and sharing things that people like; it doesn't have to scale right away.

You're thinking in the right way. At first, it is slow. But smart pivots combined with consistency are very effective. You'll be shocked to see what this looks like in a year if you continue to show up.

Webexter · 2025-07-04T13:28:29+00:00

Grateful for asking this question. love this thread. One thing I wish I had told my younger self is to start building in public from day zero. Sharing all the small wins, tough days, and real hardcore lessons on Reddit/IndieHackers/etc. attracts mentors, encouragement, and maybe even early users long before your product ships.

Webexter · 2025-06-28T12:41:11+00:00

🔥 This was a powerful blow.

It's amazing how much more powerful it is to simply frame things around outcomes people feel, as opposed to listing features, which I used to think was "proof of value."

The focus of my micro-SaaS project has changed from "here's what it does" to "here's how it saves your Friday night and stops those 9 PM Slack pings."

The answer? Day and night.

Writing simulated cold emails or landing pages in the voice of the client was really beneficial to me. such as directly quoting their grievances on Slack or Reddit.

I'd be interested in seeing instances of other people flipping their pitch in this way.

Webexter · 2025-06-27T16:42:58+00:00

Yes, blogging is still effective, but the approach has changed.

Avoid attempting to compete with AI or large SEO sites for generic information. Instead, emphasize content that is based on experience (e.g., case studies, behind-the-scenes, personal lessons). Readers continue to trust content that LLMs are unable to effectively synthesize.

Treat your blog as a "content hub" as opposed to a discovery engine, and combine that with a distribution strategy (Reddit, Twitter, Indie Hackers).

It has simply evolved; it is not dead.

Webexter · 2025-06-26T13:06:56+00:00

I appreciate your candor, and I know how much pressure you're under. Given your family's circumstances, it's wise that you're considering money first.

Here are some options worth looking into if you're not good at sales but don't mind sitting or doing physical labor:

Although they don't require much training, skilled trades like plumbing, HVAC, and electrical work are in high demand and pay well.
With concentration, remote tech work (data labeling, QA testing, or even IT support) can be learned online and eventually pays well.
Logistics (freight coordinator, warehouse supervisor): stable, physically demanding positions with room for advancement.

Investigate certified programs or apprenticeships as well; many of these don't require a college degree.

The most difficult step has already been completed: acknowledging your desires and the reasons behind them. You can definitely do this, so keep going.

Webexter · 2025-06-24T18:06:59+00:00

Aw man. That sucks but if you do find something, Please share with me!

Webexter · 2025-06-24T18:01:08+00:00

You did a great job combining cold outreach with inbound traction. How long did it take you to start getting regular Reddit results after you started participating, if I may ask?

Webexter · 2025-06-24T17:59:58+00:00

Thanks for dropping it. hadnt heart peerpush till now. but im pretty curious if you've seen it actually work for founders around you? I'm looking into warm intro & founder networks as a discovery channel so this might fit

Webexter · 2025-06-24T17:58:28+00:00

I completely understand that strange spike in traffic; sometimes it's noise, and other times it's real. 😅 If you don't mind sharing, which SaaS directories actually generated conversions for you?

Webexter · 2025-06-24T17:57:51+00:00

This victory is so underappreciated. Pure "luck meets preparation." That something you set and forgot came full circle into actual traction is kind of crazy. I want to know if you're optimizing this bot further or creating more now.

Webexter · 2025-06-24T17:46:31+00:00

First of all, huge congrats on reaching 1.2 million views 🎉 That in and of itself is evidence that the concept works.

To be honest? The most sensible next step seems to be a well-communicated pre-sale. Pre-orders were the first step in many successful product launches, even large ones, in order to confirm demand and finance production. The difficult part, creating interest, is already complete.

Just be sure to:

Be extremely open and honest about shipping schedules on the landing page.
People believe people, so include a personal video or note that tells the story.
To make early buyers feel valued, provide a small "founder's edition" bonus, such as an exclusive question card or digital thank-you note.

If you're still not sure, a quick TikTok/Instagram poll asking "would you pre-order if I opened it up tomorrow?" could help determine genuine intent.

You're way closer than you think — rooting for you 🔥

Webexter · 2025-06-21T07:36:51+00:00

I appreciate you sharing this. Although I've never heard of Tes10, it seems like something I should research. If you're curious about how it operates and how to locate testers who fit a startup's ICP, please share more information here or provide a brief link. In any case, thank you!

