Tony Dinh

TypingMind

How Tony Dinh Built TypingMind: From Weekend Hack to $500K Indie SaaS

SaaS AI Tools Indie Hacking Product Validation Pricing Strategy OpenAI API Build in Public
Patterns: Ship Fast on Platform Momentum Sell on Value, Not API Access Build in Public to Earn Trust Design for Clarity, Not Flair
Includes 3 decision points
T

About Tony Dinh

TypingMind

Vietnamese software engineer turned full-time indie hacker. After seven years in corporate roles, Tony built TypingMind — a ChatGPT interface that reached $500K in revenue within its first year, entirely self-funded and built solo.

Website Twitter

Story Summary

TypingMind began as Tony Dinh’s weekend experiment to fix ChatGPT’s missing search and folder features. Built in one day after the API release, it went viral through his build-in-public updates, reaching $10K revenue in 10 days and $500K within a year. Tony applied lessons from past indie projects — shipping fast, clear UI, and direct customer billing — while avoiding platform risk seen in his earlier Twitter tool. The result: a sustainable indie SaaS proving that speed, focus, and transparency can outperform scale.

Decision Points

You will encounter 3 key decisions in this story. Make your choices to see how the founder navigated each situation.

1
Decision 1 of 3
decide-first-version-scope

How Minimal Should the First Version Be?

After ChatGPT’s API launch, Tony had to choose between a quick simple release or a full-featured build.

Context

He identified missing features like folders and search, but had limited time to capitalize on API buzz.

Make your choice
Select one option below to reveal the explanation

What approach should Tony take for TypingMind’s MVP?
2
Decision 2 of 3
pricing-model-choice

How to Charge Without Owning the API?

Tony needed a model that justified payment even though users paid OpenAI directly.

Context

He wanted clean margins and to avoid billing complexity.

Make your choice
Select one option below to reveal the explanation

What was the best pricing approach?
3
Decision 3 of 3
distribution-choice

Where to Launch First?

Tony had to decide between building quietly or launching on social and product sites.

Context

With no ad budget, visibility depended on owned distribution.

Make your choice
Select one option below to reveal the explanation

What launch path should he choose?

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Hidden Foundation

Skill-Stack Iceberg

Tony’s decade-long path — from early Visual Basic experiments to full-stack roles in Singapore — gave him the technical range and design instinct to ship TypingMind in days. His prior indie apps taught fast iteration, monetization discipline, and UI clarity, all of which converged in TypingMind’s explosive launch.

Professional Experience

Software Engineer
2014–2021

Zendesk and prior startups

Built expertise in front-end, back-end, and product design that later enabled rapid MVP shipping.

Previous Projects

DevUtils
Mac Utility App

Experience in desktop distribution, pricing one-time licenses, and shipping native apps.

Showed viability of selling directly to developers and managing one-time payment models.

BlackMagic
SaaS / Browser Extension

Grew expertise in recurring billing, user engagement, and platform risk from Twitter API dependence.

Reinforced need for owning distribution and avoiding third-party platform dependency.

Snapper
Web Utility

Improved visual design skills and screenshot export UX for indie products.

Sharpened eye for simple, aesthetic presentation later used in TypingMind UI.

Audience & Distribution

Twitter

Built in public, shared milestones, engaged developer community.

Acted as TypingMind’s primary acquisition channel and trust signal.

Operational Capabilities

Rapid MVP shipping

Built first TypingMind version in one day after ChatGPT API launch.

Allowed immediate capture of early adopter wave in March 2023.

Lean solo operations

Managed support, coding, and marketing single-handedly during early growth.

Kept costs low and enabled reinvestment into product development.

How These Skills Applied to TypingMind

Full-stack development

Applied: Built TypingMind web app end-to-end using OpenAI’s API.

Impact: Shipped MVP within 48 hours of API release.

UI/UX Design Sense

Applied: Simplified complex AI interface into clean searchable chat history.

Impact: Users cited clarity as key reason for purchase.

Building in Public

Applied: Shared daily progress and milestones on Twitter.

Impact: Generated viral traction and $10K sales in first 10 days.

Success Patterns Identified

Key patterns you can apply to your own product

After going through the decisions above, you've now seen 4 key patterns in action. Here's how to apply them to your own product:

Ship Fast on Platform Momentum

Pattern

Launched TypingMind within days of OpenAI’s ChatGPT API release, converting early API excitement into user demand before competitors arrived.

Evidence from this story

Tony built the first version the day after the ChatGPT API went live, adding folders and search — missing in the official app — and shared it immediately on Twitter.

Sources: Tony-Dinh—Ups-and-Downs-of-an-Indie-Hacker-Journey

Sell on Value, Not API Access

Pattern

Instead of reselling tokens, TypingMind required users to bring their own API key, positioning itself as a productivity layer, not a ChatGPT clone.

Evidence from this story

The app’s pricing charged for interface and usability, while users paid OpenAI directly for usage — keeping margins clean and customers in control.

Sources: Tony-Dinh—Ups-and-Downs-of-an-Indie-Hacker-Journey

Build in Public to Earn Trust

Pattern

Openly sharing revenue, roadmap, and feature launches built immediate credibility and converted social proof into early sales.

Evidence from this story

Within 10 days of launch, Tony publicly celebrated $10K revenue milestones, drawing inbound demand and community support.

Sources: 500K milestone – my reflections after 1 year of building Typing Mind

Design for Clarity, Not Flair

Pattern

Tony focused on intuitive layout and functional clarity instead of ornate visuals, enabling faster onboarding and user retention.

Evidence from this story

Users consistently praised TypingMind’s clear chat organization and minimal interface that solved friction points from ChatGPT’s native UI.

Sources: 500K milestone – my reflections after 1 year of building Typing Mind
Explore all patterns

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Sources & References

500K milestone – my reflections after 1 year of building Typing Mind

Tony’s one-year reflection on TypingMind’s growth, challenges, and lessons.

article View Source

Nov 2024 My First Million

Tony reflects on crossing $1M lifetime revenue across products.

article View Source

Interviewing Tony Dinh about becoming a FullTime Indie Hacker

Tony shares his transition from full-time employment to indie hacking.

podcast View Source

Tony-Dinh—Ups-and-Downs-of-an-Indie-Hacker-Journey

Tony’s in-depth interview covering BlackMagic’s sale and TypingMind’s rise.

video View Source

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