How Kieran Built Bubble.io Boilerplate to $6K MRR in 1.5 Months
Who is Kieran Ball?π
Kieran Ball, the founder of Bullet Launch, hails from the UK and transitioned from a finance career to become a solopreneur, finding his niche in no-code development after struggling with traditional coding.
What problem does Bullet Launch solve?π
Bullet Launch helps non-technical entrepreneurs quickly build and launch SaaS products without needing to code, saving them time and eliminating the frustration of learning to code.
How did Kieran come up with the idea for Bullet Launch?π
Kieran Ball's journey to creating Bullet Launch began with a series of frustrations and realizations during his years in the accounting field. Feeling confined by the lack of autonomy and ownership in his corporate job, he was inspired by the idea of entrepreneurship after reading "The 4-Hour Workweek." This led him to explore various digital product ideas, but his inability to code and unsuccessful attempts to find a technical cofounder made building software startups difficult.
The breakthrough moment came when Kieran discovered the no-code movement in 2019, particularly the tool Bubble.io, which allowed him to create complex applications without needing to write code. After building and iterating on dozens of SaaS projects, he recognized a recurring challenge: the repetitive groundwork required for each new build. This pattern sparked the idea for a SaaS boilerplate that would speed up the development process, combining essential elements and documentation in one package.
Kieran's deep dive into the no-code ecosystem, along with his drive to streamline the app-building process, led to the creation of Bullet Launch. He crafted this tool for non-coders and visual developers eager to bring their ideas to life without getting bogged down by technical barriers. By leveraging community feedback and his ongoing learning from previous projects, he refined his approach, ensuring that the boilerplate was not only functional but also easy to use for those with varying levels of technical ability.
How did Kieran build the initial version of Bullet Launch?π
Bullet Launch was developed by Kieran Ball as a no-code SaaS boilerplate using Bubble.io, focusing on creating reusable components to expedite the development process. The first version of Bullet Launch was built from December 2023 to March 2024, taking approximately four months to finalize.
During development, Ball faced challenges, such as managing complex workflows and ensuring that best practices were followed, particularly with setting up functionalities like multi-tenancy and integrating payment systems like Stripe and LemonSqueezy. Ball leveraged Bubble's features, like detachable reusable elements, to create a master template that simplifies building SaaS applications, which involved substantial effort and troubleshooting, particularly around workflow execution and user access rules.
How did Kieran launch Bullet Launch and get initial traction?π
Social Media Marketing
Kieran Ball, the founder of Bullet Launch, heavily leveraged his presence on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), to spread the word about Bullet Launch. With an established audience of 30,000 followers interested in no-code and SaaS content, Kieran consistently shared updates, screenshots, and anecdotes daily. This approach aimed to showcase the product's features and maintain engagement with his followers.
Why it worked: Kieran's existing audience on X was already interested in no-code tools and SaaS products, making it easier to introduce Bullet Launch to potential customers who were likely to be interested. By frequently posting visually appealing content and updates, he kept the audience informed and engaged, which translated into sales.
Newsletter Inserts
In addition to social media, Kieran utilized his existing email newsletter as a communication channel to promote Bullet Launch. The newsletter, which had about 4,500 subscribers, included a footer that highlighted the boilerplate as a resource for building SaaS products.
Why it worked: The newsletter's audience was already engaged with Kieran's content regarding no-code solutions, making them more receptive to product promotion. Including information about Bullet Launch in a subtle way within the newsletter ensured consistent visibility and led to sales directly from the email campaign.
Metrics:
- Sold 77 copies of Bullet Launch at an average of $150 per template.
- Made an average of $6k per month in 1.5Months.
What was the growth strategy for Bullet Launch and how did they scale?π
Social Media Marketing (X/Twitter)π
Kieran Ball leveraged his sizable following on X, having built a community of 30k followers since 2019. His strategy involved posting daily updates on Bullet Launch, often showcasing new features, engaging screenshots, and short videos to capture attention. This approach capitalizes on the visuals, as posts with appealing images and videos tend to receive more engagement. A separate Twitter profile for Bullet Launch (@usebulletlaunch) helps in tagging rather than providing URLs, which can reduce the reach of the posts.
Why it worked: By consistently interacting with a community interested in no-code technology and indie hacking, Kieran could keep Bullet Launch top of mind. Visual content draws attention and communicates updates effectively, which is crucial in a fast-scrolling platform like X.
Newsletter Marketingπ
Kieran includes a promotional footer in his newsletter, which reaches 4.5k subscribers. It subtly mentions his offerings like the Bullet Launch boilerplate and Bubble course in a section modeled after Justin Welshβs newsletter. This not only informs but also leverages his educational content as a funnel to attract potential buyers at the point they are most engaged.
Why it worked: Newsletters reach a highly engaged audience who have opted to hear more from you, making them prime candidates for conversion. The newsletter acts as a direct line of communication to a dedicated subset of Kieranβs audience, allowing for targeted promotion of his products with a personal touch.
Product Hunt Launchπ
While this is a future plan, launching Bullet Launch on Product Hunt is aimed at expanding reach and improving SEO. Product Hunt is known for being a launchpad for new tech products, making it appropriate for a tool like Bullet Launch that targets developers and tech enthusiasts.
Why itβs expected to work: Product Hunt has a large, active community interested in tech innovations, offering an avenue to gain visibility among potential users looking for exactly what Bullet Launch offers. A successful launch could lead to increased SEO benefits through backlinks and user-generated content sharing.
What's the pricing strategy for Bullet Launch?π
Bullet Launch offers a one-time purchase no-code SaaS boilerplate priced at $249 for unlimited usecases and 799 for developer license.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building Bullet Launch?π
- Embrace Failure as a Learning Tool: Kieran faced numerous failures, such as unsuccessful products like his video testimonial tool. Instead of giving up, he viewed each failure as a learning opportunity, improving with each attempt. This highlights the importance of perseverance and learning from missteps.
- Adapt and Evolve: When Kieran struggled with coding, he pivoted to no-code solutions. Embracing no-code tools like Bubble allowed him to leverage his strengths and find success in building SaaS products, emphasizing the value of being adaptable.
- Focus on Distribution: Kieran learned that building a product is only part of the journey; distribution and marketing are crucial. He's built an audience on social media and learned to weave his products into his narrative, teaching us the importance of prioritizing distribution channels.
- Leverage Community and Resources: Engaging with the Bubble community helped Kieran overcome technical challenges, showing that utilizing available resources and support networks can be invaluable for troubleshooting and growth.
- Play the Long Game: Kieran's approach is to optimize for longevity, understanding that success may not come immediately. Aspiring founders should set themselves up for sustainable progress, maintaining resilience through multiple attempts.
Discover Similar Business Ideas Like Bullet Launchπ
Rezi, an AI-powered resume builder, skyrocketed from a simple $9.69 Microsoft Word template to serving over 2.6 million job seekers and achieving a monthly recurring revenue of $215K, showing how clever branding, strategic early decisions, and creative growth hacking can turn a side project into a profitable SaaS business.
A passionate computer-coder entrepreneur shares the story behind his successful PDFShift business which after a year and a half generates $3.2k of monthly revenues with the focus now on growth.
More about Bullet Launch:π
Who is the owner of Bullet Launch?π
Kieran Ball is the founder of Bullet Launch.
When did Kieran Ball start Bullet Launch?π
2024
What is Kieran Ball's net worth?π
Kieran Ball's business makes an average of $6K/month.
How much money has Kieran Ball made from Bullet Launch?π
Kieran Ball started the business in 2024, and currently makes an average of $72K/year.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
