Deployment to Dollars: The 15K dollars/Month Web App Teaching Success Story

Nick Janetakis is a freelance software developer and sells his own courses, which have been used by thousands of happy customers to this date. He has developed a business where he earns money doing the stuff he loves. Let’s take a look at how he has managed to achieve this feat.

Who is He and Why you should read this article ?

Nick Janetakis, a seasoned software developer, has been working with computers since the late 1990s. Today, his business revolves around creating and selling video courses aimed at helping developers build and deploy web applications. In addition, he provides contract work, assisting clients with technical issues ranging from programming to deploying their apps. His work involves pair programming, designing workflows, and hands-on implementation. So, in-short if you have a SaaS product or are looking to build one or you’re a freelance Software developer or anyone who wants to live life on his own term, this article is for you.

Starting Out

Nick’s journey into technology began with GeoCities, where he created personal sites and developed tools using Visual Basic 6. In the early 2000s, while heavily involved in the gaming community, he co-managed a Quake 3 gaming ladder that amassed over 13,000 sign-ups. The ladder’s success introduced Nick to the world of web applications, where he not only gained technical experience but also handled user support and conflict resolution.

Freelancing straight out of high school, Nick helped small businesses establish their online presence. His early projects were built using ASP Classic and PHP. By 2014, he had transitioned to Flask and Rails, now specializing in building and deploying web apps.

Nick’s course creation journey began in 2015 after working with several companies on building Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. This experience inspired him to create his first video course, Build a SAAS App with Flask, which teaches developers how to create production-ready web apps that integrate payment systems like Stripe. His successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the project, which hit its $12,000 goal in the final day, marked a pivotal point in his career.

Finding Early Clients

Nick’s first clients came from the gaming world. After co-running the Quake 3 gaming ladder, teams began reaching out to him for help building their websites. In these early days, Nick operated in a highly personal and local manner—riding his bike around the neighbourhood to find small business clients, making cold calls, and introducing himself in person. This approach landed him projects with various service-based businesses, including plumbers, roofers, and pool maintenance companies.

Despite not having formal business materials like cards or websites at the time, Nick's focus on delivering real value and solid support made him successful. He tracked payments using basic methods like Excel and built a small portfolio through word-of-mouth and his previous gaming projects.

For his video courses, Nick relied on blogging as his primary marketing strategy. Writing about his projects, he managed to organically grow an audience without any paid advertising.

Marketing Strategies

Nick’s marketing efforts primarily centre around his blog and YouTube channel. Through consistent weekly content since 2015, he’s built a steady flow of traffic and engagement. Clients often reach out after reading his blog posts or watching his videos. In addition to content creation, Nick also answers questions on tech subreddits and occasionally uses Twitter to promote his courses.

Although he doesn’t employ aggressive marketing tactics, his approach has allowed him to build a loyal following without paid ads or intrusive pop-ups. While he values his email newsletter for keeping in touch with followers, he doesn’t send out frequent updates, instead using it sparingly for course notifications.

Revenue Model

Nick’s business is split between freelancing and selling video courses. He charges for freelance work either by the hour or by project, depending on the type of work. If the project is clearly defined, he prefers project-based billing, allowing him to reuse past solutions and charge for the outcome rather than hours spent.

His video courses, which typically range between $30 to $60, offer lifetime access, personal support, and free updates. The sales fluctuate based on the season, with peaks during promotional events like Black Friday.

In addition to selling courses independently, Nick has experimented with partnerships, though he strongly advises against building on third-party platforms, which can lead to losing control over your audience and business.

Freelancing income varies widely, as Nick prefers to select the gigs he works on. While there can be lean months, he enjoys the freedom of choosing projects that interest him. Nick's setup is lean, requiring minimal overhead beyond a computer and web hosting.

What lies ahead

Recently, Nick shifted gears by taking on his first full-time job after years of freelancing. Although the transition was not financially motivated, it allowed him to experience working in a team setting. While he continues to freelance and sell courses, this new chapter has offered him a different perspective on working in tech, with new challenges and insights into large-scale operations.