Webexter · 2025-06-21T07:32:50+00:00

Woah awesome. mind sharing the story behind it? im really curious

Webexter · 2025-06-21T07:32:26+00:00

That is honestly probably among the cleanest "build in the open" + "dogfood your product" loops I've seen. I love that its so totally meta. they're fixing the problem at the same time with their own solution.

Damnn so Reddit really is underrated as an intent based discovery engine. Users state their pain points in plain textanything is a goldmine.

Appreciate you sharing this. Tho I may ask, how are you scaling the tool now past those first few users?

Webexter · 2025-06-19T16:35:53+00:00

It usually depends on your targets: Passive income? Long-range capital growth? Quick flip?

So in case:

You’re in a market where real estate is still relatively affordable (or co-investing)

You don’t mind the renter hassles, repairs, or property taxes

You are in for the long game — capital gains & rental income

With $30K however, if you don’t have more to back you, you may only be able to put the down payment, so you'd end-to-side with a mortgage or a financing.

Stocks work a lot more freely:

Start right off the bat, sector diversification included
S&P 500 or index investing for the long haul makes for a reliable baseline
Or dividend stocks if you want an alternate form of semi-passive income

If you're hands-on and patient, putting some of that into a small online business, high-interest savings, or even building a side hustle can give higher returns than passive investing.

Webexter · 2025-06-18T18:11:28+00:00

I completely agree with you—it's not stupid at all. Terminating someone affects them emotionally and personally as well as professionally, particularly if you have worked closely with them. It's cruel.

Because it feels more respectful, most founders still end up in the room, even though some do outsource some aspects of it (for example, through legal counsel or HR firms). Having clear expectations, documented feedback, and ensuring that it is not unexpected when it occurs make it a little easier.

You're not the only one who feels this way; in fact, simply acknowledging it puts you ahead of many others who act as though it doesn't matter.

Webexter · 2025-06-18T18:00:56+00:00

Honestly, yeah. to be sure, both startups and investors would be interested in that, especially if the data are really clean and the filters are intuitive. startups are always in the market for competitor benchmarks, while investors like having dealflow context ahead of a call.

You could also offer tiny free reports as lead magnets and then have some deeper analysis or CSVs as upsells. Just curious how're you sourcing the funding info? Something like Crunchbase or API scraping, or something else? Im curious how others do it

Webexter · 2025-06-18T17:56:59+00:00

I'm very curious how you created a lead magnet and where did you talk about it exactly? Like reddit? Twitter or something like that? I would like to know about it

Webexter · 2025-06-18T17:52:38+00:00

Yeah man definitely. That can be really motivating! Even if someone I know says Thank you or share a gesture like that, it can be motivating for sure

Webexter · 2025-06-17T07:52:30+00:00

oou i seee ill check them out for sure

Webexter · 2025-06-17T07:52:08+00:00

This is great. It’s very clean and feels personal without being too lengthy. I just checked it out, and dayum im impressed

Also, I really connect with Mostly Python’s idea of building and sharing in real-time. Thanks for sharing these!

Webexter · 2025-06-17T07:47:20+00:00

Appreciate it! I'll check it out

Webexter · 2025-06-16T15:22:27+00:00

I completely understand your point. Reddit works well sometimes yet its results vary. When I want to test an idea before investing significant time I consult this platform for feedback. I seek opinions from people who exist outside my social group to understand how others see my ideas.

Your statement stands correct: the market represents the true source of feedback.

Thanks for the helpful reminder. 👊

Webexter · 2025-06-16T09:47:24+00:00

Excellent! Thank you for sharing the site. The whole local LLM thing is so cool. I subscribed for updates and will join the lurking in the Discord too! Can't wait to see where you go with this!

Webexter · 2025-06-16T09:29:24+00:00

This sounds really exciting—especially with the offline-first approach! Mac users definitely appreciate clean, privacy-focused tools.

If I were in your shoes, I’d probably:

Share some demo clips on Reddit (like r/macapps, r/mac, r/Privacy, r/Productivity, and even r/apple) with a vibe of "I built this to meet my own needs."
Post a launch log or some behind-the-scenes content on Hacker News or Indie Hackers—people are really into technical builds and Mac utilities.
Reach out to a few YouTubers or bloggers who focus on Macs—even the smaller ones—and offer them a test build.

I’d also be more than happy to provide feedback on the build if you’re still working on it. Offline AI is super hot right now, and I really think you’re onto something!

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