DEV Community: Kathan Mehta

sharing all my learning of building 15+ startups

Kathan Mehta — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:39:33 +0000

the last two years completely changed my life. i went from having zero programming income to building products across 11 different industries. here's exactly how it happened.

july 2023 - ai directory services

started with reachactory when everyone was losing their minds over chatgpt. built a service that helped ai tools get listed in directories. had no clue what i was doing but made $2.5k in six months. first time money came from code i wrote.

december 2023 - developer tools

shipped my first ai tool that converts website screenshots into code. developers could quickly turn designs into working prototypes. got my first $20 monthly customer within 12 hours of launching. couldn't sleep that night.

march 2024 - april 2024 startup/fundraising

landed contract work with a USA based pre-seed startup. built fornax ai to give feedback on pitch decks. learned how the fundraising world actually works and what investors care about. real client work felt completely different from side projects.

may 2024 - design/ui tools

launched easy ui and everything clicked. designers and developers needed high quality pre-built templates and this solved it. hit 100k+ views and 28k+ users in six months. finally built something people genuinely wanted.

august 2024 - electronics/repair

got hired by a denmark startup to build a react native app for electric device repairs. dove deep into how technicians handle warranty claims and diagnostic tools. completely different world from web development.

september 2024 - back to design tools

shipped easy ui premium. got first paid user in 24 hours again. the design community was responding well and i was starting to see patterns in what worked.

november 2024 - real revenue

easy ui crossed 50+ paid users. revenue was becoming something i could actually live off. the design tools market was working.

december 2024 - january 2025 - restaurant/hospitality

another denmark contract building a react native app for chef task prioritization. learned about kitchen operations, food prep timelines, and staff coordination. restaurant tech moves incredibly fast.

also shipped animator studio during this time - converts images and videos into mockups. back in the design/marketing space while juggling contract work.

february 2025 - mobile development

started learning swiftui and xcode. native mobile development was completely different from web work but opened up new possibilities.

april 2025 - productivity/wellness

launched my first mac app - a simple break reminder tool. targeted people with eye strain and productivity issues. native apps felt different to build and distribute.

may 2025 - social media/marketing (failure)

built an enterprise tool for creating and scheduling social media posts with ai. targeted marketing teams and agencies. it completely failed. learned hard lessons about enterprise sales and crowded markets.

june 2025 - education/reading

shipped bookshorts and got apple app store approval. targeted people wanting quick book summaries. made zero revenue but understood the education content space better.

july 2025 - productivity + healthcare

double shipped searchfast (open source raycast alternative) and medassist (doctor research and emr tool). productivity tools i understood, but healthcare was complex with medical research, patient records, and compliance requirements.

august 2025 - enterprise ai/productivity

now building chatpm - ai infrastructure for agents to manage teams + projects. targeting businesses that want ai integrated into their workflows. feels like the biggest project yet, combining everything i learned about ai, enterprise needs, and productivity.

the 11 industries i worked in last 24 months are

ai/tech directories - reachactory
developer tools - screenshot-to-code, searchfast
startup/fundraising - fornax ai
design/ui tools - easy ui, animator studio
electronics/repair - electric device repair app
restaurant/hospitality - chef task prioritization app
productivity/wellness - mac break reminder app
social media/marketing - failed enterprise scheduler
education/reading - bookshorts
healthcare - medassist
enterprise ai/productivity - chatpm

what this taught me

every industry has its own weird rules, user behaviors, and regulatory requirements. restaurant kitchens operate nothing like doctor offices. electronics repair workflows are completely different from fundraising processes.

building across all these spaces taught me to adapt quickly. when potential clients see i've built everything from kitchen management systems to healthcare tools to developer productivity apps, they know i can figure out their industry too.

the technical stack evolved too. went from web to mobile to desktop to ai to enterprise. each platform taught me something new about users and distribution.

failures taught me as much as successes. that social media tool failure showed me how crowded some markets are and how hard enterprise sales can be.

what's next

still building, still learning. the diversity across industries and technical stacks is what makes each new project interesting. every industry has problems worth solving.

if you're working on something and need help building it, reach out. always interested in new challenges and different markets.

i hope this post inspires whoever is reading.

ps- if you are building softwares/ startup let's connect. hit me up here - https://x.com/kathanmehtaa

How I make same money as software engineer in Canada being a Solo Founder [ Founder Diaries ]

Kathan Mehta — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 10:45:32 +0000

In August 2023, I graduated from Humber College as an international student with no connections, no network, and no clear direction. The journey that followed was one of desperation, self-discovery, and ultimately, transformation.

