How Piotr Built a Niche Grant Application using Deep Industry Knowledge and a Unique Business Model

How Piotr Solved what seemed Impossible with No-Code

No-Code Exits

Katt

, and

Josh

Dec 13, 2024

Hello there,

Welcome 112 new subscribers. 🙏

I’m so excited to bring you this inspiring story this week. I talked with Piotr from Poland, who has 12 years experience in the sports industry and creating websites.

Read about:

📚 The advantage of deep industry knowledge
💰 A stack of 13 no-code tools to run your business at a low cost
📈 The strong competitive advantage thanks to a unique business model
🗣️ How free services stir up word of mouth

Enjoy and happy building.

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Hello! What's your background?

Hi, I'm Piotr Bąk, a solopreneur and no-code developer from Poland. I have a unique combination of experiences - over 12 years in the sports industry and many years in creating websites and digital products. My background in sports is extensive - from playing soccer semi-professionally to organizing tournaments and serving as a vice president of a sports club. Professionally, I've worked as a regional representative for major sports equipment brands and built strong relationships within the sports community.

How did you discover no-code?

I discovered no-code in 2018 when I was looking for ways to efficiently scale my business ideas without hiring a development team. I started experimenting with tools like Bubble, Airtable, and Make, which opened up new possibilities for automation and scalability. Today, I'm not just a no-code practitioner - I'm also actively involved in growing the no-code community in Poland. I founded the Polish No-Code Community and regularly share my experiences through newsletters and social media to help others leverage these powerful tools.

Tell me more about the product you have built?

ProgramyDlaKlubow.pl is a service that helps sports associations in Poland secure funding from various sources for their statutory activities.

The idea was born in early 2022 during a conversation with a friend who specialized in government grants. At that time, I already had extensive experience in the sports industry and a wide network of contacts with sports clubs. We quickly noticed that many sports clubs and academies in Poland struggle with a lack of adequate funding for conducting training sessions for their players, purchasing sports equipment, and organizing matches and training camps. Having once served as a vice president of a football club myself, I know perfectly well what a challenge it is to run a sports association in Poland. That's why I decided to help clubs and sports academies secure funding to make their operations easier in these demanding conditions.

The motivation was simple - to help sports clubs access funding they desperately need while building a profitable business model that benefits everyone involved. It's particularly satisfying because we're helping develop grassroots sports in Poland while running a successful business.

Which no-code tools did you use to build and run it?

Here's the complete tech stack of no-code tools I used to build and run ProgramyDlaKlubow.pl:

🛠️ No-Code Tools

1. WebWave - For building the landing page

2. Figma - For creating banners and graphics

3. Tally - For form management

4. MailerLite - For newsletter and email automation

5. EasyTools - For collecting customer feedback

6. RenderForm.io - For automatic banner generation

7. Twilio - For SMS notifications

10. Various LLM models - For generating descriptions, FAQs, article outlines, social media posts, and newsletter content

12. Make (formerly Integromat) - For automating repetitive processes

13. Airtable - As our CRM and project management hub

What's remarkable about this stack is its cost-effectiveness - the entire project's monthly maintenance costs only 86 PLN net (about $22 USD). This is possible because I use these tools across multiple projects simultaneously, so the maintenance cost is spread across all ongoing ventures. This makes each individual project more profitable while keeping overall infrastructure costs at a reasonable level. Building everything from scratch using traditional programming would have cost me a fortune.

I chose these specific tools because they offer the perfect balance of functionality, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. They integrate well with each other through Make.com, allowing me to create powerful automation workflows that enable me to manage hundreds of applications single-handedly. This tech stack demonstrates how no-code tools can help create a sophisticated business operation without significant infrastructure costs or technical debt.

How did the initial version look like?

The initial version of ProgramyDlaKlubow.pl started as an experiment in early 2022. The validation process was quite straightforward - I had a conversation with a friend who knew how to handle government grants, and I had extensive connections in the sports industry from my 12+ years of experience.

