Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses? • Hacker News Board

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

#341

Post by nkkollaw » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:29 PM UTC

GordonS wrote: post #181

MattBearman wrote: post #172

I run BugMuncher ( https://www.bugmuncher.com ), it started as a side-project 5 years ago, then in September 2015 I packed in freelancing to focus on BugMuncher full time. As of November 2016 BugMuncher reached profitability - ie: it's my sole source of income, and covers all of my living expenses.

My first thought when I read the name was that it only needs the 1st letter changed to take on a whole new meaning as a heterosexist slur. Then I saw you were in the UK too, and wondered if you've also noticed this or it's just me?!

It might be just you... :-/

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

#342

Post by DizzyDoo » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:30 PM UTC

RUG3Y wrote: post #331

DizzyDoo wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks! Yeah, it's easier than ever to get started, and easier than ever to sell your work online, so now's a great time to get involved.

Thanks for the encouragement. Money isn't the end-goal, I'm genuinely interested in the work, but it's at the back of my mind - I know there are a lot of opportunities out there. My problem is that I'm er, multi-talented and easily distracted...

Sure, I totally understand that! My advice is just to work on a really, really small project. Something that you could finish in a couple weeks, then you can bounce to the next thing with no guilt.

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

#343

Post by nkkollaw » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:30 PM UTC

MattBearman wrote: post #172

I run BugMuncher ( https://www.bugmuncher.com ), it started as a side-project 5 years ago, then in September 2015 I packed in freelancing to focus on BugMuncher full time. As of November 2016 BugMuncher reached profitability - ie: it's my sole source of income, and covers all of my living expenses.

Your blog is awesome!

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

#344

Post by FT_intern » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:32 PM UTC

adpoe wrote: post #127

I run an ecommerce store from Shopify which fulfills the orders by drop-shipping through AliExpress. This is definitely doable for one person, and it isn't technically challenging for a software developer--but the hardest part (at least for me) is marketing, creating content, advertising, and so on. Actually running a Shopify store and fulfilling by drop-shipping is simple. I would definitely recommend that as a good…

Is it feasible to get your own warehouse storage, go direct with manufacturers and buy wholesale instead of just reselling Aliexpress items?

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

#345

Post by mars4rp » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:33 PM UTC

novaleaf wrote: post #313

mars4rp wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

very interesting, I will defiantly will be a customer, I have a question, how fast is requestSingle page? is there any guaranteed response time? Edit: adding a suggestion, if in your pricing you include a dedicated worker it would be very cool. you could price it hourly (8 hours a day, or monthly) this way I don't worry about number of request that I am sending, you don't worry about page size and amount of JS in the…

The request time is pretty much what you would expect running PhantomJs on a Amazon/Google/Msft VM, which is roughly 2x longer than running the same request in your desktop browser. Regarding your suggestion on dedicated workers, the main benefit (USP) of PhantomJsCloud is the scaleability to hundreds/thousands of requests, so I think dedicated workers is a bit counter to that. However if I can figure out a nice way…

I don't need the scaleability feature of PhantomJsCloud, for me the benefit is not dealing with setting up a PhantomJs and configuration and using your nice API instead, I will gladly pay a premium for a dedicated VM so you configure it for me. this way you open up the gate to lots of people that are frustrated configuring PhantomJs ;) either way I will be a customer. thank you for creating this. it will save me couple of days of frustration.

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

#346

Post by test6554 » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:34 PM UTC

chrishacken wrote: post #126

dbancajas wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you expand on this? How do you compete with AT&T/Google? Are you pretty much on business because AT&T/Goog/TWC are not serving in your area? Can you do summary of how you grow the business if it's not too much? Really curious about all the logistics. Best of luck!!

> Are you pretty much on business because AT&T/Goog/TWC are not serving in your area? That's it exactly. Prior to me, the only service available in the area was Verizon DSL or Cable (40 Down/2 Up).

I'm curious about what your network connects to in order to access the broader internet.

Do you call up an existing ISP, like Verizon and say you want to set up a peering arrangement, or do you have to purchase a business account with an existing provider and increase the bandwidth you pay for as your own network expands?

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

#347

Post by molecule » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:35 PM UTC

I think that Ryan McGeary fits this description:

> Ryan owns McGeary Consulting Group and is the founder of BusyConf and ChargeStack.

http://ryan.mcgeary.org/business/

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

#348

Post by sleepingBag » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:36 PM UTC

HoboHammocks wrote: post #101

I started Hobo Hammocks a year and a half ago (www.hobohammocks.com) I got the idea when a buddy of mine and myself decided to live out of our cars and sleep in hammocks on the backstop of an abandoned softball field. Doing so made me more aware of the homeless and what they are going through, and I wanted to do something to help them. I started the company and donate a meal to the homeless with every hammock I sell.…

Not sure whether or not you are aware of this, but there are already companies that make sleeping bags with integrated sleeping pad sleeves. I think Big Agnes was the first and they've been doing it for over a decade:

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/SleepingBags

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

#349

Post by imgabe » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:40 PM UTC

chrishacken wrote: post #109

I'm not sure if this qualifies as an "online business", but I started an ISP in November '15. It's also not entirely "one-person". I am the sole founder, but I do hire part-time help on occasion if I'm swamped. It started off as a WISP and has finally grown to the point where we are beginning to deploy fiber. The site is https://nepafiber.com I still work full-time as a systems engineer, but the business started brin…

As someone who grew up in NEPA, thank you for bringing more ISP options there!

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

#350

Post by RUG3Y » Thu, Jan 05, 2017, 6:41 PM UTC

DizzyDoo wrote: post #342

RUG3Y wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the encouragement. Money isn't the end-goal, I'm genuinely interested in the work, but it's at the back of my mind - I know there are a lot of opportunities out there. My problem is that I'm er, multi-talented and easily distracted...

Sure, I totally understand that! My advice is just to work on a really, really small project. Something that you could finish in a couple weeks, then you can bounce to the next thing with no guilt.

Great advice, thanks!