The Desperate Hustle

Fresh out of college, I applied for every job I could find: Data Analyst, Data Scientist, Software Engineer, Front-End Developer, Web Developer, UI/UX Designer, and more. I tried it all. I was so desperate that I turned to email scraping, cold emailing, cold DMs, and commenting on posts to get noticed.

I forced myself to create new posts, showcase projects, and engage online—anything to grab a recruiter’s attention. I followed every guide from YouTube and LinkedIn “gurus” religiously, building projects, earning certifications, and learning new skills. Yet after four to five months of relentless effort, I landed only two or three interviews. Each demanded Data Structures and Algorithms (DSA) expertise and years of experience—expectations that felt out of touch with reality.

Breaking Point: Questioning the Path

Having spent over five years in the industry, I knew that most roles didn’t actually require DSA or 10 years of experience. The job postings felt unrealistic, and my relentless hustle felt aimless. I started questioning: Is this even worth it?

The time I spent learning DSA, completing certifications, and preparing for Fortune 500 interviews felt like a waste. I realized that instead of chasing a corporate dream, I could use that time to build something of my own.

Choosing to Build

I pivoted. I decided to learn how to build software and create something meaningful. I joined indie hacker communities and immersed myself in the “build in public” movement. Surrounded by OG indie hackers, I launched my first software project.

But building wasn’t enough—I had to market it. Marketing was an uphill battle. My efforts on Reddit led to 13+ accounts getting suspended. Repeating the same explanations, replying to repetitive questions, and addressing critiques about my product’s use cases drained me. I doubted myself and questioned whether marketing was even for me.

The Turning Point: Embracing Feedback

At my lowest point, I realized I had nothing to lose. I leaned into storytelling and started sharing my journey authentically. I welcomed feedback from users, no matter how critical it was.

When someone asked, “Why would I use your product?” my reply shifted from defensive to curious: “I’d love to hear your feedback. What did you like or dislike? What would you like to see improved?” This approach changed everything.

I started prioritizing user feedback over my own ideas. Implementing suggestions from multiple users not only improved my product but also expanded my thinking. It felt like having an unpaid team—their insights doubled or tripled my brainpower.

The Payoff

Building my own startup has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I’ve grown in ways a 9-to-5 job never could have offered. I learned to:

Build software and create meaningful solutions.

Market effectively by embracing storytelling and authenticity.

Handle criticism constructively and turn it into a growth opportunity.

Bootstrap and take risks with confidence.

Value discomfort as a path to resilience and empathy.

Today, I’m a completely different individual. Even if I return to a 9-to-5 role, I’ll approach it with the mindset of a founder. I understand recruiters because I’ve hired for my own company. I empathize with users because I’ve built for them. I see challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities.

Learning from books, theories, and business school is valuable, but nothing beats real-world experience. Talking to real users, building products, and facing failure teaches you more than any classroom ever could. The more startups you build and the more discomfort you face, the more you grow—as a developer, as a founder, and as a person.

When I started, I sought learning above all else, and I still do. Money is a byproduct of passion and perseverance. For 2025, I wish you the courage to pursue your dreams unapologetically. Stop blaming circumstances. Start trying. Fail, learn, and grow.

Blaming is for the weak. Building is for the brave.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. I share more about my journey, learnings, and strategies in my newsletter, That AI Tools Guy. Join my family of 400+ subscribers and let’s grow together.

