[PROGRESS THREAD] Venture Builder Chronicles - Chapter $0 to $120

[vb_chronicles]

From Consumer to Producer
One product at a time
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Hey Everyone,
I joined the forum recently, so you might have seen my intro post.

Here's a bit about myself:

I spent years studying entrepreneurship and always found a reason to delay.

There was always one more thing to learn, one more skill to master, one more course to finish.

This year, I finally made the shift and launched two products:

• makersvoice.com (launched before this thread, it is an app that turns Journal entries into X posts)
• Rage Guard (Chrome extension that stops chess players from playing on tilt)

In the past,

I tried working at an agency. Not my thing.
I tried freelancing. I can do it, but it didn't resonate with me. Especially when I have an amazing job right now, so there's no need to stretch for something I have no fun with.

So I decided to try building products. Products are the one thing I haven't figured out how to monetize yet.

The Controversial Part​

My approach might be controversial.

I believe you can only be a real builder when you operate from a place of abundance, not desperation.
Not running on diesel fuel made of burned bridges and survival mode.

I want to build because I want to, not because I have to. Even if it looks like a hobby to some people.

53 days ago, I started a challenge: make $120 in 120 days from my own products.

During this challenge, my perspective shifted.

I like building. I want to create an ecosystem of products that makes users lives better.

So the time limit is gone.

This thread is now Venture Builder Chronicles. No deadline. Just execution and progress.

What I've Done So Far​

Day 1–10: Overthinking trap

• Spent days researching audiences, tools, problems
• Built nothing
• Classic builder paralysis

Day 11–17: Finally picked an audience

• Chess players (I play chess, so I know the pain points)
• Identified 3 core problem zones
• Still overthinking

Day 18–32: More planning, less shipping

• Created a PRD (Product Requirements Document) using ChatGPT
• Set up Git, GitHub, Cursor, Claude Code, Codex
• Built a detailed product canvas
• Watched tutorials on Chrome extensions
• Still no product

Day 33–44: Actually built something

• Built Rage Guard in one focused day after 33 days of prep (ridiculous, I know)
• Submitted to Chrome Web Store
• Waited for review
• It was published

Day 45–53: A bit of Marketing

• Posted on Reddit twice
• First post: 1,700 views, 3 upvotes
• Second post: 1,000+ impressions, 11 comments, 2–3 upvotes, post removed
• Got real feedback from users (some said it was useful, some said it wasn't needed, one suggested new features)
• Found a bug in the extension logic

Current Status​

Products launched: 1
Revenue: $0.00

Rage Guard is live on the Chrome Web Store. I'm still working on distribution and getting installs.
I'm also working on my next product.
This time, I'm testing a shotgun approach: ship fast, iterate, move to the next one if it doesn't stick (Big fan of Pieter Levels idea of 12 startups in 12 months).

Lessons So Far​

1. I skip validation. I build first, ask questions later. This is a pattern I need to break.
2. I avoid distribution. I treat marketing as an afterthought. This is killing my products.
3. I can build fast when I actually start. 80% of the product in one day after 33 days of prep means I need to cut the prep phase drastically.

Small disclaimer:​

I used the prefix SaaS/Apps, but I don't think my products will be related to SaaS only. I'm thinking about automation packs, Notion templates, extensions, etc.

What's Next​

I'm planning weekly updates in this thread.

As I mentioned earlier, there’s no time limit anymore - whether it takes a day, a week, or a year.

I was actually a bit hesitant about the title because I don’t like open loops, so let’s call this progress thread Chapter $0 to $120.

Right now, I'm working on:

• Getting more installs for Rage Guard
• Improving my distribution game (Reddit, DMs, content)
• Starting my next product (likely in the B2B automation space)

I'm testing a new approach: limit the cycle from idea to launch to 12–16 days max.

Ship fast, get feedback, iterate or move on.

I'll post progress, wins, failures, and lessons here as I go.

Feedback, opinions, and recommendations are welcome, and I'm happy to connect with like-minded builders!

Let's see where this goes, it's super cool to grow together!

 

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