🧠 Working on the right thing · The Bunker #69

This year has started very strong, positively speaking, of course.

And I'm excited to be able to say this because not all years have been like this.

I've spent my life working on projects and things that have always ended up going nowhere.

Projects that didn't take off or ideas that didn't blossom.

Due to life circumstances and various reasons, things never seemed to work out for me.

But all of this has changed.

For the first time in my life, I have crossed the $1,200 mark in a personal project.

Do you remember that in the last post we announced Koala UI? Well, it has taken off.

In just 10 days, we have already surpassed this figure.

But what had to happen for this to occur?

Well, something very simple; we have simply been working on the right project.

Obviously, this is not something so simple. In fact, I would dare say that it is the million-dollar question.

Working on the right thing.

Around April 2023, I began to take an interest in the world of templates.

The world of templates has always caught my attention because, in the end, I consider it a very good way to generate passive income. You do the work once, upload it to the marketplace, and let it work for you.

So, I started building templates.

After making 10 templates and 20 websites for different clients, I came to the conclusion: Naturally, each project is unique, but it is true that in every project, there are components that repeat, elements that I configure over and over again.

So, I thought: How can I optimize this entire process? How can I produce templates much faster and more efficiently?

Then I thought: Let's create a new website where we will store the components we have already made. We build it with Figma variables, and it's ready. The essence of the component is done, and we just have to adjust content and styles. The structure is already in place.

So, this is what I did: Koala simply arises from a personal need.

"I want to create something that allows me to build web pages more quickly."

I started to create Koala, started doing what I needed, and could make web pages much faster than before. In other words, mission accomplished.

https://twitter.com/espinosa_ux/status/1743727923511873913

It was here when I thought: If I have found value in this, many more people will also see the value.

And that's when I decided to make it public.

Don't reinvent the wheel.

Many times we drown thinking that we have to do something super revolutionary, but this is not always the case.

There are many libraries out there; TailwindCSS, for example, is incredible.

But my style is not exactly like Tailwind's. I wanted to create my own space where I can store the components I most frequently use with the style that I usually prefer.

This is where the value of my product lies.

And indeed, more people found it useful and decided to buy it.

So, this means that the idea has been validated, and in 2024, we will be working intensively with Koala.

I hope this has sparked some inspiration in you.

So, what should I do? What does this mean?

1. This doesn't mean that creating a profitable product is easy.
2. It means that to make 1.2k with this, I had to spend a lot of time on other things until I learned what to work on and where to dedicate my time.
3. It means that working smart is much more important than working hard.
4. You don't have to work a lot to come up with something cool.
5. You don't have to reinvent the wheel, just think that if you invent/create things that solve your own problems, there might be people who share these same problems.
6. I encourage you to give it a try and give it your all. You'll see how it ends up working out.
7. A product takes a lot of time to develop, not just one day. By December 31 of this year, we will post about how Koala started and where it ends up. This is just the idea; iteration makes the product.
8. Your words are your limits.
9. This month, I almost doubled my salary in my full-time job just with this. If someone had told me before, I would have said you're crazy. I grew up in a country where money is often mythicized. Money is just money, a tool of exchange. You provide value in exchange for money. Period, it doesn't mean anything more.

I’m thrilled to announce that I can finally announce Koala UI. Koala is the project I have been working on for the past 8 months.

Koala UI is a Design System built for users who are looking to create uniquely beautiful websites with highly converting structures and SEO optimization.

Download now: koalaui.com

If you are interested on making a living with Content Creation, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve recently release my book: From $0 to $10.000 on client projects with only 10.000 followers on Instagram”.

Check it out