This NO-CODE Startup Made $3,000,000 Using Bubble.io (Flexiple.com Case Study)

WeAreNoCode - Learn No-Code!
21 May 202304:36

TLDRKarthik Sridoran, co-founder and CEO of Flexible, shares his journey of building a company worth $3 million using no-code tools. Initially focused on connecting freelancers with companies, he pivoted to create a platform that catered to the growing demand for flexible work. Despite facing challenges with a complex, full-code platform, Karthik leveraged no-code tools like Google Sheets and Bubble.io to rebuild and scale his business. The story highlights the importance of customer value, the power of no-code tools, and the feasibility of bootstrapping a startup, inspiring entrepreneurs to pursue their ideas without the need for coding expertise.

Takeaways

  • 🚀 Karthik Sridoran is the co-founder and CEO of Flexible, a company built using no-code tools.
  • 🎓 After realizing his dissatisfaction with the finance industry, Karthik quit his job to pursue an MBA and later chose entrepreneurship over a conventional career path.
  • 🌐 Karthik identified a shift in the talent economy, with a growing demand for flexible, freelance, and remote work opportunities.
  • 🔍 He noticed that existing freelancing platforms had a poor reputation and low-quality offerings, which led to the idea of creating Flexible.
  • 🔄 Initially, Karthik built a complex, fully-coded platform, but after realizing the lack of market demand, he pivoted to a no-code approach.
  • 📈 By leveraging no-code tools, Karthik was able to create a scalable version of Flexible, which eventually generated $3 million in revenue.
  • 🎯 The first key lesson for entrepreneurs is to focus on delivering customer value rather than just building a product.
  • 🛠️ No-code tools are powerful for non-technical individuals, allowing them to build, test, and scale their ideas quickly and efficiently.
  • 💡 The second lesson is the importance of being flexible and responsive to market feedback to improve and grow a business.
  • 💰 The third lesson is the feasibility of bootstrapping a startup, maintaining full ownership, and growing the business through revenue generation.
  • 📚 For those without coding skills but with a tech startup idea, there are resources available to learn how to build a business using no-code tools.

Q & A

  • What was Karthik Sridoran's initial career choice and why did he change it?

    -Karthik initially chose a career in finance, but he quickly realized it wasn't for him as he wasn't satisfied or passionate about the work. He then quit his job to pursue an MBA.

  • What led Karthik to become an entrepreneur instead of taking a conventional job after his MBA?

    -Karthik noticed a shift in the talent economy where high-performing individuals were seeking more flexibility in their jobs, leading to the popularity of freelancing and remote work. He saw an opportunity to create a platform that could connect these freelancers with companies.

  • What was the initial perception of freelancing platforms that Karthik observed?

    -Karthik found that many freelancing platforms had a bad perception due to the low quality of work and the hit-and-miss nature of recruiting people from these platforms.

  • How did Karthik's initial approach to building his platform change?

    -Initially, Karthik built a complex platform with full code, but after realizing there was no demand for the product, he decided to rebuild it using no-code tools to create a more scalable and user-friendly version.

  • What no-code tool did Karthik use to build the first version of his platform?

    -Karthik started with Google Sheets and then moved on to using Bubble.IO to build the full web app for his platform.

  • What was the revenue generated by Karthik's company after scaling the platform?

    -After scaling the platform using no-code tools, Karthik's company generated three million dollars in revenue.

  • What are the three key learnings in entrepreneurship highlighted in the story?

    -The three key learnings are: 1) Focus on delivering customer value, 2) Utilize no-code tools for their powerful capabilities, and 3) Bootstrap your startup to maintain flexibility and control.

  • Why is it important to focus on customer value rather than just building a product?

    -Focusing on customer value ensures that you are solving a problem or providing an outcome that customers are willing to pay for. If people don't use your product, you're missing the point and are just a product builder, not a business builder.

  • How can no-code tools be beneficial for non-technical entrepreneurs?

    -No-code tools allow non-technical entrepreneurs to build and launch their tech startups without needing to know how to program or code. This reduces bottlenecks, allows for rapid testing and feedback, and enables growth through revenue generation.

  • What does it mean to bootstrap a startup, and why should entrepreneurs consider it?

