How Nick Turned Textero Into a $20K/Month SaaS Business in Under a Year
How Nick Turned Textero Into a $20K/Month SaaS Business in Under a Year
Nov 28, 2024
Nick Yasynskyi
Nick Yasynskyi
⏳ 4.2 min
⏳ 4.2 min
Revenue/month
Revenue/month
$20,000
$20,000
$20,000
No. of founders
No. of founders
1
1
1
Startup costs
Startup costs
$4K
$4K
$4K
Company type
Company type
Company type
SaaS
SaaS
SaaS
Contents
Introduction
Introduction
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen, struggling to get words out, you’re not alone. Nick Yasynskyi, the founder of Textero, gets it. Just a few years out of university, Nick set out to make studying and writing easier for students. The result? Textero—a sleek, AI-powered writing assistant that’s helping people turn ideas into essays and papers faster than ever before.
But this isn’t just another “AI success story.” This is a case study in hustling, learning on the go, and making the most out of a shoestring budget. Let’s break it down.👇
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen, struggling to get words out, you’re not alone. Nick Yasynskyi, the founder of Textero, gets it. Just a few years out of university, Nick set out to make studying and writing easier for students. The result? Textero—a sleek, AI-powered writing assistant that’s helping people turn ideas into essays and papers faster than ever before.
But this isn’t just another “AI success story.” This is a case study in hustling, learning on the go, and making the most out of a shoestring budget. Let’s break it down.👇
The Spark Behind Textero
The Spark Behind Textero
Nick’s idea for Textero didn’t come from a business school playbook. It came from empathy. As a recent graduate, he knew firsthand how overwhelming writing papers could be. “it’s okay for designers to look at a lot of pictures to get inspired. So why can't we get ideas from AI before writing papers?”
This simple, yet powerful question laid the foundation for Textero.
Unlike other AI tools flooding the market, Nick wanted Textero to feel like a collaborator—an AI assistant that didn’t just spit out text but helped refine and personalize it. The goal was clear: transform how students learn and create.
Nick’s idea for Textero didn’t come from a business school playbook. It came from empathy. As a recent graduate, he knew firsthand how overwhelming writing papers could be. “it’s okay for designers to look at a lot of pictures to get inspired. So why can't we get ideas from AI before writing papers?”
This simple, yet powerful question laid the foundation for Textero.
Unlike other AI tools flooding the market, Nick wanted Textero to feel like a collaborator—an AI assistant that didn’t just spit out text but helped refine and personalize it. The goal was clear: transform how students learn and create.
2,678+ people enjoy it
➤ Every week, we dig up stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses—
➤ Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers.
➤ Then, we share those insights with you.
➤ Every week, we dig up stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses—
➤ Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers.
➤ Then, we share those insights with you.
From Zero to Launch in 30 Days
From Zero to Launch in 30 Days
Starting a business can feel like an uphill climb, especially when you’re bootstrapping. But Nick wasn’t about to let that stop him.
Step 1: Scrappy Beginnings
Nick teamed up with a developer friend, bought a domain, and got to work. Together, they built the first version of Textero in just one month. The strategy? Keep it simple. No flashy features, no unnecessary frills—just a basic writing assistant and a bare-bones website.
Nick knew timing was everything. With the AI wave gaining momentum, every delay meant risking competition stealing the spotlight.
Step 2: Test, Tweak, Repeat
Textero launched as a free tool for the first two months. Why free? Two reasons:
Feedback: Nick needed real users to point out bugs and suggest improvements.
Trust-building: Students are naturally skeptical of new tools, especially ones that promise to help with academics.
And boy, did the feedback roll in. From glitches to user experience tweaks, Nick embraced it all.
Starting a business can feel like an uphill climb, especially when you’re bootstrapping. But Nick wasn’t about to let that stop him.
Step 1: Scrappy Beginnings
Nick teamed up with a developer friend, bought a domain, and got to work. Together, they built the first version of Textero in just one month. The strategy? Keep it simple. No flashy features, no unnecessary frills—just a basic writing assistant and a bare-bones website.
Nick knew timing was everything. With the AI wave gaining momentum, every delay meant risking competition stealing the spotlight.
Step 2: Test, Tweak, Repeat
Textero launched as a free tool for the first two months. Why free? Two reasons:
Feedback: Nick needed real users to point out bugs and suggest improvements.
Trust-building: Students are naturally skeptical of new tools, especially ones that promise to help with academics.
And boy, did the feedback roll in. From glitches to user experience tweaks, Nick embraced it all.
The Freemium Gamble
The Freemium Gamble
Nick’s plan to attract users was genius in its simplicity: offer Textero as a freemium service. The free version provided basic features, while a paid subscription unlocked the premium perks.
But here’s the catch—turning free users into paying customers is tough. The subscription rate wasn’t as high as Nick hoped, but it laid the groundwork for steady growth. Plus, the freemium model got Textero into the hands of thousands of students without a single ad.
Nick’s plan to attract users was genius in its simplicity: offer Textero as a freemium service. The free version provided basic features, while a paid subscription unlocked the premium perks.
But here’s the catch—turning free users into paying customers is tough. The subscription rate wasn’t as high as Nick hoped, but it laid the groundwork for steady growth. Plus, the freemium model got Textero into the hands of thousands of students without a single ad.
