https://substack.com/@saascontentwriter/p-170783718
Tally hit $175k MRR without ads or VC money. here's the real playbook behind their growth - including the tactics most case studies miss. guide
Hey founders,
Marie and Filip’s first startup was a disaster.
They burned through investor money for 18 months building a travel app nobody wanted — solving problems they’d never experienced, in a bubble.
When it died in 2020, they could have gone back to their corporate jobs. Instead, they tried again — but with a completely different playbook:
Four years later: $175K monthly recurring revenue. Eight people on the team. Fully profitable. Bootstrapped from day one.
Here’s how they did it — and what you can adapt for your own journey.
This time, Marie had skin in the game. She kept running into response limits on every form tool while doing user research.
You know the drill — start on the free plan, hit 100 responses, get the upgrade popup.
Instead of researching the “form builder market” for months, they built something she’d actually want to use. A few weeks later, MVP shipped.
The takeaway isn’t just “build what you need” — it’s “build what’s frustrating you right now.”