Moneyshot#1: Month 1 till I make $1k MRR
Source: Dev.to
How It All Started
- Early coding habit – I tried to code daily, just like I once tried to draw daily.
- Digital art & Inktober – I participated in Inktober (drawing every day in October).
- Hacktoberfest – I contributed code to open‑source projects every October.
Both challenges weren’t about becoming an expert instantly; the goal was simply to stay consistent without worrying about the results.
What Changed in the Last Two Years
Since I began working professionally as a developer, the software industry has shifted dramatically:
- AI‑enabled productivity – AI lets us do more, but it also raises expectations.
- Focus on revenue – The industry’s primary driver has become making money rather than pure innovation.
I now juggle three part‑time jobs (one of them an office role) and feel I’m doing more work than a typical developer did three or four years ago.
A Reminder of Why Code Matters
A GitHub advertisement from about 5‑6 years ago (still on YouTube) showed code as a connector of society:
- A girl builds a prosthetic arm for her brother.
- Someone halfway around the world uses that same code to create something else they need.
The video framed code not as a product, but as a means to help people.
New Goal: $1 K MRR
The previous goals I set were:
- Primary: Learn – coding, drawing, anything.
- Secondary: Earn money from the skills I’d learned.
Now I’m setting a specific, measurable target:
$1,000 Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
It’s not a one‑off amount; it must be a sustainable, recurring revenue stream.
Rules I’m Setting for This Goal
| # | Rule | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Own the product | The revenue must come from something I own, not from a part‑time/full‑time job or an employer. |
| 2 | Use any of my skills | I can leverage programming, micro‑controller work (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, IoT), UI/UX design, graphic design, etc. |
| 3 | Leverage any tools | AI is allowed, but I’ll use it efficiently, not for everything. I’ll apply AI where it makes sense (e.g., QA tasks, cloud code, specific workflows). |
| 4 | Client work is okay | I may work with clients, provided I’m the one building the project and retain ownership. |
| 5 | Broad field | I’m not limiting myself to SaaS. I can explore IoT products, research projects, hardware, or any other avenue that fits my skill set. |
| 6 | Future expansion | After establishing the $1 K MRR, I may broaden the horizon (e.g., larger products, additional revenue streams). |
Why This Matters
- Consistency – Just like Inktober and Hacktoberfest, I’m committing to a regular practice, but now with a clear financial target.
- Purpose – The goal aligns with the current industry reality (making money) while still allowing me to create meaningful, useful products.
- Flexibility – By keeping the field broad and allowing AI and client work, I give myself the best chance to hit the $1 K MRR sustainably.
Next Steps
- Brainstorm product ideas that combine my existing skills.
- Validate each idea quickly (market research, minimal viable product).
- Build using a balanced mix of manual effort and AI assistance.
- Launch and acquire the first paying users.
- Iterate until the $1 K MRR is stable and recurring.
I’ll document the journey, share successes and failures, and hopefully inspire others to set concrete, recurring‑revenue goals of their own.
Stay tuned, and let’s see where this challenge takes us!