An agency founder built an AI agent that finds Upwork leads for freelancers and reached $20K MRR
Ivan Nedelkovski sold his software agency and built Lancer for his own Upwork problem, hitting $10K MRR within two months.
Subject: Lancer (Ivan Nedelkovski)Monthly subscriptions to an AI agent that finds and pitches Upwork jobs
Case Overview & Background
Nedelkovski dropped out of university twice, ran small local businesses in Skopje, then grew a software consultancy to 15 staff and seven figures in revenue before exiting in 2025 to start a product studio. Its first product, Lancer, is an AI agent that helps freelancers and agencies get leads on Upwork. He says it reached $10K MRR within two months and now has $20K MRR with a two-person team.
How AI Is Used
Step-by-Step Process
He ran the idea through his own checklist before writing code.
The tool solved a lead problem he had faced on Upwork.
The interview outline says it was built in a weekend.
Affiliates, cold outreach and content drove growth, according to the outline.
Customer Acquisition & Distribution
Limitations, Risks & Failure Modes
What may not apply to you, and what could go wrong:
- Depends on a single marketplace, Upwork, whose rules can change
- Automated outreach can hurt reputation if proposals feel spammy
- Self-reported figure with no records reviewed
- Founder already had years of agency experience
Key Takeaways
- Problems you have lived through make strong product ideas
- Affiliates with the right audience can bring early customers fast
- A small team can run a meaningful AI product
Sources
Indie Hackers: Exiting his agency and hitting $10k MRR within 60 days of launching his SaaS
Note: Founder interview by James Fleischmann. The public introduction states $10K MRR within two months, $20K MRR now, and what the AI agent does.
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