About 1 year and 7 months ago, I started my journey as a solo developer, hoping to eventually turn it into a sustainable business.

Since then, I've shipped 9 products, earned roughly $3,000 in total revenue, and still have no MRR.

What kept me going was the occasional validation. One product was featured by MacStories, the kind of coverage that could've changed an indie developer's life a few years ago. For me, it barely moved the needle.

As revenue wasn't enough to sustain the business, I turned to freelance and contract work to keep things afloat. I've had discussions around $5,000+ contracts, some coming painfully close to closing before falling through.

Every time I considered quitting, something gave me hope.…