Why do you think you will succeed?
Spoiler Alert: I don’t know
Many have asked me this question since I left my full-time job last year. Over the past year, I have followed my curiosity and learned how to stay self-employed. I have bootstrapped many projects - some have worked, many didn’t. So how do I know I’ll succeed? The simple answer is - “I don’t know.”
But here’s what I do know.
For the first time in my career:
- The decisions are mine. The wins are mine. The mistakes are mine.
- I’m as confident in my instincts as I am in the data.
- I’m not afraid to fail or fall.
- I’m not afraid to take risks.
It’s very much like learning to ride a bike. The fun and learnings are in the ride rather than the destination.
(Photo: My kids learning to ride a bike)
Here are some highlights from the journey over the past couple of months:
1. SOAPNoteAI is officially HIPAA compliant. Although the platform already used the latest industry standards for data encryption, transport, and storage, HIPAA laws also outline processes that need to be in place if the platform may handle any Protected Health Identifiers (PHIs). I worked with HIPAA experts to put in the necessary processes. This unlocks SOAPNoteAI to allow more features for its customers.
2. MiniFigureAI.com - The traffic to MiniFigureAI has dropped significantly since its launch month. The learning here is that consumer apps require consistent marketing efforts to maintain site traffic. Since I have been busy with SOAPNoteAI, I haven’t worked on marketing channels for MiniFigureAI.
3. LinkedIn Posts - In the past 4-5 weeks, I have been posting constantly on LinkedIn about my learning on AI-related technologies and their applications - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalmodi). I received positive feedback from the readers on the content. However, posting new and fresh content every other day takes a lot of effort and has become unsustainable for me. Many readers also want the content to be organized so that they can follow it systematically. I’m brainstorming to start a dedicated newsletter for AI topics where I can share my learnings with all of you. I’ll share details on it when I have a more concrete plan.
4. STAR Interview Coach GPT - Ever since OpenAI made custom GPTs available for free users, I have seen an uptick in the usage of STAR Interview Coach GPT, which now has more than 300 conversations and an average rating of 4.5. Here is the link - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-TC3UchLTC-star-interview-coach
5. Both DAPNotes and MassageNotes have recurring revenue. ReviewHeroAI has gradually reached 750 users -https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/review-hero-amazon-produc/oolcapmkeabkpnebkpdmdkfhokbjmien
Following my curiosity has helped me unlock the above outcomes and learnings. It makes the journey fun, and I’m enjoying the ride.
You’ve done a lot, Kunal! Happy to see your projects taking up and generate revenue!
> The learning here is that consumer apps require consistent marketing efforts to maintain site traffic.
Although I never had revenue through such an app, I observed the same - many successful indie hackers must constantly be visible and do marketing for their products to work. Something I don’t want to commit to. I much prefer the calm lifestyle of publishing books and courses because the platforms do the marketing for me.