ZapDM.io Journey to $100k

Update - Week 26: March 15, 2026​
Stats so far:
1773640538487.png

(+7 new users since last week)

What I did last week (March 09 to March 15):
  1. I've changed the plans and limits (but it's yet to be made live, just confirming everything is correct before I push the code). I've removed the bolt plan, and increased the Thunder plan limit to unlimited DMs
  2. Added a "Automated with ZapDM" signature at the end of each message for free plan users. (Yet to make it live too)
  3. Just finished setting out reddit keyword mention tool
  4. Working on some features that competitors don't have
  5. Added engagement tracking to see how people are actually using my app
What I plan to do this week (March 16 to March 22):
  1. Email funnel for winback campaigns
  2. Completing the remaining work and make it live.

Costs so far: $1,210
Net revenue: $763 (+$38 LTD sale from Dealify - Last LTD sale, I removed the listing from there)
MRR at this moment: $2
 
SeasonedCode said:
Could you please share the tool you are using?
Click to expand...
Yes, it's RedditAlert, I'm using the free plan, monitoring 5 subreddits. (I'm not affiliated to them in any way and neither endorsing this product.)

I had planned to use n8n workflow for this purpose, but the reddit locked down the API..
 
Update - Week 27: March 22, 2026​
Stats so far:
1774243251546.png

(+5 new users since last week)

What I did last week (March 16 to March 22):
  1. Updated the Landing page design and changed plan limits
  2. Added a "Automated with ZapDM" signature at the end of each message for free plan users
  3. Added Email funnel for winback campaigns
What I plan to do this week (March 23 to March 29):
  1. Working on some features and integrations
  2. Fixing the automation dashboard (I noticed by the engagement scores, that for a new user, it might be too complex, that maybe that's why most people don't create an automation)
Costs so far: $1,210
Net revenue: $763
MRR at this moment: $2
 
SilverClouds said:
Oh really, that wasn't there from the start? 😢
Click to expand...
No, just added this. :D
I saw ManyChat was doing the same. I increase my free plan DM limit (from 200 to 1000) and decreased ZapAI limit on free plan from 20 to 10 conversations.

This way, if creators use the free plan, they are essentially driving more traffic for me, if they don't want the branding, they have to pay. Let's see if that works.
 
animesh said:
No, just added this. :D
I saw ManyChat was doing the same. I increase my free plan DM limit (from 200 to 1000) and decreased ZapAI limit on free plan from 20 to 10 conversations.

This way, if creators use the free plan, they are essentially driving more traffic for me, if they don't want the branding, they have to pay. Let's see if that works.
Click to expand...
That’s smart and it’s a way to “monetize” the free plan so to speak. Well I mean giving a benefit to yourself for the free plan.

I’m interested in knowing how much additional traffic you get after doing this.
 
Web4point0 said:
That’s smart and it’s a way to “monetize” the free plan so to speak. Well I mean giving a benefit to yourself for the free plan.

I’m interested in knowing how much additional traffic you get after doing this.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I'll definitely post an update here with the results of this experiment.

But so far, I've noticed a slight decline in the signups (maybe due to the signature) but on the positive side, everyone's who is signing up right now is actually connecting their instagram accounts. (So maybe I'm getting a little bit more serious users)

I just need to make it more easy to use, so users reach their "Aha!" moment quicker and upgrade to paid plans.
 
Update - Week 28: March 29, 2026​
Stats so far:
1774882271962.png

(+15 new users since last week)

What I did last week (March 23 to March 29):
  1. Working on media management feature and updating UI.
What I plan to do this week (March 23 to March 29):
  1. Working on media management feature and updating UI.
My PC had broke down this week, due to overheating and windows files were corrupted, the repair took way too long, I barely worked 2 days this week. Also, I am working on a client project to get some funds.. so it was slow progress last week, and things look similar this week too.

Costs so far: $1,210
Net revenue: $763
MRR at this moment: $2
 
I hope u good luck on your journey and hope all best, but at this growing rhythm do u have any plans or projections when can blow up ur saas and be profitable as until now u are burning money on it
 
p3n7357 said:
I hope u good luck on your journey and hope all best, but at this growing rhythm do u have any plans or projections when can blow up ur saas and be profitable as until now u are burning money on it
Click to expand...
Thanks!
Yeah, the growth rate is too slow. I am preparing to raise funds from Government funding programs and VCs (if I get a chance)
But the thing is, I need to register the company and prepare all the documentation, and that's going to cost easily $250+
Unfortunately, I've misused my funds that I had before on ads with bad agencies when I could have done these important things first.

