How I Bootstrapped A $42K/Month Custom Software Development Agency
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hey there! My name is Ricardo Cardona and I'm the founder and CEO of Levisoft.io, a business software development and consulting company. But* *what exactly is a consulting business and how exactly do one fall into the consultant status you may ask? Well, stay reading and I'll tell you.
Given the versatility of the software industry, the urgency of business software solutions right now, and as many software companies do, Levisoft grew to be a jack of all trades,
software company, covering the most popular software services in the market:
- Low-Code & MVP Development
- Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
- Big Data Solutions
- Cloud Solutions
- Frontend Development
- Chatbot Systems
- Document Generation
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- DevOps
- Software Modernization
- Backend Development
That being said, right now, our flagship services and the only ones we are actually pushing sales on right now are: subscription-based backend and frontend development aimed at growing startups and companies that are actively developing software for either in-house use or to sell in a SaaS business model.
This aims to target companies currently looking to hire either backend or frontend Software Engineer for their Company and provide them with a Dev Team of 7 specialists, including a dedicated Project Manager, Tech Lead, 2 Software Developers, QA engineer, Personal Account Manager and Business Analyst.
With a minimum development work output of 150 hours a month and by leveraging the compound effect of a robust team we manage to deliver better results at the same price point of hiring a full time developer.
This approach also allows us to fast pace the usually 4 weeks long onboarding process for new hires and double, triple or even 10x the development work output from overnight for fast growing startups or companies.
The first time Levisoft broke the $15K MRR was in 2020, I ended up making around $200,000 net profit (probably thanks covid). I used that money to try and turn Levisoft into a ERP Software Startup on 2021 (Which did not worked out) and made monthly earnings oscillate between $3,000 and $10,000 on 2021 and 2022 (mostly bc of the delegation and team building curve on top of the HUGE pivot I made).
Steering away from web development and automations into ERP and full on software development which as expected took its toll on the earnings.
We are on track to close the year with around $300,000 net profit without having spent a dime on ads mainly because of the partnerships and certifications me and the team managed to earn:
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
Born and raised in Bolivia, I was given an amazing opportunity through an academic scholarship to pursue higher education in Mexico. However, my family's financial situation at the time was a bit tight—they could only send me $200 USD a month for my expenses.
So, as one would expect, I had to get creative to make ends meet! My personal journey has always revolved around finding creative solutions to challenges, which really set the stage for my entrepreneurial endeavors.
I launched Levisoft in March 2016 out of sheer necessity. Initially, it was just a bare-bones web development agency, and I didn’t even have a name or strategy back then. The idea was simple: make some money quickly to cover basic expenses like food and housing while I was in college. I knew this was the right idea to work on because there was always a demand for web development skills, and this market wasn't going anywhere. Plus, it allowed me to tap into my passion for technology and not starving.
Through a whole lot of trial and error (and plenty of pivoting), I started to notice evolving market demands. By 2017, we diversified our offerings to include web applications and low-code solutions. That's a big reason why Levisoft offers such a wide range of services today. Up until 2021, it was a one-man show.
Take us through the process of building the first version of your product.
Building the first version of what came to be Levisoft was a mix of excitement, creativity, and a whole lot of grit. Initially, there wasn't much in terms of sophisticated processes or high-end tech stacks. The focus was mostly on quick web development projects to get cash flow going.
My “prototyping” stage involved designing basic web pages and ensuring they were functional and visually appealing. (mostly in Wix and Shopify back then) The MVP, in my case, was delivering simple, straightforward websites that got the job done for clients.
As I diversified into web applications and low-code solutions, the process became more and more refined. Designing these services required a deep dive into user requirements, simplifying complex workflows, and ensuring that user interfaces were intuitive.
The iterative feedback from early adopters was crucial in honing these offerings. This stage, looking back, laid the foundation of our current consulting and operations analysis processes today.
Initial startup costs were minimal—mostly absorbed by my personal laptop and whatever free or low-cost software I could use. The legal stuff was pretty straightforward, focusing on ensuring we had proper client contracts and service agreements, besides, the internet is full of legal templates if you know where to look (thanks slidebean).
One of the biggest mistakes early on was not having a clear strategy or brand identity. This led to some missed opportunities and confusion among potential clients.