    -Whether you're looking to raise money from investors or grow your business solely through revenue, bootstrapping allows you to maintain full ownership and control over your startup, making it a viable option for many entrepreneurs.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 The Rise of Karthik Sridharan and Flexible

This paragraph introduces Karthik Sridharan, co-founder and CEO of Flexible, a company built using no-code tools that generated $3 million in revenue. The video aims to dissect the story, discuss the platform, and highlight the tools used to build it. Christian Pepperelli, co-founder of We Are No Code, encourages viewers to learn how to build tech startups without coding. The story begins with Karthik's dissatisfaction with his finance career, leading him to pursue an MBA and ultimately become an entrepreneur. He identified a shift in the talent economy, with a growing demand for flexible and remote work opportunities. Karthik saw an opportunity to improve the quality of freelancing platforms and started Flexible to connect freelancers with companies. The initial complex platform failed, leading Karthik to rebuild it using no-code tools, starting with Google Sheets and eventually scaling up with Bubble.IO. The company's success demonstrates the power of no-code tools and the importance of focusing on customer value, flexibility, and bootstrapping a startup.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Karthik Sridoran

Karthik Sridoran is the co-founder and CEO of Flexible, a company that was built using no-code tools. His story exemplifies the entrepreneurial journey of someone who left a career in finance to pursue an MBA and eventually founded a successful startup. In the video, Karthik's story is used to illustrate the potential of no-code tools in business.

💡No-code tools

No-code tools refer to software applications that allow users to create products or services without the need for traditional programming or coding knowledge. These tools are highlighted in the video as the primary means by which Karthik built his company, Flexible, and are presented as a powerful resource for non-technical entrepreneurs.

💡Flexible

Flexible is the company co-founded by Karthik Sridoran, which was designed to connect freelancers with companies, offering them the flexibility and remote work opportunities they seek. The platform's initial version was built using no-code tools like Google Sheets and later scaled using Bubble.io, demonstrating the scalability of such tools.

💡Revenue

Revenue in this context refers to the income generated by a business, which is a key indicator of its financial success. The video emphasizes that Flexible was able to generate three million dollars in revenue, showcasing the effectiveness of no-code tools in creating profitable businesses.

💡Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is the process of designing, launching, and running a new business, often involving innovation, risk-taking, and strategic management. Karthik's journey from a finance career to becoming an entrepreneur is a central theme of the video, highlighting the importance of identifying market needs and leveraging available resources, such as no-code tools.

💡Talent economy

The talent economy refers to the labor market where individuals, particularly skilled workers, have more control over their careers and employment options. The video discusses how Karthik recognized a shift in the talent economy towards more flexible and remote work opportunities, which led to the creation of Flexible.

💡Freelancing

Freelancing is a form of self-employment where individuals offer their services to clients on a project-by-project basis, often remotely. The video highlights the increasing popularity of freelancing and the demand for platforms that can effectively connect freelancers with suitable work opportunities.

💡Customer value

Customer value refers to the perceived benefits that customers receive from a product or service. The video emphasizes the importance of focusing on delivering customer value rather than just building a product, as it is the value that drives customer satisfaction and revenue generation.

💡Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping in the context of startups means starting and growing a business with minimal external funding, relying primarily on the founder's own resources. The video suggests that bootstrapping is a viable approach, especially when using no-code tools that reduce initial costs and allow for rapid iteration and market testing.

💡Revenue generating

Revenue generating refers to the ability of a business to produce income from its operations. The video implies that investors often prefer to invest in businesses that are already generating revenue, which is a testament to the business model's viability and market acceptance.

💡Scaling

Scaling in business terms means increasing the size, capacity, or scope of a company's operations. The video demonstrates how Karthik scaled Flexible from a simple Google Sheets model to a full web app, leveraging no-code tools to handle growth and reach significant revenue milestones.

Highlights

Karthik Sridoran is the co-founder and CEO of Flexible, a company built using no-code tools.

Flexible generated three million dollars in revenue.

Christian Pepperelli is the co-founder of We Are No Code, teaching non-programmers to build tech startups.

Karthik studied finance and worked in the finance industry before realizing it wasn't for him.

He quit his job to pursue an MBA at a top business school in India.

Karthik chose entrepreneurship over a conventional job after his MBA.

He identified a shift in the talent economy towards more flexible, freelance, and remote jobs.

Freelancing platforms had a bad perception with low-quality opportunities.

Karthik saw an opportunity to vet freelancers and match them with flexible positions.

Initially, Karthik built a complex, fully coded platform.

He realized there was no demand for his product and had to rebuild the platform.

Karthik used no-code tools like Google Sheets and Bubble.IO to rebuild Flexible.

The focus should be on delivering customer value rather than building a complex product.

No-code tools are powerful, allowing non-technical people to create and scale businesses.

Bootstrapping a startup is possible and recommended, regardless of investor intentions.

Karthik's story demonstrates the effectiveness of no-code tools in building a successful business.

We Are No Code offers a free course for building startups without coding knowledge.

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