The Story
Julien Nahum, a 28-year-old software engineer, turned a grueling 3-hour daily commute into an opportunity. Rather than letting that time go to waste, he dedicated it to working on side projects. After years of experimentation, he struck gold with NoteForms when Notion released its API.
He spotted a gap: Notion users needed a form builder like Airtable had, but tailored specifically for Notion. He built the first version in just 6 days. Today, NoteForms has over 100,000 registered users and generates $37,000 in monthly recurring revenue (~$400K/year).
Key Insights
The 6-Day MVP
- •Spent just 6 days developing a functional prototype
- •Addressed a specific problem within Notion's ecosystem
- •Launched quickly, gathered feedback early
- •"It's fine to start small. As soon as you get users and feedback, you can iterate much faster."
Building on Existing Platforms
- •Targeted Notion's existing user base instead of building audience from scratch
- •"Notion already had a huge community—tons of Facebook groups, an active subreddit, and loyal fans"
- •Leveraged this community for a head start in gaining traction
- •"Cannibalized" part of Notion's audience into NoteForms users
- •Minimized marketing efforts while maximizing reach
Platform Dependency Trade-off
- •Risk: Dependent on Notion's platform
- •Benefit: Instant access to dedicated user base
- •For new entrepreneurs, benefits outweigh drawbacks
- •Solve specific problems within larger ecosystems
Marketing Strategy
Community-First Approach
- •Promoted in Notion-related communities
- •Reddit and Facebook groups drove early awareness
- •Offered tool for free initially to sidestep promotional resistance
- •Community members more receptive to free tools
Viral Growth Loop
- •Forms created with NoteForms include embedded links back to website
- •Users of forms inadvertently become marketers
- •Natural sharing mechanism creates growth loop
- •Think creatively about how users can spread the word
Monetization Strategy
Gradual Monetization
- •Started by adding premium features marked as "Pro"
- •Allowed free access during beta phase
- •When subscriptions launched, rewarded early users with lifetime discounts
- •Revenue climbed steadily after initial launch nerves
Pricing Evolution
- •Started by undercutting competitors (fewer features = lower price)
- •Incrementally raised prices as product evolved
- •Introduced higher-tier plans over time
- •Flexible approach to find balance for users and business
Customer-Centric Development
- •"Since the beginning, I've only built what people asked me to build"
- •Handled all customer support himself in early days
- •Answered questions at all hours
- •Gained invaluable insights into user needs
- •Now uses AI chatbot + small team for support
Business Numbers
- •$37K MRR (~$400K ARR)
- •100,000+ registered users
- •Built MVP in 6 days
- •Started during 3-hour daily commute
- •Years of side project experimentation before success
Key Advice
For Aspiring Entrepreneurs
- •Start small, ship fast, embrace feedback
- •Action over endless planning
- •"The most important thing you can do is start"
- •"Don't overthink it. Build a simple MVP and get it in front of customers"
Platform Strategy
- •Seek out existing communities where target audience is active
- •Solve specific problems within those ecosystems
- •Gain traction faster while minimizing risks
- •Don't build from scratch if you don't have to
Tech Stack
- •Notion API integration
- •Modern web stack
- •Focus on UX and reliability
- •AI chatbot for support
Resources
- •NoteForms: https://noteforms.com/
- •Follow Julien: https://x.com/JhumanJ