In 2020, I discovered the idea that people could make money online by building things.
Since then, I've tried almost everything.
I started websites.
I learned design.
I learned marketing.
I built digital products.
I launched projects that nobody used.
I launched projects that got almost no traffic.
Every year I thought:
"Maybe this is the year it finally works."
But somehow I always ended up back at zero.
The frustrating part is that I didn't quit.
For 5 years I've been consistently learning new skills:
Graphic design
Website building
Digital products
Content marketing
SEO
Social media
Yet I still haven't reached the point where I can say:
"Yes, this business is working."
Recently I spent weeks building a library of 500+ Notion templates.
I launched it.
The result?
Almost nothing.
No viral launch.
No overnight success.
Just another reminder that building is easier than distribution.
That's the lesson that keeps hitting me:
Building isn't my problem anymore.
Getting attention is.
I can create products.
I can design landing pages.
I can write content.
But distribution still feels like a puzzle I'm trying to solve.
So I'm asking developers, founders, and creators who are further ahead:
If you were starting again today with no audience and no reputation, what would you focus on?
Would you:
Double down on content?
Build more products?
Focus entirely on one distribution channel?
Spend more time networking?
I'm genuinely curious because after 5 years of trying different things, I'm convinced the answer isn't "work harder."
It's probably "work differently."
I'd love to hear your advice.
Top comments (3)
Building something online for several years already shows persistence, which is a big achievement in itself. Many successful projects take much longer than expected because finding the right audience, product-market fit, and growth strategy can be challenging.
One thing that often helps is focusing on a specific problem for a clearly defined audience instead of trying to build something for everyone. Regularly talking to users, gathering feedback, and making small improvements can provide better results than constantly rebuilding from scratch.
It would be interesting to know what you've been building, what has worked so far, and what challenges are currently preventing growth. The community may be able to provide more targeted suggestions.
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keep trying dnt lose hope and someday it will work.. this is what I do. BEST WISHES.