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Iuliia Shnai
Papermark
After 11 Failed Products: Open Source DocSend Alternative to $45K MRR
1 year
$10K MRR
SEO / Content
Growth channel
Co-founders
Founder
Founder
Iuliia Shnai
Co-foundersβ’Technicalβ’Germany
Commitment
Full-timeExperience
ExperiencedProduct
Open source DocSend alternative for document sharing.
Type
SaaSIndustry
ProductivityModel
SubscriptionMarketing strategy
How Iuliia acquired customers
Growth channel
SEO / Content
Tech Stack
Tools used to build Papermark
Next.jsVercelSEO tools
The full story
In 2023, Iuliia built 10 products. Her partner Marc launched Papermark - a simple open-source DocSend alternative. The first version took one weekend.
Building for Growth
Both projects reached $500 MRR at the same time, but only Papermark found product-market fit.
Open Source Power
Open source became a powerful distribution channel. Marc's launch tweet went viral.
- Products tried: 11 (10 failed)
- Time to $45K MRR: ~1 year
- Channel: Open source + SEO
Key Takeaways
1
Build multiple products in parallel to see which gains traction
2
Open source can be a powerful distribution channel
3
Building for growth (SEO, tools, content) is as important as building the product
4
Partnership works when you have distinct goals: product vs growth
Originally published onIndie Hackers
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Milestone Journey
Iuliia achieved 3 milestones on the path to $10K MRR
First customer
1 month
July 2023
Avg: 1 month
+3 months to next milestone
$1K MRR
$1,000
4 months
September 2023
33% faster
vs median 6 months+1 year to next milestone
$10K MRR
$45,000
1 year
April 2025
Avg: 1 year
1 year
Total journey time
3
Milestones achieved
Against every documented journey
Iuliia Shnai reached $10K MRR in 21 months, faster than 37% of the 295 documented $10K journeys (median 12 months). The amber bar is this journey.
Iuliia's Path to $10K MRRPremium
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Papermark make?
Papermark reports $9.5K MRR as of March 2025. MRR of $9.5K as of March 2025. Source: Gaps.com.
What is Papermark?
Open source DocSend alternative for document sharing. It operates in Productivity.
How long did it take Papermark to reach $10k mrr?
Iuliia Shnai took 1 year to reach $10k mrr with Papermark.
Was Iuliia Shnai a solo founder?
No. Iuliia Shnai built Papermark with co-founders.
What marketing channel did Papermark use to grow?
Papermark grew primarily through SEO / Content.
What industry is Papermark in?
Papermark operates in Productivity.
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