A freelance designer turned a free side project into Mockey.ai, an AI mockup generator making about $12K a month
Pranay Agarwal added subscriptions to an ad-supported tool, and 11 months later it reached $12K a month.
Subject: Pranay Agarwal (Mockey.ai)Subscriptions plus ads on an online mockup generator
Case Overview & Background
Pranay Agarwal skipped campus placement to freelance in UI and UX design. He and co-founder Mofid Ansari built Mockey.ai, an AI-powered mockup generator, which earned only from ads at first. After they added subscriptions, he says it reached about $12K a month.
How AI Is Used
Step-by-Step Process
A designer built a tool for designers.
They launched free with ads.
Paid plans alongside ads raised revenue.
Customer Acquisition & Distribution
Limitations, Risks & Failure Modes
What may not apply to you, and what could go wrong:
- The figure is self-reported and was not independently checked
- Ad revenue can swing with traffic
- Mockup tools have many competitors
Key Takeaways
- A free tool with SEO traffic can be turned into a paid one
- Domain knowledge helps choose features
Sources
Indie Hackers interview: Hitting $12k MRR just 11 months after turning a free side project into an AI business
Note: Indie Hackers interview. The headline figure is in the founder's own words in the public section.
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