I Built a Tool to Animate Boring Screenshots and Screen Recordings 💿

Kathan Mehta — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 19:36:54 +0000

Ever looked at a plain screenshot or screen recording and thought, "This could look so much better"? Yeah, same. That's why I built Animator Studio — a tool to help you breathe life into those static visuals and create beautiful animations in seconds.

What Does Animator Studio Do?

Animator Studio is designed to take your screenshots, screen recordings, or any other static visuals and turn them into:

Eye-catching mockup ads

Engaging social media posts

Slick product videos

Animated website demos

Whether you're showcasing a new feature, creating a promo for your app, or just want your visuals to stand out, Animator Studio makes it simple.

Why I Built It

There are tons of tools out there for creating professional-grade animations, but many of them are either too complex or take forever to get anything done. I wanted something:

Easy to use — No design skills? No problem.

Fast — Get results in minutes, not hours.

Accessible — Something anyone can pick up and use without a steep learning curve.

How It Works

You upload your screenshot or screen recording, tweak a few settings, and Animator Studio does the rest. You can add:

Animated device frames (phones, tablets, desktops, etc.)

Smooth transitions and effects

Captions, highlights, and other elements to draw attention.

Who’s It For?

If you’re a:

Startup founder showcasing your product in action

Content creator looking to level up your posts

Marketer aiming to grab attention

Developer showing off a feature or workflow

This tool is for you.

What’s Next?

I’m building this in public, so your feedback means the world to me! If you’re curious, give it a try and let me know what you think.

Here's the link 🔗 - https://www.animator.studio/

From Minimum Wage to $42k+ ARR : My Startup roller coaster in Toronto

Kathan Mehta — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 07:25:56 +0000

In August 2023, after graduating, I moved back to India to build my startup but my plan failed. My startup got some traction, but my life felt like I was missing something.

I came back to Toronto for one more fresh start. I had no backup, no off-field or field job. No family in Canada and only $2k in my bank account. $2k in Toronto means I can live off with basic necessities for around 1.5 months. If I fail, I would be on streets. I still decided to take the risk.

I gave it all I got this time.

I found a job with minimum wage to survive. As well, I found 2 clients with inbounds (they came from my old posts). I worked without resting a bit. I had full-time minimum wage job and 2 clients. All at the same time. I kept going.

Soon I felt a bit confident and started building EasyUI, EasyUI Premium and EasyMVP.

EasyUI started getting traction and soon I launched EasyUI Premium and EasyMVP.

My work with both the clients ended in 2 months and I started focusing on growing EasyUI.

I decided to build Easy UI in pubic. I kept sharing all the updates on Twitter and LinkedIn. I wrote blogs on Dev community and Medium.

I got some inbounds. People reached out to me to learn, they joined EasyUI's Discord community. I made friends too. I helped people by guiding them as there was no one to guide me when I needed the most.

I guess my goodwill to help people and work finally paid off. Soon after launching EasyUI, I found a new project work for building MVP for a startup. I also got shout-outs from Instagram community, LinkedIn connections. This increased my traction for EasyUI Premium as well.

In the next month, I ended up with $8k+ in revenue (which was the highest I made in my whole life in a month), I also saw the lowest. When I came here in February, I only made $1k.

I kept going. I figured that staying down to earth and focusing on learning more and ship faster is the key. Also sharing the work and updates on social media is really important too. Building in public was the key.

I kept going but soon my numbers dropped. I didn't end up with 0 as I had my backup but from June to August I saw 0% growth in revenue. But in September it all changed. I double-downed on shipping and my revenue again skyrocketed. It hiked to freaking +179% in October.

In November it dropped to -58% and now in December I am expecting it to grow by +131% ($6500+).

This says a lot about internet business and startups. Ups & downs are constant. Focusing on work and sharing is the most important part.

I learned that helping people is also very important. It helps in building a great environment and community altogether. Alongside I made good friends too.

I built a haze themed website template with 10+ sections

Kathan Mehta — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 02:13:40 +0000

I’m excited to share Easy Haze, a haze-themed website template I built using React, Shadcn UI, Tailwind Labs, and TwBlocks. This template features over 10 well-structured sections, designed to be clean and easy to customize for different types of projects.

