How Lilian Grew Sidebird to $1K MRR in Months
Who is Lilian?๐
Lilian, the founder of Sidebird, is an indie hacker from France who previously worked on an NFT marketplace and drew inspiration from successful online creators, eventually transitioning to develop Sidebird after identifying a gap in the market for affordable Twitter automation tools.
What problem does Sidebird solve?๐
Sidebird helps users effortlessly retweet their content to reach audiences in different time zones without staying up late or spending a fortune on other tools.
How did Lilian come up with the idea for Sidebird?๐
Lilian, the creator of Sidebird, stumbled upon the idea during his exploration of Twitter as a tool for indie hackers. Inspired by a course from Arvid Kahl, he learned a technique to retweet his own content at time intervals to reach different global audiences. Attempting this manually proved to be inconvenient, so he sought an automated solution but found nothing affordable under $200 a year. This gap in the market prompted him to build Sidebird himself.
Initially, Lilian developed Sidebird for personal use, ensuring he had at least one satisfied userโhimself. Enthusiastic feedback from his Twitter friends encouraged him to refine the tool, which started with basic functionality and free access. Despite facing challenges, including exceeding Twitter's API limits, Lilian used the obstacles as learning opportunities to improve and adapt the application.
Lilian's journey highlighted the importance of solving problems that resonate personally and the power of providing value, even if the concept isn't entirely original. He learned crucial lessons about market validation, the iterative process of refining ideas, and managing expectations through the ups and downs of indie hacking.
How did Lilian build the initial version of Sidebird?๐
Lilian built Sidebird as a solo founder by initially creating a basic version of the tool to automate retweeting. The development process started in July 2022, and it took approximately four months to launch the first fully functional version in November 2022. The first prototype was minimal, primarily designed to retweet content 12 hours after the original post, but it had numerous bugs and lacked additional features. The initial build used the Twitter API, which posed challenges such as API rate limits, leading to outages and feedback from users reporting issues. Despite these challenges, Lilian iteratively improved the product by adding features like "custom sequence" retweet timings and a "clean feed" option while transitioning authentication processes to ensure stability, which required overcoming significant technical and emotional hurdles.
How did Lilian launch Sidebird and get initial traction?๐
Initial Twitter Shares
Lilian started by sharing their new project, Sidebird, on Twitter. This platform was chosen because it already had a community of indie hackers and entrepreneurs, which meant Lilian could reach a relevant audience directly. By sharing their progress, the challenges they faced, and engaging openly with their Twitter connections (often referred to as "building in public"), they started gaining attention and interest from potential users.
Why it worked: Twitter is a community-driven platform where many indie hackers and small business owners hang out, so sharing the product there helped reach the right audience. This approach also leveraged Lilian's personal network and organically spread awareness of Sidebird.
Offering Free Beta Access
Initially, Lilian offered Sidebird as a free tool to a small group of Twitter friends. This was crucial for getting the first users to try the product, despite it being in a very early development stage. This tactic was not only for testing but also to gather feedback and ideas directly from real users, which helped in refining the product.
Why it worked: By offering something free, Lilian lowered the barrier to entry for potential users. People were more willing to try out the service and provide feedback simply because there was no cost involved, helping Lilian understand what users actually wanted.
Word-of-Mouth and Early Feedback
The enthusiastic response from the initial free users led to word-of-mouth promotions. Feedback was abundant, encouraging improvements and additional features. Although this was done informally, it contributed significantly to Sidebird exceeded its initial Twitter API request limit due to high usage, which indirectly validated the demand for such a tool.
Why it worked: Word-of-mouth is powerful because people tend to trust recommendations from peers. The early users became advocates for Sidebird, spreading the word to others without any formal marketing effort from Lilian, demonstrating genuine interest and satisfaction with the product.
What was the growth strategy for Sidebird and how did they scale?๐
Building in Public on Twitter๐
Sidebird used Twitter as a major growth channel. The founder, Lilian, embraced the "build in public" approach by openly sharing the development journey, updates, and new features on Twitter. This transparency attracted interest and engagement from the indie hacker community and potential users. Lilian actively engaged with followers, shared progress, and listened to feedback, which created a sense of community and built trust. The frequent posts helped increase visibility and word-of-mouth referrals as users discovered Sidebird through Twitter interactions.
