Do not index
Do not index
I have a massive news to share - Outrank just crossed $25k MRR. 🚀
It happened fast. Like, really fast.
But I want you to learn from my experiences, so I decided to dig in an analyze everything.
Let me break down exactly how we did it, maybe it will inspire your own growth👇
The Starting Point 📊
We didn't start from scratch. We started with ContentPie created by Eugene:
- $300-400 MRR
- A few happy customers
- A product that was "kinda working"
That MRR range is fascinating. It's the sweet spot where you know there's something valuable, but it hasn't fully clicked yet.
So I backed Eugene and partnered with him on this.
The transformation
After talking with Eugene (the original founder) and users, we spotted the gap:
People don't want "blog post generation."
They want a hands-off solution. Growth on autopilot.
So we flipped the entire value proposition:
- FROM: "Generate blog posts"
- TO: "Grow organic traffic"
“Sell the OUTCOME, not the FEATURE”
That changed everything.
Outrank became a full "Automated Blog Management" tool that:
- Finds keyword opportunities
- Creates the relevant content
- Actually gets you traffic
Insights like these, which might seem small and irrelevant from afar are the real backbone of the business.
The positioning change is single handedly one the highest leverage tasks we did in this journey yet.
Btw, if you haven’t already but want to try Outrank.so, I’ve created code TIBO so you can get 20% off on the 1st month. Try it out!
The growth strategy
No matter how good the product or the positioning is, growth still remains tricky for indie hackers.
After experimenting 10+ growth channels, getting from $400 to $25k MRR came down to three things:
1. Building in Public
- Shared everything on X and this newsletter
- The good, the bad, the ugly
- People love transparency
2. SEO Education
- Taught people how to use Outrank correctly
- Shared real strategies that work
- Positioned ourselves as experts, not just a tool
3. Experiment with other Acquisition Channels
- Used Outrank to grow our own blog (eating our own dog food)
- Ran Meta and Google ads (simplest way to start)
- Talk about it here 😅
This method ensured that we grow amongst organic viewers and inorganic audience. We wanted to maximize growth.
What's next?
$25k is just the beginning. $100k/mo is the goal.
Here's where we're headed:
1. Solving the Domain Authority Problem
New domains struggle to rank, even with great content.
We're launching a feature specifically to boost your "Domain Authority" and tell Google your site is super relevant.
(Want to beta test this? Hit reply with "DA BOOST" and I'll add you)
2. Doubling Down on SEO Education
SEO isn't dead - it's evolving. We're creating more content explaining why it's still full of opportunity in the AI age.
3. Expanding our Affiliate Program
It exists (here), but we've been quiet about it. Some affiliates have already earned almost $1,000! Time to push this to more people in the SEO space. Huge potential here.
The real lesson here most will miss
The jump from $400 to $25k MRR wasn't about building more features.
It was about:
- Reframing the value proposition
- Going deeper on one specific pain point
- Building in public to create trust
- Educating, not just selling
These changes are like switches which just turn on the business growth.
Like a positive reinforcement cycle.
Growth → More feedback → Faster improvements → More growth
Tweet of the week
I think about this often…
Success is not just about money. It’s about the people you spend that money with.
Final thoughts:
If you're building something that's "kinda working," don't give up.
Sometimes you're just one reframe away from product-market fit.
Question for you:
Do you think SEO is still relevant? Hit reply and tell me below 👇🏻
I will see you next week!
Keep building 💻
Tibo
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