How Nico Jeannen Learned to Code and Sold Two Startups for $265,000

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How Nico learned to code and sold two startups for $265,000

Image going from no coding experience to having built and sold two successful startups for a combined $265,000 in just two years. That’s exactly what Nico Jeannen did.

Nico’s background is in marketing and advertising, but in 2022, he decided to learn to code. Instead of spending several months or longer working on demo projects, Nico dove in and created a real-world startup.

In fact, Nico created 17 apps in just 12 months. While most of them weren’t successful, Nico’s approach allows him to test ideas very quickly, validate demand, and then focus on the winners without wasting much time on the others.

As one of his first projects, Nico challenged himself to create the minimum viable product (MVP) for MakeLogoAI in 48 hours, which he accomplished. Once the MVP was ready, he launched by mentioning it on Twitter (he had 500-600 followers at the time).

After getting several sales from this very basic MVP, Nico spent a few more days improving MakeLogoAI before launching on Product Hunt and winning the top spot as Product of the Day.

Following the successful Product Hunt launch, Nico spent about one month creating the final version of MakeLogoAI. Then, just three months after launching, he sold the app for $65,000.

Nico initially listed MakeLogoAI on Acquire.com for $49,000 and then quickly increased the price to $50,000. He received significant interest from potential buyers (about 30 buyers signed NDAs to get more information), leading to a $65,000 offer, well above his asking price.

After selling MakeLogoAI in 2023, Nico turned his attention to TalkNotes, an AI-powered voice note app. When the TalkNotes MVP was ready, Nico launched it on Twitter and submitted it to many online directories.

Nico told Starter Story that the launch led to more than 1,000 free users and 7 paid yearly subscriptions, validating demand for the product. Again, he turned to Product Hunt and earned another first-place finish as Product of the Day in October 2023.

After the Product Hunt launch, Nico focused on growing TalkNotes through paid advertising. In April 2024, he told Starter Story that the business was generating $5,000 monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

After working on TalkNotes for less than a year, Nico sold it for $200,000.

I recently had the opportunity to ask Nico some questions about his experience growing and selling these two startups.

Please tell us about your background and how you started as an indie maker.

“I come from an e-commerce background. I was building an e-commerce store and doing a bit of freelancing, and at some point, I lost my main freelance client. My e-commerce store wasn’t really doing that well, so I decided to learn how to code and try to make my own SaaS business, and that’s how I got started.”

What inspired you to start MakeLogoAI?

“I was making AI-generated logos because I didn’t want to pay for a logo from a professional designer. I made a basic prototype for MakeLogo.ai in 48 hours, launched it on Twitter, got some sales, and decided to grow it further.”

What method did you use to grow MakeLogo.ai in a short period of time?

“I tried different things, but nothing really worked. It grew on its own because AI was new and there was a lot of hype. I posted on online directories, which I think was the main technique I used to grow it.”

Nico launched MakeLogoAI on Product Hunt and earned recognition as Product of the Day. The exposure from Product Hunt created a boost in sales and provided valuable feedback that Nico used to improve the product.

Why did you sell MakeLogo.ai? How did you sell it?

“I sold it on Acquire.com because I didn’t know how to grow it further. I wanted to get some cash and not be stressed about money.”

In the interview below, Nico shares that he had taken the business as far as he could, based on his coding skills at the time. He knew that growing MakeLogoAI required more advanced coding skills, so he sold to someone who could take the business to the next level.

Tell us about TalkNotes and how it started.

“I was looking for ideas I could launch with Facebook ads. One day, I was using Google Docs and the transcription function was bad, so I created my own solution, which led to TalkNotes.”

What have been the keys to success with your businesses?

“There is not one key to success. It’s a combination of many small things that together make a big difference. Keep shipping things, learn from failures, and focus on the small details.”

What have you learned from the apps you created that didn’t achieve the same level of success?

“Get payment as soon as possible. Nothing beats sales in terms of validation. Don’t rely on anything other than a sale to determine if something works.”

“It was great for me. I suggest underpricing your startup to attract more buyers and create a bidding war. Treat your startup as a product when selling it, create a compelling listing, and explain why buyers should purchase it.”

What did you learn through your experience growing and selling these startups that you will take with you for future projects?

“Focus on getting the first sale as fast as possible. Offer great deals at the start to create momentum and attract users, even if it means not making an immediate profit.”

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