Here’s the link to Easy Haze if you want to check it out in more detail.

The template is part of the Easy UI collection, which brings together a growing set of high-quality website templates for developers. What makes Easy Haze stand out is its minimalist design and ease of use, making it a solid choice for developers looking to get their project up and running quickly without sacrificing design.

You can explore the Easy UI collection here and even access the full codebase on GitHub. Easy UI is 100% open source, so feel free to contribute or adapt it to your own needs. Here’s the repo link: GitHub - Easy UI.

If you’re building a new site and want a simple yet polished look, give Easy Haze a try!

I Built a Beautiful Collection of Website Components and Templates - Open Source

Kathan Mehta — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 04:08:32 +0000

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share something I’ve been working on this for a while now. It’s called Easy UI - https://easyui.pro/ , and it’s a collection of free, open-source Next.js templates.

When I first started building, I was searching for high-quality templates, but most of what I found was paid and a few crapy. That’s what pushed me to create Easy UI—a collection of high-quality Next.js templates.

I built templates for different use cases like:

• SaaS startups
• AI tools
• Simple chat UIs
• Retro-styled themes
• And a few other random ideas I thought were fun to explore

Everything is built using Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Magic UI, Shadcn UI, Aceternity UI, and a few more libraries I love working with.

It’s been a fun journey, and I hope others can find it useful, whether you're working on a project or just exploring new ways to build.

I started Easy UI just 20 days ago, and it’s been an incredible journey! In under 3 weeks:

•⁠ ⁠20k+ website visitors
•⁠ ⁠129+ GitHub stars
•⁠ ⁠Liked by founders of Magic UI, Aceternity UI, Buildspace, Next UI, Prisma, and Rive.

I would love to get your feedback on Easy UI.

Thank you!

My project crossed 90+ stars on Github - here's what I learned

Kathan Mehta — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 09:03:25 +0000

All of my ideas were failing 🪡🧵

I was losing my confidence.

That's why I decided to build an open-source project.

My project Easy UI - https://www.easyui.pro/ recently crossed 90 stars & 15k+ visitors in 30 days.

I can certainly say that my confidence has boosted.

After all, it's my first open-source project to reach this level.

Here are some things I noticed while building Easy UI 👇🏻

Building gets boring + repetitive after a certain time. No matter how boring it is, stick with it.

Most people avoid boring stuff & lose consistency.

Please know boring stuff is equally important. Everything starts becoming normal + boring after a certain time. Stop running and face it.

Keep showing up. No matter what, make at least one GitHub commit a day — you won't realize it, but this will improve your persistence.

Stay in the present + don't get overwhelmed. Thinking about the future will make you anxious, and the past is history, so keep all the learnings from the past and start taking action.

Storytelling is important. People must relate to what you say.

People will only read if you have something interesting to say + the things you say must come from your product-building experiences (don't share fake stories; be honest).

Founder Mode 👇🏻

When it comes to hiring — pay for the resources/tools. Don't hire until you're ready & have the utmost need for people to do your work.

It's easier to manage resources than people.

Ideas 💡

Boring ideas make money!!

E.g., website templates, directories, boilerplates, image generation tools...

Boring ideas assure us that the product already has market fit.

Yes, there will be competition, but with good quality + value, you can start monetizing your product.

And lastly, but most importantly:

HAVE A MENTOR, TONS OF INSPIRATION, and read motivational books because you need as much motivation + inspiration as you can get.

Most of my products failed because of the negative thinking barrier & lack of inspiration.

If you like what i am building then please don't forget to leave a star on the Easy UI GitHub Repo. Your one star 🌟 will make my whole week.

I built Most Clean Website Template Ever and It Looks Good (For Real)

Kathan Mehta — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 09:34:54 +0000

This template belongs to Simplicity.

Introducing Easy Story - Most Simple Landing Page EVER (For Real).

Link - https://www.easyui.pro/ez-story

Built using @nextjs , @shadcn UI, @reactjs and a lot of @tailwindcss .

