Lean Operations Stories

Learn from founders who navigated lean operations challenges. Make the same decisions they faced and understand the outcomes.

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Justin Welsh
Justin D Welsh LLC

How Justin Welsh Reached $10M in Six Years with a One-Person Business

Justin Welsh built a one-person, content-powered business to $10M cumulative revenue in ~5 years 9 months, relying on daily LinkedIn/X posts, a trust-building newsletter, and a product ladder that started with a $50 course and scaled to premium offers and sponsorships. He kept operations lean (no employees, ~$620/mo in tools) and avoided paid ads, preserving high margins. He also shut down a $15k MRR community to protect lifestyle and focus, then reinvested time into channels and products with better fit.

Solopreneurship Audience Building +6 more
5 decision points
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Matt Giovanisci
Swim University

Swim University: How Matt Giovanisci Turned Pool Know-How into $1M/yr Content Business

Matt Giovanisci built Swim University by translating hands-on pool retail experience into precise tutorials and ‘one best pick’ recommendations. He shifted from ads to affiliates and then to courses/books, while curating an evergreen catalog maintained like a textbook. A lean family team repurposes scripts across YouTube, SEO, and a large seasonal newsletter, contributing to a $1M+ year. The approach is disciplined: fewer but better posts, single-SKU picks, price testing, and operations that stay small to protect margins.

Affiliate Marketing SEO Content Strategy +5 more
4 decision points
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Tibo Louis-Lucas
Tibo Maker's Portfolio

From Failures to $200K MRR: How Tibo Maker Built a Distribution-First Studio

Tibo Maker operates as a distribution-first studio: build a single audience engine and reuse it to launch and grow several products in parallel. The approach emerged after multi-year VC-style failures, was refined through Tweet Hunter/Taplio, and now emphasizes revenue-first validation, partner-led distribution, and platform-risk hedging. This studio model prioritizes fast cycles, aligned incentives, and shared reach across products.

Indie Hacking SaaS +5 more
4 decision points
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