How Garrett left corporate tech after a decade to become a Solo Founder
And now he creates digital experiences
Hello 👋
I’m excited to introduce Garrett Houghton, a solo founder who specializes in creating digital experiences.
Garrett applied to our partnership program in a previous newsletter, and I’m excited to announce we’ll now be working together!
👀 Keep your eyes peeled for new projects coming soon. I can’t wait to see what we’ll do together!
P.S.
We still have open spots in our win-win No-Code Exits partnership program.
Interested?
Read about:
💼 Leaving corporate tech after a decade to become a solo founder
🤩 Helping companies create engaging digital experiences that boost marketing ROI
🛠️ Uses no-code tools like Bolt to rapidly build products for his agency
🗣️ Grows through networking and opportunistic partnerships on social platforms
Enjoy and happy building!
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Hello! What's your background?
I’m Garrett Houghton, a solo founder focused on building and operating small service and consulting businesses.
I spent a decade in corporate tech before transitioning into solopreneurship. While in the corporate world, I was always hacking away with no-code tools like Zapier and Airtable to automate processes and build internal tools.
I was drawn to the ease of use and flexibility of no-code tools, which allowed a non-developer like me to automate workflows and build products.
When I decided to make the leap to solopreneurship, I started in no-code workflow automation consulting and built an education platform, No Code Camp, to teach no-code automation.
I eventually pivoted to focus on running service and consulting businesses that leverage my strategic and creative strengths.
When the AI wave hit, I shifted my focus to AI within these businesses.
Tell us about your product that you made?
Onboard was born out of my obsession with the new AI coding tools like Bolt and Lovable.
With these tools, I can develop the digital products and experiences I always dreamed of building with the previous generation of no-code tools, and I can ship them in the time it takes me to write a blog post!
Onboard’s aim is to help companies turn marketing challenges into interactive, shareable digital experiences in a fraction of the time and cost, using these new AI coding tools.
Which No-Code tools did you use to build and run it?
I heavily rely on Airtable for my CRM, Notion for project management, Softr for client portals, and Lindy for automating workflows between tools.
For Onboard, I use Bolt almost exclusively to build all of the digital games and experiences.
🛠️ No-Code Tools
What went into building the initial product?
Onboard helps companies cut through the noise by creating engaging, shareable product experiences that drive real ROI.
Our process involves understanding a client's vision, developing creative concepts, delivering functional prototypes, and providing all the ideas and demos for the client to keep.
Essentially, we act as an outsourced innovation team, blending marketing and product development to create digital experiences that stand out.
What was your business model and how have you grown your revenue?
Onboard operates on a mix of flat-rate project fees and monthly retainers, depending on the client's needs.
How have you attracted users and grown your product?
I’ve leveraged my network from both my previous consulting and corporate tech work.
I’ve also used some targeted outbound strategies, including cold outreach and LinkedIn content, to connect with potential clients.
I also do what I might call “opportunistic outbound.”
There are so many people asking for help/partnerships on social, within private communities, and in newsletters.
I try to leave enough slack in my work that when someone relevant is looking to partner—if it seems like a relevant opportunity—I reach out.
That’s how I got connected with Josh and No-Code Exits!
What's your advice for No-Code Makers who are just starting out or want to sell their business?
Start small and validate quickly. Service businesses are a great way to generate revenue and learn from customers before investing in a full-blown product.
Use no-code and AI tools to reduce time to market, but don’t lose sight of delivering real value to your clients.
Focus on something you’re interested in and enjoy doing. Chasing abstractions like “freedom from the 9-to-5” or “passive income” will lead to burnout, distraction, and disappointment.
Building your own business is hard, but it’s fun if you enjoy the work. So focus on something you enjoy!
Play to your strengths.
Don’t try to build a business that requires a skill you don’t possess or aren’t interested in acquiring or can’t easily partner with someone to fill. And lastly, be open to pivoting and changing.
Nothing I’ve ever built has ended up looking like my initial vision or v1 concept. Adapt, iterate, and try to move to where you see the puck going.
This might require you to drop stuff that previously felt right or update mental models and hypotheses that prove incorrect.
Thanks for sharing your story Garrett!
Learn more about his work at Onboard
Connect with him on LinkedIn
Or check out his personal website
🤔 What are you working on?
Whether it’s pre-revenue, pre-build, or just an idea, we’d love to hear about it and re-post it on X to get you more 👀
👉 Tell us what you’re working on
🚀 Partner with us
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Very inspiring!