Welcome 219 new subscribers 👯♀️ to No-Code Exits. The newsletter that shares every week a story of how a No-Code Maker went from 0 to $.
From now on, if you ever get the question “Can businesses made with No-Code really make money?” point them to my new website .
👀 Katt’s week
We wrapped up Bootcamp Cohort 4. You can see here what the participants build in this short period of time. So fun to see them go from 0 to 1!
I finally had some time to improve my ‘operating system’ for the newsletter. It was necessary because I have loooooads of interviews in progress. Thanks to Airtable, I’m able to manage ads, interviews, and website content in one place. Now it feels a bit more under control and ready to level up.
The interview this week is such a relatable story for me. Jordan:
🤓 tried to learn to code (but didn’t succeed)
💸 paid a few hundred dollars to a dev for a rough first version of his idea
🛑 got stuck because no budget for further developments
🌞 discovered no-code and started building
🦸♂️ now at $500 MRR
Enjoy the interview.
💡 Acquisition Inspiration
Get inspired by No-Code projects for sale on Microns 🚀.
What Cohort Based Course Directory
No-Code Tools Softr & Airtable
Customers 3,600
Price $3,000
📣 Shout-Outs
No-Code MBA Unlimited is the best resource to learn No-Code on your own pace. In-depth video tutorials learn you to build real-world projects with Zapier, Bubble, Airtable, Webflow, or Glide.
Finding the right AI tool is time-consuming. AI Tool Hub is a highly curated directory for creators and marketers with 80+ hand-picked and tested AI tools.
If you don't know where to start, take some inspiration from Unvalidated Ideas, a newsletter full of ideas good enough to validate.
🔥 Maker Interview
Hello Jordan, tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Jordan Kennedy, I'm 30 years old, and I live in Nashville, USA. I have a bachelors degree in Mass Communications, and two minors in Art and Entrepreneurship.
At my day job, I am a full-time Graphic Design Manager. My design team does print/digital designs, emails, landing pages, etc. My focus is on UI/UX design for large web applications.
I've always been interested in technology. I taught myself HTML and CSS and began creating websites in college. I've always tried to teach myself programming, but never got the hang of creating apps with code. I discovered no-code tools around 2018 and tried out a few things until I found Bubble.
Tell us about your product that you made?
The story of Balance Pro goes back to 2013 when I first had the idea to create a checkbook register app (then named just 'Balance'). While I did not know how to code, I decided I would at least design the app and document how it would work.
The idea for Balance is simple enough — instead of a paper checkbook register, why not use an app on your phone that is with you at all times? I knew I didn't want my app to hook up to banks or anything like that, but to keep it simple.
After designing the app, I was stuck on implementation. How can I build this app without knowing code? Unfortunately, in 2013 there weren't many no-code builders that were advanced enough to build this iPhone app. So, I found a developer and for a few hundred dollars I had a working, basic, app.
The original Balance app launched in 2014 and without any means to update the app or having a budget to hire further development, it never really caught on and was eventually taken down from the App store.
Which No-Code tools did you use ?
In 2019, I decided I wanted to revive Balance and make it better than ever (hence 'Balance Pro'). The year previous, I had discovered Bubble and was already playing with a few ideas.
I wanted to see if I could build Balance Pro in Bubble and also make it into a native app so that I could submit the app to the App Store and Play Store. It took me around 3-4 months to build Balance Pro in Bubble.
Tip from Katt: learn more about how to make native Bubble apps here.
How did you launch and grow your product?
I launched Balance Pro on the Web, App Store, and Play stores.
I submitted my newly published app to as many app directories as I could think of.
I was able to get my app published to AppSumo which really helped it gain some traction.
Other ways I marketed my app was with Apple Search Ads.
Why did you choose to build with No-Code?
Not knowing how to program was a big part of choosing no-code. Another big reason why Bubble was the tool I picked was because I could visually build practically whatever I wanted. It's much faster to build and iterate with something like Bubble.
Were there any shortcomings in using No-Code VS Code?
I was able to overcome all challenges. I was able to build every feature I wanted in no-code.
Can you share some stats?
Stats are as of 12/12/22 for Balance Pro:
Monthly active users: 1,400+
Paid subscribers: 352
Monthly recurring revenue: $596
What kind of advice would you like to share with someone who wants to get started with No-Code?
If you're thinking about taking the time to learn a no-code tool, do it. Once you figure out that you can make your own tools, apps, services, etc. the sky is the limit. Just like any skill, it will take some practice, so be patient with yourself.
Where can we go to learn more about you and your project?
Check out Balance Pro here.
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