How to Get to $5k in MRR as an Indie Hacker Without Selling SaaS

Meet Charlie Ward (@charlierward) — the founder of Ramen Club, a community focused on helping founders get to ramen profitability, and beyond. 

Charlie loves the intersection of ideas and community.  A software developer by trade, Charlie is always tinkering with a new app, product, or service idea.

But as he began to meet other founders who were interested in building bootstrapped companies, Charlie realized that there was a lack of community for folks who were just starting their journey as entrepreneurs. 

He began hosting Indie Beers as a way to network with other indie hackers in London and, before long, this monthly meet up grew into a dynamic community of virtual and IRL members. 

Charlie and I discuss:

• The importance of building products in the context of community
• How to get to $5k in MRR without a SaaS product
• And why community in REAL life (not just online) is so crucial for the entrepreneurial journey 

About the Show

Zero to (point) One is hosted by yours truly, Zach Busekrus (@zboozee).   

I’m an entrepreneur in residence at a marketing firm by day and building my own start up Sponstayneous by night.   

Sponstayneous brings subscribers the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.  My wife and I co-founded the company while living full-time on Airbnb last year.  

There’s a lot of podcasts out there that feature entrepreneurs:

• once they’ve gone public
• once they’ve had an exit
• or even once they’ve made their first million.  

But not as many that feature the first-time Product Hunt launchers, the Indie Hacker that has yet to go viral on Twitter, or the micro influencer who wants to build their first niche product.   

And there’s where this show comes in.

Zero to (point) One features a collection of ideas that may go nowhere, or just might change the world, from people you've never heard of, who may just become household names.   

A nod to tech founder Peter Thiel's Zero to One framework, Zero to (point) One explores the beginnings of (very) early-stage creators and entrepreneurs whose first chapters are still being written.    

Each guest featured on the show has MRR of $500 - $10k (no more and no less) or has 10k - 100k followers on Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter.   

Come and meet the next generation of builders wherever you get your podcasts every Friday morning.   

If you’d like to be on the show or if you know someone who might be a good fit for the show, send me an email at zach@sponstayneous.com or DM me on Twitter @zboozee.   

Finally, be sure to subscribe — who knows?  You may just meet your future co-founder, your next great investment, or the next Steve or Elon right here.