MW #2 - Product #1: MakerOps

This Wednesday, July 31st, I launched my first project of the ‘100 projects challenge’: MakerOps. In this newsletter, I’ll share why I chose this as my first project, what it’s all about, how I executed it, and how the launch went.

What is MakerOps?

MakerOps is the Notion template designed to help solopreneurs and indie hackers achieve success faster. It saves you dozens of hours throughout the ideation, building, launching, and post-launch phases of your projects. It’s an all-in-one solution that lets you focus on what truly matters: increasing your chances of success in your solopreneur journey.

The Launch Campaign

To prepare for the launch of MakerOps, in addition to creating the landing page, I worked on:

• Discounts: I offered exclusive discounts for the key communities I’m part of, as well as on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.

• Launch Messages: I crafted personalized messages for each of these platforms and communities.

• Profile on Notion Templates Marketplace: I uploaded MakerOps to the Notion Templates Marketplace to extend its reach.

Results

Total Sales: €0

Free coupons redeemed:

• SmallBets: 8

• Ramenclub: 0

• X: 0

• Linkedin: 0

Expectations

What were my expectations for this product?

My expectations were straightforward, primarily focused on simply launching and starting to build visibility within the community. Although I have around 1,300 followers accumulated over time, I’m not yet seen as an authority in the segment I’m targeting, and MakerOps isn’t a completely disruptive product.

I chose MakerOps as my first project because, in addition to being a tool I needed from day one, it’s something I’ll continue using and promoting in all my future initiatives. It’s the foundation from which I manage all my operations.

Takeaways

• Launch. Ideate, build, launch and repeat. Do not overcomplicate things and aim to create something perfect.

• Solve your own problems. Even if you don’t sell anything, you’ll have a tool that’s useful to you.

• You’ll always learn something. In this case, I mastered every Notion advanced feature and learned how to make the most out of this incredibly powerful tool.

• You’ll increase your surface luck

• Creating products increases your exposure and understanding of the market: As Brian Armstrong (Coinbase CEO) says: “Action produces information”. What an inspiring insight.

Next Steps

There are still some more things to do regarding MakerOps:

Product Hunt Launch: I’ll soon be launching MakerOps on Product Hunt to reach a broader audience and gather valuable feedback from the community there.

Reddit Launch: I’ll also be introducing MakerOps on relevant Reddit communities, where I can engage directly with users who might benefit from the tool.

Organic Promotion: I’ll be naturally and seamlessly promoting MakerOps within the organic content I’m creating, showcasing how I’m using it to bring all my projects to life throughout the 100 Projects Challenge. I’ll keep you updated on the results and any sales that occur as I continue this journey.

Also, I’ll continue developing MakerOps naturally, adding resources to the built-in database whenever I find something valuable. I’ll also be updating and modifying sections of the template based on the challenges I encounter as I use it myself.

Next product

Product #2 dops on August 16th at 6:00 PM (Madrid time). I will ‘scratch my own itch’ again. This time, trying to solve arguably the biggest problem solopreneurs have, specially when starting up.

See you next week!

Roberto.