Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#1

Post by oldmanstan » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 7:01 AM UTC

One particular thread tonight astounded me: the one showing AwesomeReminders at more than 750 PAYING users.

What other super simple, quick-to-build websites/apps are there that generate a non-trivial amount of revenue? (At least a few thousand a month.)

I want to study/think about them.

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#2

Post by coryl » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 7:38 AM UTC

I want to clone/steal their ideas!

But actually, their originality and novelty is what gets them popular in the first place. I think if I tried to copy AwesomeReminders today, I'd probably fail the way most people expected the original AwesomeReminders to fail. Being first matters?

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#3

Post by moconnor » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 7:48 AM UTC

If I knew a way to develop over $7k monthly revenue that quickly, I'd be doing it. I suspect that goes for everyone here. Props to jacquesm - I didn't think AwesomeReminders would take off like this but I think it's, well, awesome that it has!

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#4

Post by patio11 » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 7:49 AM UTC

Don't study the product. Study the distribution mechanism. (In AwesomeReminders' case, national press coverage due to having an appealingly quirky narrative.)

I've had half a dozen people clone my software product. They are apparently under the impression I'm in the software business. I'm actually in the educational publishing business, and I'm really good at distribution via SEO for it. That is the missile, the software is just the warhead. Without the missile, you can only blow yourself up.

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#5

Post by swombat » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 7:54 AM UTC

moconnor wrote: post #3

If I knew a way to develop over $7k monthly revenue that quickly, I'd be doing it. I suspect that goes for everyone here. Props to jacquesm - I didn't think AwesomeReminders would take off like this but I think it's, well, awesome that it has!

I thought AwesomeReminders was Zackattack's, not Jacquesm's?

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#6

Post by fezzl » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 8:15 AM UTC

coryl wrote: post #2

I want to clone/steal their ideas! But actually, their originality and novelty is what gets them popular in the first place. I think if I tried to copy AwesomeReminders today, I'd probably fail the way most people expected the original AwesomeReminders to fail. Being first matters?

cf. MillionDollarHomepage.com epic fails

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#7

Post by wlievens » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 8:26 AM UTC

"a few thousand a month" is quite ambitious for a single, "super simple" app. You should consider building a dozen super simple apps that bring in "a few hundred"... seems more doable.

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#8

Post by envain » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 8:51 AM UTC

well, if i could, i would have already.

There seems to be some lore about doing good SEO over possibly syndicated content and google ads your way to profit. have heard different people say this in one form or the other, and have seen some sites based on this model ...

can only guess what the investment/returns involved would be

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#9

Post by frobozz » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 10:04 AM UTC

I believe that the "million dollar homepage", and "one red paperclip" were quite financially successful. Both super simple and quick to build, however, as others have mentioned - it's not the thing itself, but the marketing of it that is important.

Re: Ask HN: Super simple, revenue generating products?

#10

Post by petercooper » Fri, Sep 10, 2010, 10:16 AM UTC

coryl wrote: post #2

I want to clone/steal their ideas! But actually, their originality and novelty is what gets them popular in the first place. I think if I tried to copy AwesomeReminders today, I'd probably fail the way most people expected the original AwesomeReminders to fail. Being first matters?

You might not be able to, but being first isn't everything. The right person could copy AwesomeReminders with the right twist (and the twist is key). Being first is, in fact, harder since the first entrant into a market has to prove it exists! We now know there are > 700 people who like the idea of someone validating them over the phone each day.

I suspect that most self help gurus could sell a similar service to their user bases at a higher rate. Would I pay $100/mo for Tony Robbins to call me for 1 minute once a week with an inspirational message? Probably not, but I'd bet my left arm that 100 or more of his devotees would, and it'd be a $10k/mo revenue stream for 2 hours per week.