Welcome to Money Making Story,

Today, we’re thrilled to share the story of Julian Nahum, who built Notion Forms during his commute, turning it into a $400,000-a-year success.

In this discussion, we’ll discuss his:

• Top Advice from Julian

• The Birth of Notion Forms

• Finding and Validating Ideas

• From Zero to Thousands of Users

• Master Time Management

• Built-In Growth

• Turning Users Into Revenue

• Efficiency in Building and Scaling

• Julian’s Tech Stack and Tools

• Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

• A Story Worth Reading

Top Advice from Julian:

"Start small, ship fast, and build around existing platforms to scale quickly."

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In today’s fast-paced digital world, opportunities abound for those who are willing to take risks, move quickly, and embrace technology. One shining example is Julian Nom, a software engineer turned solopreneur, who built an app in just six days and transformed it into a thriving business generating over $400,000 annually.

Here’s the story of how Julian built Notion Forms, a tool designed for users of the popular productivity platform Notion, and his valuable insights into creating, marketing, and scaling a side project into a sustainable business.

Starting Small: The Birth of Notion Forms

Julian’s entrepreneurial journey began during his long commutes to work, where he utilized his spare time experimenting with side projects. His breakthrough came when Notion released its API, opening the door for integrations and third-party tools. Julian seized this moment, building a minimal viable product (MVP) for a form-building feature inspired by competitors like Airtable.

In just six days, Julian launched Notion Forms, which quickly gained traction in the Notion community. The timing was perfect: Notion’s users were passionate about the platform and eager for tools that expanded its functionality.

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The Secret Sauce: Finding and Validating Ideas

Julian credits his success to solving his own problems and quickly validating ideas. According to him:

• Solve Your Own Problems: Build products you would personally use. This ensures you’re deeply familiar with the challenges and solutions.

• Get Feedback Early: Share your MVP with users as soon as possible. Their feedback is crucial for refining the product and gauging demand.

• Leverage Social Circles: Talking to people from different fields can spark ideas. Julian noted that observing inefficiencies in others’ workflows often revealed problems worth solving.

Marketing a Side Project: From Zero to Thousands of Users

Julian’s marketing strategy was simple but highly effective. He tapped into communities where Notion users already gathered, including:

• Reddit: Julian shared Notion Forms in Notion-related subreddits. Because the tool was free and new, users welcomed it without skepticism.

• Facebook Groups: Despite being overlooked by some, Facebook groups proved to be active hubs for niche communities.

• Twitter: Although slow to gain traction initially, Julian built relationships with other creators and slowly grew his presence.

Julian also experimented with Product Hunt, but he found its impact limited compared to other platforms.

Master Time Management

The Viral Loop: Built-In Growth

One of the most powerful growth strategies Julian employed was creating a viral loop. Users who created forms with Notion Forms naturally shared those forms with others, often embedding them on websites. Each embedded form became free advertising for Julian’s product, driving new users back to his platform.

This self-reinforcing cycle allowed Notion Forms to grow organically, saving Julian significant marketing costs.

Monetization: Turning Users Into Revenue

Julian began monetizing Notion Forms by introducing premium features. He gave early users a generous discount to incentivize loyalty and flipped the switch to paid subscriptions after building a solid user base. Here’s his advice for pricing and monetization:

• Start Small: Price competitively when your product is new and less feature-rich compared to competitors.

• Experiment: Gradually raise prices and introduce higher-tier plans based on user demand.

• Subscription Models: Recurring revenue from subscriptions is more predictable and scalable than one-time payments.

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Efficiency in Building and Scaling

Julian’s ability to iterate quickly stems from his pragmatic approach to technology:

• Stick to What You Know: He uses a tech stack he’s mastered over 10 years, including PHP (Laravel) and Vue.js. This familiarity speeds up development.

• Reuse Code: By leveraging code from previous projects, he minimizes redundant work and focuses on delivering value.

• Lean Operations: With just three full-time employees and one part-time worker, Julian keeps costs low while relying on freelancers for specific tasks.

Julian’s Tech Stack and Tools

To run Notion Forms efficiently, Julian relies on a carefully chosen set of tools:

• Backend: PHP (Laravel)

• Frontend: Vue.js (Nuxt)

• Database: PostgreSQL

• Hosting: AWS

• Subscriptions: Stripe

• Support: Crisp (chat), Sentry (error tracking)

• Analytics: Amplitude

• Marketing: Google Ads

Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Julian’s journey offers practical advice for those looking to build and scale their own projects:

• Start Small and Ship Fast: Don’t overthink or aim for perfection. A simple MVP is enough to validate your idea.

• Leverage Existing Platforms: Building on top of a popular platform like Notion or Slack reduces the need for extensive marketing and helps you tap into a ready-made audience.

• Be Proactive About Feedback: Actively encourage users to share their thoughts and use that feedback to shape your product.

• Monetize Gradually: Introduce paid features after you’ve built trust and demonstrated value.

Learn More About Julien Nahum

Julian’s journey from a software engineer to a $400K-a-year solopreneur is a testament to the power of action, focus, and community engagement. By solving a real problem, launching quickly, and leveraging existing platforms, he turned a simple idea into a thriving business.

If you’re inspired by Julian’s story, remember that the most important step is starting. Whether it’s a side project or your dream venture, the tools and opportunities to build something amazing are more accessible than ever.

A Story Worth Reading

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