3 builders who never spoke to each other

Run a lifetime deal to find out if they will pay

A one-off lifetime offer on a deal marketplace is the fastest available test of whether anyone will hand over money, and it can cover a year of costs inside a month. What you buy with that cash is a permanent cohort of customers paying nothing further, so treat the figure as validation rather than as revenue.

The method

1. 01

   A lifetime deal on a SaaS marketplace is the fastest way to find out whether people will actually pay, and it can break you even in a month.

2. 02

   List the product on a deal site after launch: it requires almost no work beyond handing over the files

3. 03

   Presell a course before it exists to pull revenue forward while the product is still small.

What it returned

• $50,000

  Viewst ran a lifetime deal on AppSumo around its first anniversary, took over $50,000 in the month, pushed rolling retention above 10 percent and broke even. The founder calls it the turning point that forced a real marketing strategy.

• $1,000

  An AppSumo deal brought Sacha at least $1,000 with no extra effort; deal sites typically take 30-50% or more

• $500

  Planned a presale for a course not yet created, in the month he set a $500 MRR target.

Sources

• July 2021: Retrospective & Income ReportBhanu Teja · bhanuteja.dev · Plans for August · undated
• $39k in eBook Sales Part 2: Design, Testimonials, and TrafficNathan Barry · nathanbarry.com · Selling with AppSumo and Dealotto · 2012-10-08
• Building a No-Code Ad Production & Design Tool to $50kVictoria Duben · failory.com · How are you doing today and what are your goals for the future? · undated