Describe the process of launching the business.
The launch of Levisoft was, to put it mildly, a hustle from the get-go. My “launch strategy” was essentially spreading the word about my web development services through any means I could—mostly leveraging my college network, friends and family.
The first few customers trickled in relatively slowly, but things picked up pace within a few months as word-of-mouth and initial partnerships started to build. (Wix, Shopify and Webflow)
Initially, I created a simple website to show off my portfolio. Nothing fancy, but it got the job done. Financing the business was a mix of bootstrapping and using personal savings. I didn’t go down the credit cards or loans route initially because I wanted to keep things lean and avoid any debts.
Besides, getting a credit card while studying was essentially impossible due to tax laws for international students residing in mexico. The costs were minimal, mostly focusing on basic hardware and software needs.
Along the way, I learned some valuable lessons. One big takeaway is the importance of diversification in service offerings. By pivoting quickly based on market needs, we were able to stay relevant and grow steadily. Another lesson was to never underestimate the power of a personal network—those early connections were vital.
ALWAYS FOLLOW THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AT THE BEGINNING,
Ask yourself, who do I know that I could sell X right now?
Reading advice for this stage:
The Unfair Advantage: How You Already Have What It Takes to Succeed
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Attracting and retaining customers has been a journey of constant learning and adaptation. My growth advice for aspiring founders? Focus on understanding your customers and delivering consistent value.
In the early days, I primarily relied on word of mouth to spread the word. I also invested some time in SEO (check out SEMFLOW for this part, the founder Pat is a fucking SEO genious) to improve our online visibility. Networking both online and offline played a crucial role in getting the Levisoft name out there.
Our marketing efforts have been nothing but organic. We've run Facebook ads which did not turn out great and utilized email marketing, and tried to build a presence through SEO. Social media, especially LinkedIn and Twitter, have been excellent platforms for connecting with potential clients and sharing success stories.
Word-of-mouth remains incredibly powerful—it stems from satisfied clients recommending our services to others, and that trust is invaluable, being this the main reason we're just getting started with social media strategies.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Today, Levisoft is profitable and is positioned to grow exponentially. Our gross margins are healthy, and customer acquisition costs have been optimized. ALWAYS keep a close eye on metrics—monthly traffic, average time on site, conversion rates, and email subscriptions to guide yourself with strategic moves.
Our sales mostly come through our online channels, but we're exploring other avenues to diversify.
Operations have been just recently systemized to allow rapid growth. Our future plans include expanding aggressively into the Backend and Frontend development services. To grab as many new customers as possible while not over-complicating the operations and delivery side of the business.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
Starting Levisoft has been a treasure trove of learning experiences. One of the biggest mistakes early on was not having a clear strategy or brand identity. This led to some missed opportunities and confusion among potential clients. Timing also played a huge role in some of our successes—it’s about being prepared to pivot quickly as market trends shift.
Good decisions included focusing on diversification and leveraging my personal network. Building strong partnerships and collaborations has also been crucial. The ability to quickly adapt and iterate has been one of our key strengths.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
We utilize a variety of platforms for different aspects of our business. For project management, tools like Trello and ClickUP help keep everything organized. Our development team uses GitHub for version control, and our communication is handled through Slack. For marketing, we rely on Google Analytics for insights, along with Mailchimp for email campaigns.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Some of the most influential books for me include "The Mom Test," "Atomic Habits," "Playing to Win," "The Unfair Advantage," and "Indistractable" by Nir Eyal. These resources offer invaluable insights for anyone looking to start or scale a business.
They cover everything from validating business ideas to building sustainable habits and staying focused.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
You can YouTube pretty much everything!
Just ask, most business owners are actually happy to share what they've learned
The easiest way to get into the entrepreneurial/Business related environment if you don't know where or how to start is by joining an incubation program, you'll be surprised the quality of the people that take those,
Taxes are your friends, learn how to leverage them.
One of the most bizarre place I managed to find people interested in participating for something is instagram notes (Not that obvious to search within your somewhat closed circle)
Where can we go to learn more?
- Website
- Personal LinkedIn
- IG: ricardo cardona
Let’s connect!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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