Cracking the Marketing Code
Cracking the Marketing Code
Once the basics were covered, it was time to get Textero in front of as many people as possible. Here’s how Nick did it:
1. Organic Traffic is King
Instead of throwing money at ads right away, Nick leaned into SEO. The goal? Make sure Textero popped up when students searched for terms like “AI writing assistant” or “essay generator.”
This strategy worked wonders—until it didn’t.
Textero’s site took a hit, losing 10,000 daily clicks almost overnight. But Nick didn’t panic. He regrouped, tweaked the homepage, and clawed his way back up the rankings.
2. Social Media Experimentation
Nick wasn’t afraid to try everything.
Not all channels worked, but the experiments paid off. The lesson? You don’t need to go viral everywhere—just find where your audience hangs out and double down.
3. Affiliate Partnerships
Nick launched an affiliate program, giving influencers and websites a cut for referring users.
Once the basics were covered, it was time to get Textero in front of as many people as possible. Here’s how Nick did it:
1. Organic Traffic is King
Instead of throwing money at ads right away, Nick leaned into SEO. The goal? Make sure Textero popped up when students searched for terms like “AI writing assistant” or “essay generator.”
This strategy worked wonders—until it didn’t.
Textero’s site took a hit, losing 10,000 daily clicks almost overnight. But Nick didn’t panic. He regrouped, tweaked the homepage, and clawed his way back up the rankings.
2. Social Media Experimentation
Nick wasn’t afraid to try everything.
Not all channels worked, but the experiments paid off. The lesson? You don’t need to go viral everywhere—just find where your audience hangs out and double down.
3. Affiliate Partnerships
Nick launched an affiliate program, giving influencers and websites a cut for referring users.
The Growing Pains
The Growing Pains
Textero’s rise wasn’t all smooth sailing. Nick learned some tough lessons along the way:
Seasonality Matters
When school’s out, student traffic dips. Textero saw a -20% drop in users during the summer and had to adjust its marketing to stay afloat.Competitors Don’t Sleep
By 2024, Textero’s competitors were rolling out feature after feature. Meanwhile, Nick’s small team struggled to keep up.
The solution? A strategic merger with AHelp, an older learning platform. This partnership brought in more tools, tech, and customers, giving Textero a much-needed edge.
Textero’s rise wasn’t all smooth sailing. Nick learned some tough lessons along the way:
Seasonality Matters
When school’s out, student traffic dips. Textero saw a -20% drop in users during the summer and had to adjust its marketing to stay afloat.Competitors Don’t Sleep
By 2024, Textero’s competitors were rolling out feature after feature. Meanwhile, Nick’s small team struggled to keep up.
The solution? A strategic merger with AHelp, an older learning platform. This partnership brought in more tools, tech, and customers, giving Textero a much-needed edge.
Scaling the Team
Scaling the Team
What started as a two-person passion project grew into a team of seven. Nick hired:
SEO Specialists to boost Textero’s search rankings.
Marketers to refine the freemium-to-paid conversion funnel.
Developers to keep improving the product.
By staying lean and hiring part-timers where possible, Nick kept costs low without sacrificing growth.
What started as a two-person passion project grew into a team of seven. Nick hired:
SEO Specialists to boost Textero’s search rankings.
Marketers to refine the freemium-to-paid conversion funnel.
Developers to keep improving the product.
By staying lean and hiring part-timers where possible, Nick kept costs low without sacrificing growth.
The Revenue Breakdown
The Revenue Breakdown
Today, Textero brings in $20K/month in revenue, with profit margins hovering around 50-60%. Not bad for a business that’s barely a year old.
The secret sauce? Staying laser-focused on solving one problem really well: helping students write better, faster, and smarter.
Today, Textero brings in $20K/month in revenue, with profit margins hovering around 50-60%. Not bad for a business that’s barely a year old.
The secret sauce? Staying laser-focused on solving one problem really well: helping students write better, faster, and smarter.
Nick’s Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Nick’s Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
If you’re dreaming of starting your own business, Nick has some advice:
Start small, but start now. You don’t need a perfect product to launch—just something good enough to test.
Listen to your users. They’ll tell you what’s working and what’s not.
Stay stress-resistant. Running a business is a rollercoaster, but every challenge is a chance to grow.
If you’re dreaming of starting your own business, Nick has some advice:
Start small, but start now. You don’t need a perfect product to launch—just something good enough to test.
Listen to your users. They’ll tell you what’s working and what’s not.
Stay stress-resistant. Running a business is a rollercoaster, but every challenge is a chance to grow.
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts
Nick’s journey shows that you don’t need a big budget or a perfect plan to succeed. He started small, kept things simple, and stayed flexible when challenges came his way. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect—just take the first step, listen to your audience, and keep improving.
P.S. I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I share Stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses— Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers. Then, I share those insights with you. I would love for you to join us here
Shoot me a DM if you want to share your story or visit this page to submit your information 💌
- h/t Nick's Twitter, Starter Story ⇢ Great resources
Nick’s journey shows that you don’t need a big budget or a perfect plan to succeed. He started small, kept things simple, and stayed flexible when challenges came his way. It’s a reminder that you don’t have to wait for everything to be perfect—just take the first step, listen to your audience, and keep improving.
P.S. I’ve got a weekly newsletter where I share Stories of how regular people started and grew their businesses— Plus the marketing hacks that won them customers. Then, I share those insights with you. I would love for you to join us here
Shoot me a DM if you want to share your story or visit this page to submit your information 💌
- h/t Nick's Twitter, Starter Story ⇢ Great resources
