Two engineers built an inbox-cleaner app on the side, reached $232,000 MRR and sold it for $4 million
They kept their full-time jobs and used ChatGPT to port the app to mobile and handle support.
Subject: David Emelianov and Jordan Gaston (Trimbox)Subscription app (Chrome extension, iOS and Android), later sold
Case Overview & Background
David Emelianov and Jordan Gaston, childhood friends and software engineers, built Trimbox, an app that unsubscribes users from unwanted email, starting in 2020. They say it reached $232,000 in MRR and sold for $4 million, while both kept full-time tech jobs.
How AI Is Used
Step-by-Step Process
Unsubscribe from unwanted emails in a few clicks.
ChatGPT helped port the web app to mobile.
They sold the app for $4 million.
Customer Acquisition & Distribution
Limitations, Risks & Failure Modes
What may not apply to you, and what could go wrong:
- Figures are self-reported
- Inbox-access apps carry privacy and platform-review risk
Key Takeaways
- AI helps a two-person side project cover more platforms
Sources
Business Insider: We built an app as a side hustle and sold it for $4 million
Note: States $232,000 in monthly recurring revenue and the $4 million sale.
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