Version 1 validation process:

We started small, sending a simple newsletter to my existing database of sports clubs
We managed to gather 50 sports associations for our first try
The success rate was 100% - all 50 clubs received their funding
This initial success proved our business model worked

Building Version 1 (November 2022):

Created a brand name and logo
Built the official website using WebWave
Set up a basic Airtable database for managing applications
Implemented simple automations with Make.com
Created marketing materials and social media presence
Developed email sequences in MailerLite

The key insight from Version 1 was that clubs were very receptive to our unique business model - offering free grant application assistance while earning through equipment sales.

In March 2023, we scaled up significantly. This growth validated that our no-code infrastructure could handle much larger volumes than initially planned.

What's particularly interesting is that we achieved all this with minimal initial investment - the main costs were time and effort rather than money, thanks to the no-code approach.

What is the unique business model?

Our business model is unique and creates a win-win situation for all parties involved. Instead of charging sports clubs for grant application services, we offer these services completely free. Our revenue comes from commissions on sports equipment purchases that clubs make with their granted funds, through our partnership with major sports equipment manufacturers.

Revenue growth by year:

• 2022: Started with 50 sports clubs, secured $205k in grants, with sports equipment sales reaching $103k

• 2023: Scaled to 292 sports clubs, secured $800k in grants, with sports equipment sales reaching $330k

• 2024: Served 309 sports clubs, secured $950k in grants, with sports equipment sales reaching $490k.

Total impact in three years:

• Total grants secured: approximately $1.9M

• Total sports equipment sales: $900k

What makes this model particularly effective is its scalability - we can handle hundreds of applications with minimal operational costs (just 86 PLN monthly for our entire tech stack). This ensures high profitability while maintaining service quality.

How have you attracted users and grown your product?

Our user acquisition strategy leverages multiple channels, with a strong focus on my existing network in the sports industry. Here's how we've grown:

1. Existing Database Leverage

Utilized my 12+ years of industry contacts
Sent targeted newsletters to existing sports club database
Used SMS campaigns for direct communication

2. Digital Marketing

Created SEO-optimized landing page (brings ~35% of applications)
Active presence in relevant Facebook groups
Social media content focused on success stories
Regular newsletter campaigns via MailerLite

3. Word-of-Mouth and Social Proof

100% success rate in first year (50 clubs) generated strong referrals
Satisfied clubs actively recommend our services
Built trust through transparent communication
Shared success stories and testimonials

4. Competitive Advantage Marketing

Promoted our unique "free application" model
Highlighted savings
Emphasized our partnership with major sports equipment manufacturers

5. Automated Growth Systems

Implemented automated follow-up sequences
Used CRM in Airtable to maintain relationships
Automated feedback collection through EasyTools

Our growth has been organic and sustainable, focusing on building trust and delivering value.

What's your advice for people just getting started?

The foundation of any successful no-code project lies in deep industry knowledge, not just technical capabilities. Before diving into building, make sure you truly understand the problem you're trying to solve. In my case, combining 12 years of sports industry experience with no-code capabilities created a unique opportunity to serve a specific market need.

Your business model should be your primary focus. The most advanced no-code tools stack won't save a poorly designed business model. Look for unique approaches that set you apart from competitors - in our case, offering free services while generating revenue through alternative streams proved highly successful. This kind of innovative thinking often matters more than technical sophistication.

When starting out, keep your infrastructure costs low and begin with a minimal viable product. One of the beautiful aspects of no-code tools is their cost-effectiveness, especially when you can share subscriptions across multiple projects.

Embrace automation from the very beginning. Build your systems with scalability in mind, using tools like Make.com and Airtable to handle repetitive tasks. This approach allows you to grow without proportionally increasing operational costs or staff. The time saved through automation can be invested in customer service and business development.

Choose your tools strategically, focusing on ones that integrate well with each other. Don't overcomplicate your stack - the simplest solution that solves the problem is often the best. We've found that a carefully selected combination of 14 no-code tools allows us to handle hundreds of applications efficiently.

Finally, validate your ideas quickly with real users. We started with just 50 clubs in our first year, learned from the experience, and scaled based on actual market feedback. This approach helps you avoid building features or services that your market doesn't actually need.

Remember that success in the no-code space isn't about building the most technically impressive solution - it's about solving real problems efficiently while maintaining healthy margins. Focus on creating value for your users, and the technical aspects will naturally fall into place.

What a story, thanks for sharing this in so much detail Piotr!

Follow Piotr on Linkedin or Twitter where he shares his journey.

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