failory.com
Making $24k in MRR by Building a Second Brain for Teams
TL;DR: Fibery started as a research project exploring the future of work management inside Targetprocess. After 6 months of research, they began building. The product took 24 months to reach private beta and 3+ years to launch publicly in April 2020. They struggled with overgeneralization - the tool was so flexible it could serve any industry. PMF came when they narrowed to product teams (annual churn under 15%). Growth came mainly from word of mouth, with content marketing and a viral HN landing page. They grew from $80K to $290K ARR in 2021.
Key Insights
- Took 3+ years of development before public launch - unusually long for B2B SaaS but necessary given problem complexity
- Found PMF by narrowing from any industry to specifically product teams, where annual churn dropped below 15%
- Word of mouth was the main growth channel - existing customers recommending Fibery
- A funny, self-aware landing page went viral on Hacker News and generated trust and awareness
- Tested multiple acquisition channels: PH launches (many signups, few conversions), CPC (6 months to get leads flowing), outreach agencies (mostly failed)
Actionable Takeaways
- A narrow niche is critical - think about market and target persona very early, even as a technical founder
- Set up acquisition channel experiments and run 1-2 at a time, confirming they don't work before moving on
- Release publicly in under 12 months if possible - developing without real feedback is emotionally hard
- Authentic, humorous content can break through on HN and build brand trust
Read full article on failory.comAdded Feb 15, 2026