By the way, there's an influencers who's going to post a video about ZapDM in a day or two, once she does that, I'll understand better how we want the influencers to promote it efficiently, and I'll try to get more collaborations in that direction.

Also, there are many new products coming in the market providing exactly same thing as I do, that too for as low as $0.5 a month (Indian vibe coders 🥲). This makes me a bit nervous and kind of wanting to stop this and use my time somewhere else😅

Sharing everything here openly, incase anyone reads, they'll hopefully do lot better than me.
 
Update - Week 29 & 30: April 12, 2026​
Stats so far:
1776002604456.png

(+40 new users since last TWO weeks)

What I did last TWO weeks (March 30 to April 12):
  1. Minor UI changes, and NOTHING ELSE
What I plan to do this week (April 13 to April 19):
  1. No idea honestly..
Last two weeks had been busy, I was at a wedding of my very good friend's sister. I barely did any work in the past, and to be honest, I didn't feel like doing anything.
So far I'm down roughly $500 and I wanted to do all this to be financially secure, but since so many other competitors exist and sell the same base service as me for a negligible price, I am worried, and I feel like I can't keep up with this at all. The costs are higher than what I am making back.

That said, I am not saying that I am quitting, I am just tired of this all, I need some time to figure out how I can grow it, along with making at least some money for my own survival in side.

Also, I'm kinda considering selling the whole product out (source code, brand name etc). I know I wanted to scale it to $100k and I still do, but the situation I am in is making me consider this option, haha :)

Apologies to everyone who is following the journey and seeing me do terribly poor.

Costs so far: $1,210
Net revenue: $763
MRR at this moment: $2
 
It's too boring imo to drag it... I'd make something more entertaining like a casino. :devilish: Scaling pure business tool without solid business backend is... what it is. Deep pockets and more needed.
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animesh said:
Also, there are many new products coming in the market providing exactly same thing as I do, that too for as low as $0.5 a month (Indian vibe coders 🥲). This makes me a bit nervous and kind of wanting to stop this and use my time somewhere else😅
Click to expand...
Let's say I'm 8 figure businessman.

I can make it at API costs or even pay for my users, so I get more viewers, branding or something like that to my business website.

Financially you are losing hard with big players who do general use business tools.
 
Last edited:
1. Create an app for meetings and events.
2. Don't create meetings and events.

Today's youth think about the world in a specific way. They believe that text files stored on disks are the foundation for creating a company or foundation. But that's not the case. This is reversed thinking, along the lines of "if I create a tool, I'll become famous." No, that won't work.

What if you became famous first and only then started thinking about tools? 🤣

Also... why search for so many clients playing with social media API... if you have only 1 business partner sharing some % of their profit for your tech expertise and applying it at scale, you're just operating together and it's easy to explain why it doesn't work to one person.

You can do it as well without business partner, doing affiliate marketing, but first you need to be good at those socials.
 
Last edited:
animesh said:
This image is a representation of my dad walking in the room on Tuesday, he asked me what I was working on and I showed him ZapDM in action. He's kinda impressed but, he wants me to get a "normal" job since I could be earning something at a regular job instead of working for "nothing" here, haha.
Click to expand...
There's a big chance one of your parents did something like this in the past.

It's a good thing to create a deep conversation with a parent and get any information you want about life processes and how to align them in the correct order.

As you can see in the thread, foreign people 90% of the time won't give you love. They'll give you headpats and advice, but not love and deep understanding. Listening to your heart, gut etc are good things before starting anything. If I listened to my heart, I'd be in completely different place today.
 
It's sad... I'm thinking there was no watermark/signature on the free version from the start (so freeloaders came and used it without advertising it in return) and also ads a bit too early, should have done free traffic with this budget and add ads later? Competitors with super cheap tiers is unfortunate 🙁. Thanks for sharing your journey with us nevertheless, very informative, especially for people that might try starting a SaaS. Do you want to retry or you'll abandon it? A lot of people here have 9 to 5s and hustle on the side or maybe you could get some funding if you want to do full time.
 
SilverClouds said:
It shows up in Google too, when I was doing YT I had SEO traffic 😂
Click to expand...
It depends on niche and other parameters.

If you have small views and someone else has big views, there will be little Google traffic to YouTube videos.
 

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