How I Got My First Paying Customer 8 Months Into an After-Work Side Project
This isn’t meant to show off revenue—just writing it down for the record.
At first, I set a goal of “1 hour a day after work,” but honestly, I didn’t stick to it even half the time. There were many days when my body couldn’t keep up, so I switched to batching work on weekends. That actually helped me focus better.
What I built is a Chrome extension that automates one Notion template. It’s nothing special, but I posted a promo once in a community and 40 people installed it in a day. Then three weeks later, I got my first payment notification, and when I heard that sound, I actually let out a yell.
It’s priced at 4,900 won, so it’s about the cost of coffee per month. But the experience of someone paying to use something I made has become a much bigger asset than my development skills. Next, I’m preparing to try moving toward B2B.
If you’re interested, I’d love to hear advice or similar experiences.
5 answers
I really relate to switching to a weekend cramming pattern. I tried to stick to 1 hour on weekdays, got burned out, and quit for 3 months. But if you cram everything on weekends, doesn’t the stuff you didn’t finish that week pile up and stress you out? For me, splitting it into "4 hours on weekends + only 15 minutes on weekdays" actually made it more sustainable. It seems like the right rhythm is different for everyone.
That first payment notification sound is truly unforgettable for life lol. I also clapped to myself at dawn when I made my first 3,900-won payment. Congrats!
Well, at 4,900 won, that’s honestly just enough to recoup the hobby costs, isn’t it? What worries me most is the “preparing to try B2B” part—serving individual users and serving companies are a completely different game. A ton of people hit their first wall there and come back to B2C. I think it’d be better to focus on growing the extension’s user base while things are going well.
If it's a Chrome extension for Notion template automation, I'm curious how those 40 people found and installed it. Getting that kind of response from just one community promo post seems pretty good, doesn't it? Any chance you could give just a tiny hint about which community it was?
The saying that the experience of 'paying for something I made myself' is an asset—more than money—is so true. After going through that, my whole approach to side projects changed completely. I can't help wondering why it took me so long to just add a single payment button lol. That said, B2B is a totally different beast, so please be sure to write about that process in your next post too. Rooting for you.