How a Solo Dev Hit 10K MRR With a Product That Sells Only On Hackathons

Episode notes

Episode 116 of The Indie Hacker Podcast dives into a wild distribution strategy: building a SaaS product that sells exclusively at hackathons. Lucas and Luna examine the case of a solo developer who reached $10,000 monthly recurring revenue by pitching his developer tool at over 40 hackathons in a year. They break down the approach - how he turned each hackathon into a sales funnel, why the product itself was a natural fit for the audience, and the surprising economics that made it work. They also discuss the tradeoffs: the time commitment, the rejection rate, and the question of scale once the hackathon circuit is exhausted. Specific numbers include the average conversion per event (12 free signups, 2 paid conversions), the customer acquisition cost ($150 per customer including travel), and the average monthly churn (4.5 percent). By the end, you'll know exactly why hackathons can be a viable go-to-market channel for certain types of developer tools - and when they're not worth the flight.

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