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Kyle Nolan
ProjectionLab
Side Project Financial Planner: 2+ Years to $10K MRR
2 years
$10K MRR
Communities
Growth channel
Solo founder
Founder
Founder
Kyle Nolan
Solo founderβ’Technicalβ’USA
Commitment
Side projectExperience
First-timeProduct
Financial planning software for personal finance.
Type
SaaSIndustry
FinanceModel
SubscriptionMarketing strategy
How Kyle acquired customers
Growth channel
Communities
Tech Stack
Tools used to build ProjectionLab
Vue.jsChart.jsFirebasePaddle
The full story
Kyle built ProjectionLab because he wanted a better plan for his own financial future. There were 0 paid users when he posted to Hacker News.
Hacker News Magic
He closed the tab expecting it to go nowhere, came back an hour later to find his inbox blowing up. The post made the front page.
Side Project Grind
Built as a side project for over 2 years while working full-time, spending ~40 hours per week.
- 9 months to $1K MRR
- 4 months to $2K MRR
- 2 years to $10K MRR
- Side project hours: ~40/week
Key Takeaways
1
Build for yourself - scratch your own itch
2
Hacker News can be a game-changer for developer tools
3
Side projects require sacrifice but reduce financial risk
4
Growth accelerates after reaching initial milestones
Originally published onIndie Hackers
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Milestone Journey
Kyle achieved 3 milestones on the path to $10K MRR
First customer
2 months
May 2021
Avg: 1 month
+7 months to next milestone
$1K MRR
$1,000
9 months
December 2021
Avg: 6 months
+1 year to next milestone
$10K MRR
$10,000
2 years
June 2023
Avg: 1 year
2 years
Total journey time
3
Milestones achieved
Against every documented journey
Kyle Nolan reached $10K MRR in 2.3 years, faster than 20% of the 295 documented $10K journeys (median 12 months). The amber bar is this journey.
Kyle's Path to $10K MRRPremium
The journey, decisions, and context behind this milestone
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Frequently asked questions
How much does ProjectionLab make?
ProjectionLab reports $83.3K MRR as of June 2025. Hit $1M ARR ($83.3K MRR) June 30, 2025, with 4,300+ customers. Kyle publishes monthly milestones. Source: ProjectionLab (founder).
What is ProjectionLab?
Financial planning software for personal finance. It operates in Finance.
How long did it take ProjectionLab to reach $10k mrr?
Kyle Nolan took 2 years to reach $10k mrr with ProjectionLab.
Was Kyle Nolan a solo founder?
Yes. Kyle Nolan built ProjectionLab as a solo founder.
What marketing channel did ProjectionLab use to grow?
ProjectionLab grew primarily through Communities.
What industry is ProjectionLab in?
ProjectionLab operates in Finance.
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