Why it worked: Building in public allowed Lilian to create a loyal community and leverage Twitter's network effect. By sharing updates and responding to feedback in real time, it fostered user trust and generated buzz around Sidebird. This approach resonated with the target audienceโtech-savvy individuals interested in productivity and automationโwho were more likely to appreciate and adopt such a tool.
Word-of-Mouth and Testimonials๐
Sidebird experienced significant growth through word-of-mouth and user testimonials. As more users tried the tool and found it valuable, they began sharing their experiences on their platforms, including Twitter and personal blogs. Positive testimonials and social proof enhanced Sidebird's reputation, making potential users curious and more likely to try the tool themselves.
Why it worked: Word-of-mouth is a powerful marketing channel, especially in communities where trust and reputation matter. When satisfied users shared their positive experiences, it provided credibility and encouraged others to give Sidebird a try. This organic growth was fueled by the value the tool provided, making satisfied users natural advocates.
Feature-Driven Enhancements๐
Sidebirdโs growth was also propelled by adding new features, like "tweet slots," based on user requests and data. By incorporating highly-requested features and suggesting optimal tweet times, Sidebird not only improved the user experience but also kept existing customers engaged and interested in the product. This evolving feature set was regularly communicated through updates, maintaining user interest and encouraging renewals.
Why it worked: Continuously improving the product based on user feedback keeps the tool relevant and valuable. Feature enhancements provided users with more reasons to continue using Sidebird and recommend it to others. By addressing user needs and continually adding value, Sidebird ensured that its existing customer base remained engaged.
Email Marketing and Trigger-Based Automation๐
To re-engage past users, Sidebird implemented a trigger-driven email marketing campaign. When users returned to the platform after their trial period ended, they received a sequence of emails showcasing new features to incentivize conversion. This approach aimed to convert users by highlighting product improvements and features that they might have missed, increasing the likelihood of reactivation.
Why it worked: Trigger-based emails are effective for re-engagement because they provide timely and relevant information when the user is already interacting with the platform. By reminding users of the platformโs value and updating them on new features at critical touchpoints, Sidebird effectively encouraged past users to return and convert.
What's the pricing strategy for Sidebird?๐
Sidebird offers automated tweet retweeting for $9 per month, with a 14-day free trial to attract initial users and reduce Twitter API costs.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building Sidebird?๐
- Embrace Emotional Ups and Downs: Entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster. Lilian learned to navigate the highs and lows, understanding that a down moment can pave the way for unexpected successes. Resilience is key in the face of fluctuating growth and customer sign-ups.
- Start Simple, Evolve Quickly: Initially launched with minimal features, Sidebird focused on building from user feedback. This iterative approach allowed Lilian to adapt the product to better suit user needs, showcasing the importance of starting small and improving with real-world insights.
- Donโt Fear the Unoriginal: Lilian discovered the power of entering existing markets with a fresh take. Rather than reinventing the wheel, providing a unique perspective can still lead to success. Aspiring founders should focus on adding value to established ideas.
- Prepare for Platform Dependencies: Facing Twitter's API changes taught Lilian about the risks of relying on third-party platforms. Future projects should mitigate such risks by diversifying dependencies and planning for changes beyond your control.
- Balancing Cost and Quality: Lilian realized that cheaper plans often increase marketing and support demands. Pricing strategies should reflect the product's value while ensuring sustainability and allowing time for essential product enhancements.
Discover Similar Business Ideas Like Sidebird๐
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A 24-year-old entrepreneur from Botswana founded iBranch Recruiters, which has already recorded over 90,000 users and has helped 1,600 users get employed since launching in 2020, using technology and artificial intelligence to connect graduates across Africa to employers globally.
More about Sidebird:๐
Who is the owner of Sidebird?๐
Lilian is the founder of Sidebird.
When did Lilian start Sidebird?๐
2022
What is Lilian's net worth?๐
Lilian's business makes an average of $1K/month.
How much money has Lilian made from Sidebird?๐
Lilian started the business in 2022, and currently makes an average of $12K/year.
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