I tried to keep it as clean as possible.

What's unique about this template? I actually used it in one of my real-world projects called "StoryMagicAI".

For this release, I've redesigned and rebuilt it from scratch with a proper code structure to ship it with Easy UI as a structured clean template.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this!

PS. If you haven't checked out Easy UI yet,

Here's the link - https://easyui.pro

PSS. Please make sure to leave a🌟 on the GitHub - https://github.com/DarkInventor/easy-ui

PSS. This post is a part of my Linkedin Post. I keep sharing New Updates regarding My journey, New NextJS Templates, AI Resources and more. You can connect me here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathan-mehta-software-dev/

I would love to have you on my Linkedin. Thank You.

Happy Coding !!

Discover 50 Free High Quality NextJS Templates with Easy UI

Kathan Mehta — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 05:46:28 +0000

Last month, I was up late again, coding another landing page from scratch.
That's when it hit me: Why am I doing this over and over?

I tried to find existing website templates for NextJS but all the good templates were paid.

That night I stayed up till morning to complete building the landing page I was working on.

Soon I started building multiple landing pages as my backup so that when I have a new software/micro-SaaS idea, I don't have to start from scratch.

While doing this, I soon realized that it's not only my problem.

Almost everyone has this issue. We already have high quality component libraries for ReactJS

But what about templates?

So I built Easy UI [ https://easyui.pro ] - 100% FREE collection of 50+ NextJS web templates.

I don't want you or anyone to pay for quality website templates. (Paying for a service is totally different thing but here we're talking about landing pages. So let's stick with it.)

No more late nights. No more reinventing the wheel. Just pick a template and start building what matters.

PS. Easy UI just hit 30+ stars on GitHub. If you're tired of starting from zero every time, checkout - https://easyui.pro

Please make sure to leave a Star on the GitHub - https://github.com/DarkInventor/easy-ui

It's 100% free. Because we've all got better things to do than code another nav bar at 2 AM.

Save your time and focus on what matters most (ie. marketing, business development, growth, shipping your SaaS, and more).

Let Easy UI handle the landing pages while you build your empire.

🚀 93 Projects, 1 Success Story: My Journey with Easy UI PRO

Kathan Mehta — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 07:50:03 +0000

Today, I want to share a personal milestone that's been 93 projects in the making. Yes, you read that right – 93 projects! 🚀

I'm thrilled to announce that my latest venture, Easy UI PRO, has just hit two significant benchmarks:

20+ stars on GitHub ⭐
Over 1,000 visitors to the project 👥

This journey has been nothing short of a rollercoaster, filled with valuable lessons that I'd like to share with you all.

1. Embrace Failure as a Catalyst for Success

One of the most crucial lessons I've learned is this: the faster you fail, catch up, and start something new, the FASTER you succeed. Each of those 92 projects that didn't quite make it wasn't a failure – they were stepping stones. They taught me invaluable lessons about:

What users really want
How to build more efficiently
The importance of market fit

Don't be afraid to fail. Be afraid of not learning from those failures.

2. The Power of Persistence

93 projects. Let that sink in. Many would have given up long before reaching this number. But persistence is key in the tech world. Every "failed" project was a building block for Easy UI PRO. It's a testament to the fact that success often comes to those who simply refuse to give up.

3. Take Breaks to Boost Productivity

Counter-intuitive as it may seem, taking good, long breaks has been crucial to my success. These breaks allowed me to:

Refresh my mind
Gain new perspectives
Return to work with renewed energy and creativity

Don't underestimate the power of stepping away from your desk. Sometimes, the best ideas come when you're not actively seeking them.

4. Simplicity is Key

Here's a truth bomb: Most problems have simpler solutions than we think. It's our minds that tend to overcomplicate things without reason. With Easy UI PRO, I focused on simplifying UI development, and that's what resonated with users.

Remember: If you can't explain your product simply, you don't understand it well enough.

5. Community Matters

Reaching 20+ stars and 1k+ visitors isn't just about the numbers. It's about the community that's forming around Easy UI PRO. Each star, each visitor, represents a developer who found value in my work. And that's the real reward.

