Bootstrapping a side project into a profitable seven-figure business

Summary

Bootstrapping a side project into a profitable seven-figure business in four years.We really did it! We bootstrapped ProjectionLab to $1,000,000 in annual recurring revenue.And I’m still processing that this is real. 🥹Back in 2021, I was inspired by the financial independence movement and wanted a better way to plan my own life. I couldn’t find the right tool, so I started building.I had no idea that side project would one day help over 100,000 households plan for their financial future too.How we got hereIf this is your first time hearing about ProjectionLab, here’s a quick recap:When you look beyond the recurring revenue chart, this journey had ups, downs, and moments I wanted to quit.The emotions behind the numbersWant to know what building in public from zero to a million dollars a year really felt like? NOT like serenely progressing up-and-to-the-right…More like riding a dopamine rollercoaster while getting attacked by a bear. Your browser does not support the video tag. The flat months in the early years? The dips in earnings? The times I woke up to a dozen canceled subscriptions?Each one had me questioning everything, wondering if I should just focus on the corporate ladder, or maybe try to get into big tech instead.The financial independence movement is what set me on this path. So on top of worrying about normal business risks, I was primed to think in terms of my time and opportunity cost, and how failure would hurt my own timeline to FI.But gradually, I learned that emotional peaks and valleys are always a part of entrepreneurship. And that “not giving up” is actually a superpower.Not giving upThere are loads of people out there smarter than me.But luckily, success indexes less on IQ and more on consistency. The willingness to doggedly show up every single day can take you to some really suprising and amazing places.And you know what makes it easier and more rewarding to be that persistent?Working alongside people you like.From solo dev to real teamFor th...