I’ve been building things for as long as I can remember, and for the past two years, I’ve focused primarily on SaaS. Spoiler alert: it hasn’t always been easy.
Initially, I thought I was the next Bill Gates, ready to launch a product that would “disrupt” the market. Reality check—it didn’t happen.
I quickly realized that even the best app means nothing without users. So, I took a step back to reflect on what I actually needed—what problems I could solve for myself rather than chasing the next big idea.
That’s when SyncReads was born. The concept was solid: an app that could parse almost any website. While it generated some revenue, maintaining it became quite challenging. I may revisit it one day because it has potential, but that’s a story for another time.
Then I had an epiphany: “I’m doing the same tedious setup for every new project. Why not create something reusable?”
Thus, TurboStarter was born.
I aimed for something that met my standards—clean code, strong architecture, and a way to get the basics up and running in minutes for any new project. However, I didn’t want to make another generic boilerplate. There are plenty of those out there, and let’s be honest—most of them are subpar.
So, I combined everything I learned about building web apps, mobile apps, and browser extensions into a single codebase. Initially, I wasn’t planning to sell it; I just wanted it for myself.
But then a friend checked it out and said, “Dude, this could be a game-changer for developers. Most boilerplates don’t even compare.”
That was the motivation I needed. I quickly set up a landing page, integrated Stripe for payments, and shared the link in a few comments online. The product wasn’t even finished yet, but I made 10 sales almost immediately! Pre-launchers got on board, and I realized there’s still a demand for high-quality boilerplates as long as you invest the effort to make it good—clean code, solid documentation, and excellent customer support.
Now, I’m fully committed to TurboStarter. It’s still early days, but I’m hopeful that the best is yet to come.
Lesson learned: Keep grinding and don’t give up! 