Finding Your Tech Startup Ideas: Solo Dev. Making 20,000$ Monthly

In the fast-paced world of tech entrepreneurship, success stories often seem out of reach for the average developer. But what if I told you that one guy managed to build a Chrome extension that now generates over $20,000 a month? Intriguing, right?

Meet Saeed Ezzati, a software engineer who turned his side project into a thriving business. His journey from corporate employee to successful solopreneur is not only inspiring but also packed with valuable insights for aspiring developers and entrepreneurs.

Let’s dive into Saeed’s story and uncover how to discover tech startup ideas and the secrets behind his own.

Who is Saeed Ezzati?

Saeed introduces himself as a software engineer who created a Chrome extension called “Super Power Chat GPT.” This browser extension enhances ChatGPT with additional features. Here are some quick facts about Saeed and his business:

• Started the project about a year and a half ago
• Currently generating $20,000 to $30,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR)
• Sole developer of the extension
• The extension has been downloaded close to 260,000-270,000 times
• Boasts around 150,000 weekly active users

The Best Strategy for Building a Successful Extension

Saeed shares two main strategies for developers looking to create successful extensions:

1. Build for existing large platforms
   • Examples: Gmail, Roblox, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
   • Advantages:
     • Large user base already in place
     • Users can easily find your extension
   • Even a small percentage of users can generate significant revenue
2. Target platforms with existing marketplaces but smaller user bases
   • Examples: Zoom, Salesforce
   • Advantages:
     • Less competition
     • Easier to stand out
     • Still potential for good revenue

Saeed emphasizes the benefits of building for existing marketplaces rather than launching a traditional SaaS with its own website:

“Competing with everyone on the Internet is a lot harder than competing with a limited number of players in a smaller marketplace.”

He also highlights that building an extension is:

• Faster
• Less crowded
• Easier to validate your idea

Finding Ideas for Marketplace Platforms

Saeed’s approach to finding ideas is rooted in understanding user needs and pain points. Here’s his process:

1. Identify missing features in existing platforms (in his case, ChatGPT)
2. Build features for personal use initially
3. Join communities where potential users hang out:
   • Subreddits
   • Discord channels
   • Slack groups
   • Facebook groups
4. Listen to user requests and pain points
5. Implement requested features
6. Share the updated extension with the community

Saeed considers this approach one of his biggest growth hacks:

“Just listening to people, what they want, trying to implement the feature, and then going back and telling them that okay, I added this feature, you can use this extension and have that feature as part of the ChatGPT interface.”

Building Your Extension: Technical Requirements

For those worried about the technical skills required, Saeed offers reassurance:

“If you know how to build a simple website, you’ll know how to build an extension. JavaScript, HTML, CSS, that’s how I built the very first version.”

He emphasizes that prior experience with browser extensions isn’t necessary:

“I have never built any browser extension before. I learned how to build an extension and launched my first extension within like two or three days basically after ChatGPT was launched.”

Key takeaways for building:

• Basic web development skills are sufficient
• Quick learning and execution are possible
• Timing can be crucial for success

Getting Users and Growing Your User Base

Saeed’s approach to user acquisition is primarily organic:

• No paid advertising
• Word-of-mouth growth
• Posting on relevant platforms (e.g., Reddit)
• Benefiting from user-generated content (reviews, top 10 lists)

He attributes much of his success to building a quality product that users want to share:

“People started finding it, started using it, they liked the idea, they liked the features, and started sharing those ideas with their audience.”

Identifying Early Opportunities in AI

Saeed suggests looking for opportunities to integrate AI into various professions:

• Healthcare
• Legal services
• Other industries where AI adoption is still in early stages

His advice for finding these opportunities:

“One of my favorite things is to talk to my users and every time I talk to any users, I try to learn as much as I can about them, what they do, what’s their background, and how they use ChatGPT.”

Monetization Strategies

Saeed’s journey to monetization wasn’t immediate. Here’s how he approached it:

1. Initial Free Period
   • Kept the extension completely free for the first 9 months
   • Helped grow the user base significantly
2. Newsletter Monetization
   • Started a newsletter for his user base
   • Used platforms to find sponsors
   • Earned first revenue through newsletter sponsorships
3. Premium Features
   • After 9-10 months, introduced new paid features
   • Kept existing features free
   • Experimented with pricing to find the right balance

Saeed’s advice on monetization timing:

“If you ask me today, I think I should have monetized the extension earlier, but at the same time, I do feel like it helped a lot with growing my user base.”

Tools and Technologies Used

Saeed’s tech stack as a solopreneur:

• VS Code: Primary code editor
• JavaScript: Used without frameworks for the extension
• AWS: Backend infrastructure
• Beehiiv: Newsletter platform with monetization features
• Passionfruit: Platform for finding newsletter sponsors

Challenges and Risks

Building a business on top of another platform comes with risks. Saeed acknowledges this:

“OpenAI can kill this product any day. I was scared of that for a very long time, and at this point, I kind of feel numb to it.”

His strategy for mitigating this risk:

• Be prepared to pivot
• Consider building extensions for other major platforms

Advice for Aspiring Developers and Entrepreneurs

Saeed offers two key pieces of advice for those starting out:

1. Validate quickly “Try to validate the project as fast as you can. Just build the very first version and launch it and see if you get some users from it.”
2. Focus on your strengths “In my case, it was building a product, sharing it with people for free, and getting my first few users from that.”

Tech Startup Ideas: The Breakdown

Saeed Ezzati’s journey from a corporate employee to a successful solopreneur is a testament to the power of identifying opportunities, building useful products, and leveraging existing platforms. His story demonstrates that with the right approach, even a simple browser extension can turn into a significant source of income.

Key takeaways from Saeed’s experience:

1. Look for opportunities in existing marketplaces
2. Listen to user needs and build accordingly
3. Don’t be afraid to start with basic skills
4. Focus on organic growth through quality and user satisfaction
5. Be strategic about monetization
6. Stay adaptable and prepared for changes

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting out, Saeed’s story proves that there’s still plenty of opportunity in the world of browser extensions and AI-powered tools. The key is to take action, validate your ideas quickly, and focus on providing value to your users.

While learning and researching are important, taking action is what will ultimately change your life. So, armed with these insights, what will your next move be? The world of profitable side projects and successful businesses is waiting for your contribution!

(Source: the “Starter Story” Channel, video with Saeed Ezzati)