Founder stories
$10K MRRin 2 months
3 Meilensteine
Milestone achieved July 2017. Current revenue not tracked.
How building 120+ side projects led to a viral hit with 14M page views
Gründer
MI
Mubashar Iqbal
Co-Gründer•Technisch•USA
Engagement
Side ProjectErfahrung
ErfahrenProdukt
Interactive tool that calculates probability of job automation using Oxford University research data.
Typ
SonstigesBranche
BildungModell
WerbebasiertMarketingstrategie
Wie Mubashar Kunden gewonnen hat
Wachstumskanal
Product Hunt
Auch verwendet
Twitter / X
Tech Stack
Tools zur Entwicklung von Will Robots Take My Job
LaravelTailwind CSSAlpine.jsDigitalOceanFigma
Die vollständige Geschichte
TL;DR
After 80+ failed projects, one finally went viral. 4 million page views in 4 weeks, $4K/month in ad revenue, then sold.
Mubashar "Mubs" Iqbal started coding at age 8 on a Commodore VIC 20. For over 20 years, he maintained an extreme schedule: full-time job during the day, side projects from 10 PM to 3 AM, sleeping only 4-5 hours per night.
He built over 120 products. Most failed. Then one went viral.
The 80+ Failed Projects
Before "Will Robots Take My Job?" succeeded, Mubs had launched over 80 projects that went nowhere. But each one taught him something about building and launching products quickly.
His philosophy: quantity leads to quality. More projects = more learning = higher hit rate.
The Viral Hit (May 2017)
"Will Robots Take My Job?" launched May 30, 2017. Built with designer Dimitar Raykov in just a few weeks, the tool calculated the probability of any job being automated using Oxford University research data.
It exploded.
The Numbers
- Week 1: Featured on Product Hunt, Business Insider, Daily Mail, The Next Web
- 4 weeks: 4 million page views
- 12 months: 14 million page views
- Peak revenue: $4,000/month from advertising
- Exit: Sold in September 2018 (price undisclosed)
The Product Hunt Record
Mubs became Product Hunt's Maker of the Year in 2016, holding the record for most products launched on the platform (85+). His strategy: launch everything, validate quickly (2-4 weeks max), kill what doesn't work, monetize what gains traction.
The Portfolio Today
After 20+ years of balancing full-time employment with side projects, Mubs finally went full-time indie in early 2024. His product studio now generates $10K/month while he continues shipping new projects.
- Pod Hunt (podcast discovery platform)
- Founderpath (SaaS funding, co-founded with Nathan Latka)
- Multiple products sold through MicroAcquire
The Marathon Mindset
"I've been building side projects for over 20 years," Mubs shared. "The key is treating it like a marathon, not a sprint. Keep your day job to remove financial pressure. Build what you'd actually use. And accept that most things will fail - that's fine, you only need one to work."
- Total projects built: 120+
- Product Hunt launches: 85
- Products sold: 5+
- Time to viral success: 20 years of building
- Current revenue: $10K/month from product studio
Wichtigste Erkenntnisse
1
Validate an MVP, not an idea. Don't just build landing pages. Ship functional products that users can actually try. Real usage provides infinitely better feedback than mockups.
2
Kill projects quickly. Set a 2-4 week time limit. If you can't validate traction in that window, move on. Don't fall in love with projects that aren't working.
3
Building in public on Twitter has the highest ROI. Paid ads rarely work for side projects. Growing an audience and sharing your journey generates customers, feedback, and opportunities.
4
Treat it like a marathon. Keep your day job to remove financial pressure. 20 years of consistent building eventually leads to breakthroughs.
Ursprünglich veröffentlicht aufMubs Indie Hackers Post
Von Mubashars Weg inspiriert? Eine Geschäftsidee generieren im Bereich Bildung – mit AI und echten Gründerdaten.
Meilenstein-Journey
Mubashar hat 3 Meilensteine auf dem Weg zu $10K MRR erreicht
Erster Kunde
1 days
May 2017
99% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 4 months+29 days bis zum nächsten Meilenstein
$1K MRR
$1,000
1 month
June 2017
91% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 11 months+1 month bis zum nächsten Meilenstein
$10K MRR
$4,000
2 months
July 2017
91% schneller
vs. Durchschnitt 1 year2 months
Gesamte Journey-Dauer
3
Erreichte Meilensteine
Mubashars Weg zu $10K MRRPremium
Der Weg, die Entscheidungen und der Kontext hinter diesem Meilenstein
Mubashars vollständige Reise freischalten
Sehen Sie die vollständige Aufschlüsselung: Launch-Strategie, Validierungsmethoden, Startkosten, Expert Analysis, Replication Playbook und weitere umsetzbare Erkenntnisse.
Auf Premium upgradenSofortiger Zugang zu allen Gründer-Journeys
Frequently asked questions
How much does Will Robots Take My Job make?
Will Robots Take My Job's current revenue is not publicly tracked. The story documents the journey to $10k mrr (achieved in 2 months), but the founder has not published updated revenue figures.
How long did it take Will Robots Take My Job to reach $10k mrr?
Mubashar Iqbal took 2 months to reach $10k mrr with Will Robots Take My Job.
Was Mubashar Iqbal a solo founder?
No. Mubashar Iqbal built Will Robots Take My Job with co-founders.
What marketing channel did Will Robots Take My Job use to grow?
Will Robots Take My Job grew primarily through Product Hunt.
What industry is Will Robots Take My Job in?
Will Robots Take My Job operates in Bildung.
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