Starter Story HubSpot Media HE SET A RULE: BUILD AND SELL AN APP EVERY 30 DAYS. THAT MADE HIM $1M

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Selling · SaaS › AI Tool

Softgen softgen.ai ↗

Why it worked

The post uses a compelling narrative of overcoming challenges and achieving significant success through a disciplined, repeatable process, making it relatable and inspiring for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Summary

This TikTok slideshow tells the story of Domenico, who challenged himself to build and sell a micro-SaaS every 30 days while working a full-time job. He successfully launched and sold multiple apps, including Softgen, an AI coding tool, which grew significantly under his leadership, ultimately leading to a successful exit.

Structure

1Introduction of Domenico's challenge to build and sell apps monthly.
2His past failures and return to a 9-5 job.
3The creation and sale of his first app, Pitch 2.0.
4The success of subsequent apps like an Excel formula tool and a cover letter generator.
5The development and growth of Softgen, an AI coding tool.
6Domenico's strategy of using calendar blocks and Pomodoro sprints to manage his workload.

Original caption

He built and sold 7 apps while working a 9-to-5. The last one exited for over $1M. Domenico Gagliardi set himself a challenge in January 2022: launch, validate, and sell a micro-SaaS every 30 days. No technical background. Just a full-time analyst job, a calendar blocked into Pomodoro sprints, and an X account he used to build in public. The receipts: • Pitch 2.0 (deck generator) > sold for $2,500 after 45 days • OneTap.ai (Excel formula generator) > $7K revenue, sold for $25K • YourCoverLetter.com > sold for $7K after 40 days • RecapitoGPT (AI summarizer) > sold for $34K • TweetsBot.io > sold for $5K • AIWebDesigner.io > sold for $12K • Softgen.ai > grew from $20K to $500K ARR in 3 months, sold for ~3x ARR (over $1M) His 5-step playbook: 1. Set the goal (sell in 3, 6, or more months - it defines everything) 2. Validate with a yep.so landing page, distribute on X, aim for a 15% conversion rate 3. Build one key feature, ship to the waitlist, feedback loop, rebuild 4. Grow with build-in-public 5. Package the business as an asset - buyers care about ARR, growth, margins, ARPU, LTV, CAC, churn The trend behind every winner? He read sentiment on X and only built into rising trends. Timing was the difference maker. The untold story: in 2024 he’d already signed a new job contract and left his apartment when the company called to rescind financial problems. Instead of panicking, he flipped it: “maybe this is the right time to jump into something different.” That something was Softgen. Takeaway: ship fast, build into a trend that’s already moving, and treat every project as an asset you’ll sell.

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Starter Story HubSpot Media HE SET A RULE: BUILD AND SELL AN APP EVERY 30 DAYS. THAT MADE HIM $1M Swipe for the full story → Domenico always wanted to escape the 9-5. In 2019 he tried, launching a micro-mobility startup with a co-founder. Four months in, the partnership fell apart, and so did the business. Dom @DG_9.6 · Dec 20, 2021 I am ready to start this challenge @BuildSell30 #nocode @microacquire #SaaS He went back to a 9-5, working analyst roles in insurance, fintech, and gambling. In 2022 he gave himself a strange assignment: launch, validate, and sell a micro-SaaS every single month. No exceptions, no matter what the idea was. pitch.com Pitch Product Use Cases Templates Resources Pricing Log In Dom @DG_9.6 The first week of @pitch2_0 in numbers: - 40+ users on our App (app.pitch2point0.com) - 80+ Pitch Deck Views - 100+ Emails - 20+ Pitch Decks generated Not bad! November 14, 2023 Introducing Pitch 2.0: The future of visual business His first product was a pitch deck generator called Pitch 2.0. He spent 45 days building it and made $300 in total revenue. He sold it anyway for $2,500, just to prove the loop worked. quizbot.io Generate Quizzes In A Snap! Say goodbye to spending hours creating quizzes Generate Quizzes Now → Recieve API yourcoverletter.com Increase your chance of an interview by 86% generating your cover letter in less than 60 seconds thanks to the AI. Business Analyst He ran that same loop five more times on five different ideas. An Excel-formula tool sold for $24K, a cover letter generator sold for $7K, and an AI summarizer sold for $34K. Even the weakest one, a quiz app that made $1K, still found a buyer for $5K. Dom @DG_9.6 · Dec 6, 2023 · 460 Views rate this #buildinpublic Secretflow Sign in to your account Before writing any code, he built a single landing page and posted it on X. He watched exactly one number: if 15% of visitors left their email, the idea was real. If not, he killed it that same week and moved to the next. softgen.ai Built to stay in flow with you What do you want to create today? Develop a URL Shortener Create a Memory Game Make a Poll/Voting Component Join over 175,000 users creating with Softgen Then came Softgen - one of the first AI vibe-coding tools. He joined in November 2024 when it was doing $20K ARR. Three months later, using the exact same playbook, it hit $500K ARR. from first revenue Top 10% of companies reach 500k ARR in 5 months. We did in 3. @SoftgenAI 2 mar 2025 Visualizza traduzione post 100,000 users. A team of four. And an offer to sell for almost 3x ARR. Domenico said yes. Dom @DG_9.6 · Nov 3, 2022 In my opinion, the best strategy for staying focused is the Pomodoro Technique aliabdaal.com/pomodoro-techn.... Here's the part most people don't ask about: how he did all this with a full-time job. His answer was almost boring. Calendar blocks. Zero exceptions. 25-minute Pomodoro sprints between meetings. In 2024, he almost quit for a different company. Signed the contract. Then they called: the deal had fallen through. No job, no apartment, no plan. He didn't see it as a disaster. He saw it as the push he needed and went all-in on Softgen instead. Starter Story HubSpot Media WE SHARE STORIES LIKE THIS TO INSPIRE BUILDERS LIKE YOU