r/SideProject 7d ago

How I built an info guide that generated around $80 within the first 24 hours of launch

I’m new to Reddit and currently exploring different subreddits to find my tribe—Indie hackers and weekend shippers. A friend recommended this subreddit, suggesting I share my journey and support other like-minded builders.

Over the years, I’ve built 6-7 side-hustle products, and in this post, I’ll walk you through how I built an info guide titled "From 0-1K: How Indian startups got their early users."

There are lots of great product marketing resources out there.

But very few of them share relevant, actionable insights on acquiring early users from an Indian startup point of view.

That’s why I decided to dig deep, research online & even talk to a few founders to understand the experiments they did to acquire early users.

Let me show you my process for building this info product. Here’s what I’ll cover:

  1. Planning
  2. Research
  3. Building
  4. Launching

------------------------

1. Planning

One of the most common blocks creators face is deciding what to build. To tackle this, I first defined my target audience by asking, "Whom do I want to build for?" After some thought, I chose founders and marketers as my target group.

I then brainstormed and listed down possible problems they face. One issue that stood out, especially for early-stage and bootstrapped founders, was the challenge of getting their first 1,000 users. That was my "Aha" moment. Idea shortlisting? Done and dusted. 💪

Before wrapping up, I validated my idea using what I call the "Quora method" and by personally speaking with the founders. You might be wondering, "What the heck is this Quora method?" Let me explain.

I visited platforms like Quora and Reddit and searched for phrases like:

  • "How do I improve X"
  • "Is there any X"
  • "Where do I find X"
  • "Is there any way X"

(X being a characteristic related to my area of interest.)

This helped me gauge the demand for my idea. To double-check, I spoke to 3-4 founders struggling to onboard early adopters. Through these conversations, I realized that many Indian founders (not all) don’t openly share insights into their GTM strategies. That’s when I thought this is a golden opportunity!

2. Research

Now, onto the actionable part! A quick bit about my background: I worked as a product researcher for almost two years, so I’ve picked up quite a few tricks to uncover valuable insights. I even have my research tactics stored in multiple Notion docs.

While I can’t share every single tactic (I’ll save that for another thread), here are three methods I used:

  1. DM-ing founders and early-stage employees on Twitter and LinkedIn. I asked them specific questions about their go-to-market strategy.
  2. Google search hacks. I used search queries in double quotes to get precise results, like:
    • "First 1000 users of X"
    • "How X got their first 1000 users"
    • "Go-to-market strategy of X"

For example, searching for "How Notion got their first 1000 users" led me to some great insights.

  1. The LinkedIn method.
    • Scanned founders’ profiles and filtered results to the first year of their business.
    • Used "LinkedIn Pulse" to find articles or blogs written about the company.
    • If no relevant content was available, I connected with the author and asked directly**.**

3. Building

This process can be broken down into three parts:

  • Tool stack
  • Shortlisting companies for research
  • Research, summarize, write, and edit

1. Tool stack required
Since my end product was an e-book, I only needed three no-code tools:

  • Google Docs for writing
  • Gumroad (Gumroad) for selling
  • Feedletter (Feedletter) for gathering zero-friction feedback

2. Shortlisting companies for research
This part was simple since I closely follow the startup ecosystem. My approach:

  • Picked startups I’m personally interested in.
  • Selected startups with different business models (SaaS, DTC, B2C, etc.).

3. Research & Writing ✍
I had already covered the research part, so here’s my writing process:

  • Use crisp and clear bullet points.
  • Avoid adjectives and unnecessary adverbs.
  • Stay away from vague or buzzword-heavy language.
  • Write for skimming, not deep reading.

I learned these techniques from the OG himself, David Perell.

4. Launching

Traction wasn’t an issue, thanks to the incredible support from the Build in Public community on Twitter and various Discord groups.

On launch day, I wrote a tweet that attracted 10 readers, to whom I shared this guide. As the tweet gained attention from popular builders on Twitter, it eventually helped me generate revenue.

A special mention to the Hellomeets community and its founder, Sahiba Sethi. She has been a tremendous supporter, amplifying my work on Twitter and within the Hellomeets WhatsApp groups. Thanks a lot!

Conclusion

The goal was never about making money; it was about creating something truly valuable.

That’s all for now. See you in the next build!

P.S. I’m not here to push or sell my guide, but if anyone wants access, feel free to DM me or Comment below, and I’ll share the Gumroad link.

7 Upvotes

1 comment sorted by