Article · ~20 min read

From a $6.90 newsletter to $3M API: How a non-coder built Memelord

Jason Levin · Lenny's Newsletter Freemium Intermediate

Jason Levin grew a product to $100K ARR on Bubble with no engineers, then raised $3M and re-platformed to an API. It is a clean example of the arc our answer describes: find traction on no-code first, re-platform later once it is worth it. You get the specific decisions behind when and why he made the switch.

  • Reached $100K ARR on Bubble with zero engineers
  • Re-platforming came after traction, not before
  • Outgrowing your no-code stack is a good problem
Open on lennysnewsletter.com ↗

It answers 5 questions

  1. Can I really build a serious business on no-code, or will I hit a wall?
  2. Is no-code cheaper than hiring a developer?
  3. I built my MVP on no-code but my technical co-founder wants to rewrite it in real code. When is that migration actually worth it?
  4. Can I build and sell a real SaaS product entirely on no-code as a solo non-technical founder, and what breaks first?
  5. I'm a domain expert with no coding background. Should I spend a month learning a no-code tool myself or hire a no-code freelancer?

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  3. Michael Seibel, who ran YC, makes the blunt case for shipping something almost embarrassingly simple and learning from real... Y Combinator Startup Library Video · ~10 min video How to Build an MVP Michael Seibel
  4. Project based video courses that take you from idea to a shipped app by rebuilding real products like a marketplace or a... No Code MBA (Seth Kramer) Course No Code MBA Seth Kramer
  5. The deepest no-code stack, database, workflows, and custom UI, for building genuinely complex web apps and marketplaces without... bubble.io Tool · platform Bubble, No-Code Full-Stack App Builder Bubble
  6. Ben Tossell built Makerpad past $200K as a side project entirely on no-code (Webflow, Airtable, Zapier, Memberstack) before... Indie Hackers Podcast · ~60 min Creating a $200k Side Project Without Writing a Line of Code with Ben Tossell Ben Tossell
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