Pre launch (Jan–Apr 2022)
SEO content
Started writing technical how-to content around the screenshot/browser niche 5 months before launch. Published articles on specific developer tasks (e.g., 'how to make screenshots in Python') to accumulate Google indexing and early ranking before the product was live.
→ Had existing Google traffic on day of launch (May 2022)
Launch (May 2022)
Product Hunt launch
Launched on Product Hunt and reached top 2–4 positions. Leveraged his growing X/Twitter following to drive upvotes and visibility, which he explicitly said would have been impossible without the social audience.
→ Top 2–4 Product Hunt finish; spike in signups and backlinks
Early growth
Google Ads
Ran Google Ads as part of a broad 'marketing month' testing all channels. Saw actual paying conversions from search ads, which validated that search intent was real and confirmed SEO was worth long-term investment.
→ Confirmed SEO/search as primary acquisition channel; stopped ads after validation
Growth phase
Seo keyword optimization
Used Google Search Console to identify which keywords existing posts were already ranking for, then rewrote and optimized those posts to better match search intent. Repeated this loop continuously — publish, check rankings, optimize, update — until hitting first-page or #1 positions.
→ Ranked #1 for 'screenshot API' and related keywords; estimated 50–60% of all revenue attributed to SEO
Growth phase
Backlink outreach and partnerships
Actively built backlinks via: cold DMs to relevant site owners requesting guest posts, paying to be listed in directories, a content swap with Cloudflare (each wrote about the other), and later exchanging backlink mentions with people who found him through his X presence.
→ Improved domain authority; Cloudflare featured him on their site, boosting credibility and traffic
Growth phase
Seo competitor content
Wrote a comparison post ('best screenshot APIs') that included real backlinks to competitors — a tactic most competitors avoided. His hypothesis was that linking out satisfied user search intent and prevented bounce-backs to Google, helping the post retain its ranking.
→ Ranked #1 for competitor comparison keywords for an extended period
Ongoing
Build in public — Twitter
Built in public on X (Twitter), growing to 26,000 followers by sharing MRR milestones, customer case studies, and technical insights. Used the audience indirectly: to support Product Hunt launches, to DM people for backlink exchanges credibly, and to generate word-of-mouth that showed up as branded Google searches.
→ 26k followers; collateral SEO boosts; PH launch success; occasional direct customer referrals (e.g., one LinkedIn MRR post brought a customer who then referred another)
Ongoing
No code platform integrations
Built official integrations with Zapier, Make (formerly Integromat), and N8N. Customers searching for automation workflows (e.g., 'how to screenshot into Google Drive automatically') find the product through these platforms' own search and marketplaces.
→ Additional passive acquisition channel; customers arrive pre-qualified via workflow searches
Ongoing
Github open source sponsorship
Posted technical open-source tools on GitHub and sponsored relevant repositories. When developers search for tools on Google, GitHub results appear at the top, and they see Screenshot One branding as the builder or sponsor.
→ Developer discovery channel; specific conversion numbers not stated
Ongoing
Affiliate program
Runs a passive affiliate program that he does not actively promote. A handful of affiliates promote the product organically.
→ ~$1,000–$2,000 MRR from affiliates (stated as approximate)
MRR $2.0k