Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#1

Post by mdoliwa » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:18 PM UTC

This question was asked 3 years ago (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7367243) by kweball, and I'm curious what it looks nowadays.

> How many people on hacker news are running successful online businesses on their own? What is your business and how did you get started?

> Defining successful as a profitable business which provides the majority of the owners income.

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#2

Post by gargarplex » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:28 PM UTC

Does a consulting business count?

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#3

Post by NicoJuicy » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:29 PM UTC

Buildwith.com was a 1 person businesses I guess.

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#4

Post by talles » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:35 PM UTC

IIRC pinboard.in is an example.

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#5

Post by sairamkunala » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:41 PM UTC

https://www.indiehackers.com/

Here is a good list of 1 or 2 people software SaaS/websites along with interviews

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#6

Post by spiderfarmer » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:43 PM UTC

I built a network of agricultural communities. Making a decent living from Adsense revenue. There's a substantial secondary revenue stream in the form of paid classified ads in niche marketplaces. I could make more money by going after advertisers myself, but I don't like the sales aspect. I am currently developing a turnkey website platform for companies in my niches, fully integrated with my other platforms, Twitter and Facebook. I will hire a sales person when that's finished. Right now I work from home so that I can take care of the kids when my wife is at her job.

Because the revenue stream is mostly passive I still take some consultancy projects, but that's not quite necessary.

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#7

Post by chenster » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:51 PM UTC

How do you quantify "success"?

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#8

Post by UK-AL » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:58 PM UTC

I think it's getting harder, now the world is getting more developers and more fully funded startups.

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#9

Post by swalsh » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 12:59 PM UTC

chenster wrote: post #7

How do you quantify "success"?

This is a much better question then it seems on the surface :D

Success is defined uniquely for every individual. For some success is finding a way to "earn enough", others success is defined by "having some noticeable change in the world", and then some it is "making a million dollars".

Success is accomplishing a long term goal you've defined for yourself.

Re: Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?

#10

Post by devoply » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 1:00 PM UTC

UK-AL wrote: post #8

I think it's getting harder, now the world is getting more developers and more fully funded startups.

Why do you think it's getting harder? I think it's always been hard and will continue to be hard. There are a few opportunities and it takes lots of time to exploit them if you get to them at the right time.