To everyone who's been part of this journey – thank you. Your support, feedback, and engagement have been invaluable.

And to those still on their journey to find their successful project – keep going. Your 93rd (or 23rd or 193rd) project might be the one that changes everything.

What's your experience with project development? How many attempts did it take you to find success? Share your stories in the comments!

P.S. I'm excited to announce that I'm building Easy UI - a collection of 50+ Open Source NextJS Web Templates. Check it out here: https://www.easyui.pro/

P.P.S. My goal with this post is to inspire more people and give back to the community that has always supported me. If you appreciate my work, posts, and contributions, please consider supporting me by starring my GitHub repo: https://github.com/DarkInventor/easy-ui

Your support means the world to me and helps keep this project growing! 🙏

My first pull request just got accepted !

Kathan Mehta — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 06:14:34 +0000

My first pull request just got accepted !

🎉 Today I am celebrating my first Open Source contribution to the GitHub community.

This is a huge deal for me. I'm working on Open Source project which means there is no way I am getting paid for building Easy UI- [ https://www.easyui.pro/ ]

Building a collection of 50+ Next.js Templates takes time but with good support and validations like this I think I can really make it reach to 1000s of people.

It's been an amazing journey, and I want to share some things I've learned along the way:

You don't need to be a genius to contribute! Anyone can make a difference if they put in the effort.
Keep learning every single day and show up consistently. It's all about small steps that add up over time.
Remember, good things take time. Never give up, even when it feels tough!

4.Focus on getting better at what you do, not just on making money. If you're great at your craft, the money will follow naturally.

Start with small, achievable goals. It's the best way to build your confidence and keep moving forward.
Try to add at least one small task to your daily to-do list and actually do it. It might seem tiny, but it really boosts your self-esteem and makes you feel accomplished.
Most goals are totally achievable! The biggest challenge is often just convincing yourself that you can do it.

I'm so excited to keep working on Easy UI and can't wait to see where this project goes. If you're interested in Next.js or web development, definitely check it out! Here's the link - https://www.easyui.pro/

Remember, we all start somewhere. Keep pushing, keep learning, and amazing things will happen! 💪🚀

PS. I keep sharing things I learn and build regularly here. If you like and want to support me then please don't forget to like my posts here and show some love.

PPS. If you want to connect with me, Here's my Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathan-mehta-software-dev/

Thank you all & Happy Coding !!

Free Website Templates | Celebrating first 20 days of building Easy UI 🎉

Kathan Mehta — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:27:29 +0000

Celebrating first 20 days of building Easy UI 🎉

It all starts from 0️⃣,

But once you start, it never stays the same.

You always end up with something more in your plate.

I started building EasyUI 20 days ago.

Since then I didn’t take even a single day off.

Here’s the small look at what happened in those few days 👇,

Built website for easyui,

link: https://www.easyui.pro

Launched my mvp building service

link: https://mvp.easyui.pro

Shipped a boilerplate

link: https://lnkd.in/dQErU8VX

Crossed 1k+ visitors on website
Shipped 11+ templates
Got noticed by big accounts (ie. founders of syntax ui, aceternity ui, buildspace, next ui, prisma and magic ui)
Crossed 15 🌟 on GitHub
Completed 1k followers on LinkedIn
Reached to 7k+ followers on DEV Community
More than 3 posts blew up on Linkedin and crossed over 10k+ impressions regularly

These are just first 20 days of consistently building something I love.

Which means this all happened in just 2.5 weeks .

I gave 4-6 extra hrs everyday to build my sude project and this are the results I got.

Isn’t this amazing ?

If I can do it then I believe you can do it too 🔥

I am not posting here to brag and show my achievements to you guys.

Whenever I share this type of posts I only aim to I inspire or help someone.

I struggled for a very long time.

I was lost too but you don’t have to be lost because I am trying to find a way.

While I find a way I decided to share my journey with you here on Linkedin in the hopes if someone follows these footsteps they can become successful and achieve more than what they are achieving rightnow.