My Journey to a Million $ Software Business - Progress Thread

[Vasudev Soni]

I've been thinking about ways to bring some value to this forum and I think creating a progress thread about my software startup could provide some insight to members interested in starting a software business/startup and also help myself stay accountable for doing what I need to do. I have read The Millionaire Fastlane twice and it has completely changed the way I think and perceive things.

Current situation:

I am a 21yr old college student (B.Tech in Computer Science), I am running my app startup (Launched about 4 months ago and has 27k+ downloads on the Play Store already), and I am starting my new job next month (Application Developer).

My overall goal is to convert my startup into a multi-million dollar software company within the next 3-4 years, by solving critical problems that users face daily in life and seeing my life change throughout the process because of the Fastlane ability that a software business provides.

What are the next steps?

• I'm focusing on my software business and scaling it to provide me with the income to pursue my goals
• Connecting with other like-minded people and establishing connections with them

This thread won't (or may) see a lot of success in the coming 6-12 months, it will be 2-5 years to see substantial gains but I hope some of you can gain a lot from it if you're interested (or already own) in starting your own software business. You can check out my app here.

I will post weekly (or sometimes bi-weekly) updates in this thread describing my current situation, steps taken, and other information.
So, watch this thread and follow along.

Also check out @Jai Mittal, as he is my business partner, and we work together as a team.

 

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[MaximilianT]

following

 

[Jon822]

What languages do you write code in?

 

[Vasudev Soni]

What languages do you write code in?

Several, some of those include python, dart, html, css, javascript, etc.

 

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[Jon822]

Several, some of those include python, dart, html, css, javascript, etc.

Awesome, I love python. I build websites using Flask a lot.

 

[Vasudev Soni]

Weekly update - 17/05/23

Hey guys, another week has gone by, and it was ok ok.

I created a new landing page website for the app and launched it, you can check it out at BechDe and give me your suggestions/feedback about it. I also launched 2-3 updates of the app improving it with every update by fixing bugs, etc.

The app now has a total of 30k+ downloads on the Play Store and 7k+ active users. The goal is to reach 50k downloads by the end of May, and I think with some efforts it might be possible.

I also joined indiehackers a few days ago, and I am quite impressed with the content it offers. You can check out my profile and follow me there too if you want - Vasudev on Indiehackers.

By the way, what tech stack are you using for your current Saas/Web App/Startup?

See you next week.

 

[Eric L]

Weekly update - 17/05/23

Hey guys, another week has gone by, and it was ok ok.

I created a new landing page website for the app and launched it, you can check it out at BechDe and give me your suggestions/feedback about it. I also launched 2-3 updates of the app improving it with every update by fixing bugs, etc.

The app now has a total of 30k+ downloads on the Play Store and 7k+ active users. The goal is to reach 50k downloads by the end of May, and I think with some efforts it might be possible.

I also joined indiehackers a few days ago, and I am quite impressed with the content it offers. You can check out my profile and follow me there too if you want - Vasudev on Indiehackers.

By the way, what tech stack are you using for your current Saas/Web App/Startup?

See you next week.

Current stack is swift, i'm very close to finishing my IPhone app. Following your thread and good luck with your journey!

 

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[Vasudev Soni]

Current stack is swift, i'm very close to finishing my IPhone app

That's great. Best of luck with your app.

Following your thread and good luck with your journey!

Thank you for following, I will be sure to provide you with valuable content.

 

[Vasudev Soni]

Weekly update - 06/08/23

Didn't post for the past 2-3 weeks. Sorry for that.
My exams are going on and I was in doubt whether to post another update or not.

The app growth seems to be slowing down in the past 2-3 weeks. Also been receiving quite a lot of negative reviews on the app and I'm not sure about how to proceed with this venture and how to make it grow more. Everything seems to be mixed up.

I know that a few people have gained value from the app but I'm not sure how to convert these few to a large number.

We currently stand at 39k downloads on the Play Store and 7.5k active users.

Here are some steps I might take in the coming days -

• Run ad campaigns on Google Ads or Bing Ads
• Try improving the app interface and add some features that have been requested by several users

If you want to try out my app, download it here. (Note: Only available in India)

If you have some tips or suggestions for me, that'd be great.

See you next week (most probably).

