Entrepreneurship Journal, 10/27/2016

It’s been about a month since I last wrote.

Two days ago I did a big launch. I came out with a new video product on AngularOnRails.com.

It’s always been my intention to create a product ladder for Angular on Rails. Here’s what the product ladder looks like now:

  • Free guide (to getting started with Angular + Rails)
  • Book ($39)
  • Video courses ($199)

The idea is that some visitors will download the free guide, some people who download the free guide will buy the book, and some people who buy the book will also buy the videos.

I launched the video courses on Tuesday at a special price of $99, and for people who have already bought the book, $60. Total revenue since Tuesday for the videos has been $576.

Here’s my month-by-month revenue so far:

August 2016: $868

September 2016: $1053 (18% growth over August)

October 2016 so far: $1364 (30% growth over September)

Total all-time sales is $3285.

I like to contrast these numbers with the fact that Snip never made more than $450/mo. Angular on Rails’ first month of making money was better than Snip’s best month ever!

My goal for November is $2000, which would be about 50% growth over October (or at least 50% growth over what October has earned so far, although I hope and expect I’m not done making sales for October.)

If I grow by 20% a month, I’ll be at $5,000/mo by June 2017 and $10,000/mo by September 2017.

If I grow by 30% a month, I’ll be at $5,000/mo by March 2017 and $10,000/mo by June 2017.

So I think it’s reasonable to shoot for being done with client work (or at least done needing client work) and living 100% off of product income sometime in 2017.

3 thoughts on “Entrepreneurship Journal, 10/27/2016

  1. Uzo

    Really awesome to see these numbers!

    This statement though:

    “So I think it’s reasonable to shoot for being done with client work (or at least done needing client work) and living 100% off of product income sometime in 2017.”

    Doesn’t this entirely depend on the public’s perception of demand for Angular?

    Is this a rock-solid future-proof stream of income that allows you to discard your current streams?

    Reply
    1. Jason Post author

      That’s a great question, and something I’ve thought about.

      The Angular/Rails combo has been a great way for me to gain traction but it would probably be unwise for me to base my whole business on those two technologies forever.

      In fact, many of the people who sign up for the Angular on Rails email list are brand new to programming, and what they really need is general programming education. Angular/Rails right out of the gate is kind of crazy.

      So my plan is to establish a new business called Ben Franklin Training (I already bought benfranklintraining.com) which Angular on Rails lives under. In the future I see myself teaching a number of things under Ben Franklin Training, especially Rails, which I doubt is going away anytime soon.

      And then in the even more distant future, I see myself hiring other people to do the technical work with myself receding into a managerial role, and eventually selling the business.

      But for the next several months I plan to continue to focus on Angular/Rails. I honestly do think there is, and will continue to be, enough demand for the Rails/Angular combo for me to reach $10,000/mo on just that. I think it will be a while before either technology reaches its peak. (And even if they’ve already peaked, my selling system is only at a fraction of its potential effectiveness, so there’s a ton of room for me to grow independently of external demand for the technologies.)

      Reply
      1. Uzo

        Very interesting; especially the bit about a good number (majority?) being new to development in general.

        Really glad this is a way more outstanding success than Snip.

        As always, will be paying close attention 🙂

        Reply

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