Everyone says startup success takes time. But how much time, exactly?
I got tired of seeing "overnight success" stories on Twitter while struggling to understand what realistic progress looks like. So I did what any data nerd would do: I analyzed 238 real founder stories to find out how long it actually takes to reach revenue milestones.
The results surprised me. And they'll probably surprise you too.
The Short Answer (TL;DR)
Here's what the data shows for reaching $10K MRR:
- Average: 21.4 months
- Median: 18 months
- Fastest: 2 days (outlier)
- Slowest: 5+ years
- 74.5% take over 1 year
But these averages hide the real story. Who you are and how you build matters far more than how hard you work.
The Surprising Findings
1. Teams Move Faster Than Solo Founders
This one surprised me. The indie hacker community often celebrates solo founders, but the data tells a different story:
| Founder Type | Average Time | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|
| Co-founder teams | 20.4 months | 116 stories |
| Solo founders | 22.4 months | 122 stories |
Teams reach $10K MRR 9% faster than solo founders.
Why? A few theories:
- Division of labor: One person builds while another sells
- Complementary skills: Technical + business expertise
- Accountability: Partners keep each other moving
- Broader networks: Two networks are better than one
This doesn't mean you need a co-founder. 51% of our stories are solo founders who successfully reached their milestones — it just took a bit longer on average.
2. Twitter Is the Fastest Channel
Marketing channel choice has a significant impact on timeline:
| Channel | Average Time | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|
| Twitter / X | 11.2 months | 44 stories |
| Product Hunt | 16.9 months | 25 stories |
| Cold Outreach | 19.3 months | 7 stories |
| Communities | 19.9 months | 56 stories |
| Paid Ads | 20.2 months | 9 stories |
| SEO | 25.7 months | 66 stories |
| Word of Mouth | 32.3 months | 30 stories |
Twitter gets you to $10K MRR 2.3x faster than SEO.
SEO takes longer but builds a sustainable, compounding traffic source. If you need revenue quickly, focus on direct channels first.
The playbook: Start with Twitter or Product Hunt for early validation, then layer in SEO for long-term growth.
3. Technical Background Gives a Small Edge
I expected technical founders to move faster. They can build without hiring developers, ship updates quickly, and iterate without coordination costs.
The data shows a modest advantage:
| Founder Type | Average Time | Sample Size |
|---|---|---|
| Technical | 21.1 months | 156 stories |
| Non-technical | 22.3 months | 48 stories |
Technical founders are 5.5% faster — about a month difference.
The no-code movement and availability of technical freelancers have largely leveled the playing field. If you can't code, don't let that stop you — the difference is smaller than you'd think.
4. The Journey Between Milestones
What about the path to $10K MRR? Our data shows the typical progression:
| Transition | Average Time | Stories |
|---|---|---|
| First Customer → $1K MRR | 8 months | 175 stories |
| $1K MRR → $10K MRR | 12.4 months | 160 stories |
| $10K MRR → $100K ARR | 20.8 months | 133 stories |
The hardest jump is from $10K MRR to $100K ARR — it takes nearly as long as everything before it combined.
The Reality Check: Most Founders Take Over a Year
Let's look at the full timeline distribution:
| Time Range | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Under 6 months | 14.2% |
| 6-12 months | 11.3% |
| Over 1 year | 74.5% |
Nearly three-quarters of founders take over a year to reach $10K MRR.
The Twitter success stories you see are the 14% who hit it in under 6 months. They're real, but they're statistical outliers. For most of us, this is a multi-year journey.
Knowing this isn't discouraging — it's liberating. You're not behind. You're normal.
What This Means for You
Based on our data, here's the strategic playbook:
If you want to move fast:
- Consider finding a co-founder (teams are 9% faster)
- Use Twitter or Product Hunt (2.3x faster than SEO)
- Focus on direct channels first (build audience, then layer SEO)
If you're building for the long term:
- SEO compounds — it takes longer but builds a moat
- Communities matter — 56 stories used them as primary channel
- Technical skills help but aren't required — only 5.5% difference
Either way:
- Don't be discouraged by timeline — 74.5% take over a year
- The $1K→$10K jump takes time — about 12 months on average
- The $10K→$100K jump is even harder — nearly 21 months
Check Your Progress
Want to see how you compare?
Use our free Milestone Calculator to predict your timeline based on your founder profile and marketing channel.
Or find your Founder Twin — a founder with a similar background who achieved your goals.
The Data Behind This Post
This analysis is based on curated founder stories from sources including Indie Hackers, founder blogs, and public milestone posts. All stories include verified milestone data.
Caveats:
- Survivorship bias: Only successful stories are published
- Self-reported data: Timelines may be approximate
For transparency, you can browse our founder stories yourself and filter by milestone, channel, or founder type.
Building something? I'd love to hear your timeline story. Find me on Twitter @milestonedb or share your journey on our submission page.