 

[Yortanlı/Türkiye]

.

 

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[Absar]

I've been thinking about ways to bring some value to this forum and I think creating a progress thread about my software startup could provide some insight to members interested in starting a software business/startup and also help myself stay accountable for doing what I need to do. I have read The Millionaire Fastlane twice and it has completely changed the way I think and perceive things.

Current situation:

I am a 21yr old college student (B.Tech in Computer Science), I am running my app startup (Launched about 4 months ago and has 27k+ downloads on the Play Store already), and I am starting my new job next month (Application Developer).

My overall goal is to convert my startup into a multi-million dollar software company within the next 3-4 years, by solving critical problems that users face daily in life and seeing my life change throughout the process because of the Fastlane ability that a software business provides.

What are the next steps?

• I'm focusing on my software business and scaling it to provide me with the income to pursue my goals
• Connecting with other like-minded people and establishing connections with them

This thread won't (or may) see a lot of success in the coming 6-12 months, it will be 2-5 years to see substantial gains but I hope some of you can gain a lot from it if you're interested (or already own) in starting your own software business. You can check out my app here.

I will post weekly (or sometimes bi-weekly) updates in this thread describing my current situation, steps taken, and other information.
So, watch this thread and follow along.

Also check out @Jai Mittal, as he is my business partner, and we work together as a team.

Hey, how do you differentiate yourself from others in your niche like OLX, quickr? What advantage do you have over them?

 

[Vasudev Soni]

Hey, how do you differentiate yourself from others in your niche like OLX, quickr? What advantage do you have over them?

We provide the option to post unlimited listings for free, for which other platforms charge money.

 

[GoingToSleep]

I would recommend making your app available in apple for greater progress as it is used more than google play.

 

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[Vasudev Soni]

I would recommend making your app available in apple for greater progress as it is used more than google play.

Not in India dude. Almost 90% of people in India use Android.

 

[Absar]

I would recommend making your app available in apple for greater progress as it is used more than google play.

Iphones in India are seen as above flagship smartphones. The people who have them are considered rich by a lot of people.

 

[Absar]

We provide the option to post unlimited listings for free, for which other platforms charge money.

Meaning that you don't charge for any listing that a user places on the app? or you don't charge extra for posting more listings?

One Idea that came to mind is the auction thing like on eBay. Just a random thought

 

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[Vasudev Soni]

Meaning that you don't charge for any listing that a user places on the app? or you don't charge extra for posting more listings?

One Idea that came to mind is the auction thing like on eBay. Just a random thought

We don’t charge for any listings.

 

[Vasudev Soni]

I’m a little confused if I should continue posting in this thread.
This month has been pretty bad for my app business.

Any suggestions/feedback is appreciated.

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

I’m a little confused if I should continue posting in this thread.
This month has been pretty bad for my app business.

Any suggestions/feedback is appreciated.

bro go read @Ravens_Shadow 's progress threads. He spent years posting about how stressed he was and how little money he was making despite working his a$$ off. Now he has one of the most valuable businesses on this forum.

Starting a business is hard - just keep slogging it out and make adjustments. Don't give up because you had a bad month.

 

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[Vasudev Soni]

bro go read @Ravens_Shadow 's progress threads. He spent years posting about how stressed he was and how little money he was making despite working his a$$ off. Now he has one of the most valuable businesses on this forum.

Starting a business is hard - just keep slogging it out and make adjustments. Don't give up because you had a bad month.

Thank you so much. @Ravens_Shadow ’s posts are very motivating and pure .
Will try to regularly post in this thread from now.

 

[Vasudev Soni]

Update - 01/07/23

Got about 11k downloads in June, which was around 5-10% less than the previous month.

Talked to some freelancers about adding features to the app that I think will help improve the engagement and user retention.

Maybe I should start looking for some investments and do things properly. But I think the investors won’t be interested if they don’t see some pretty good numbers.
What do you think I should do? @Ravens_Shadow @fastlane_dad @Antifragile @biophase

I am also starting google and bing campaigns to get more reach but the budget is a little low.

Any resources that might help me with creating highly effective ad campaigns? @Andy Black @MJ DeMarco


Gotta keep going, gotta work my a$$ off, there’s no stopping now.
Will keep you updated about the progress.