Taking the leap and building a 6-figure-ARR portfolio
by Pauline Clavelloux
TL;DR: After 9.5 years at IBM, Pauline Clavelloux became a full-time indie hacker building 4 SaaS products: IACrea (AI real estate marketing), Feedbask (customer feedback widget), Subclip (video subtitles), and Refindie (affiliate management). She reached €100k+ ARR in 2024 by following a lean mindset: build fast even if ugly, launch early, improve only what matters, quit if no traction. Distribution proved harder than building - she adapted strategies per product: Facebook groups and in-person networking for IACrea, social media and building in public for others. Key insight: solve your own problems (Feedbask was built from her own customer support frustrations). Uses simple stack (Next.js, Supabase, Stripe, Vercel) across all products for speed.
Key Insights
- Lean Mindset: Build fast even if ugly, launch early, improve only what matters, quit if no traction
- Portfolio Approach: Building multiple products lets the market pick the winner instead of you guessing
- Solve Your Own Problems: Makes problem clearer and motivation stronger (Feedbask from support frustration)
- Distribution is Hard: Making people aware is harder than building - adapt strategy per product
- Simple Stack: Use consistent tech stack (Next.js, Supabase, Stripe) across all products for speed
Actionable Takeaways
- Start with extremely simple first version - don't focus on design or scalability
- Build fast even if ugly - perfection is the enemy of shipping
- Launch early and get feedback - improve only what matters
- Quit if no traction - don't waste time on products that don't work
- Solve your own problems first - you'll know what's needed and what's broken
- For B2B/real estate: use Facebook groups, in-person networking, industry partnerships
- For SaaS tools: social media, share use cases, build in public
- Build in public to get early feedback and stay close to users
- Use simple consistent tech stack across all projects
- Don't wait to be "ready" - start building and sharing early
- Be prepared to fail - success on first attempt is very rare
Principles Validated (30)
Partner with people who already have your target audience
Pauline Clavelloux (Feedbask)
Partner with people who already have your target audience
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Go where your customers physically gather
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Each channel compounds differently over time
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Earn social proof through PR placements and awards - it compounds over time
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Contribute value in communities before ever mentioning your product to avoid spam label
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Post regular updates to niche communities with humble building-in-public tone
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Build in public on the platform where your target users already spend time
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Build recurring affiliate programs where affiliates earn as long as customers stay, not just on signup
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Product Hunt provides awareness and SEO backlinks, not direct revenue
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Partner with adjacent niche creators who reach your audience
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Build personal audience in a different niche than your product for indirect distribution benefits
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Partner with adjacent non-competing professionals who advise your target customers for affiliate-driven growth
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Build products iteratively to learn unfamiliar markets - each pivot reveals constraints research cannot
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Use webinars to validate demand and educate potential customers simultaneously
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)
Organic growth and emotional reactions indicate true product-market fit
Pauline Clavelloux (IACrea)