I went from 0 to 300+ Users in 24 Hours for my side project - Open Source & Lessons Learned
Tags: javascript, webdev, softaware, sideprojects
Published: 2024-06-10 15:03:18

hello readers,

i have some incredibly exciting news to share! yesterday, i launched my first ever open source project called [**quotesai**](https://github.com/DarkInventor/QuotesAI) - a simple application that generates inspirational quotes using ai technology.

and the response has been absolutely phenomenal! 

from having **zero** users just **24 hours ago**, we've already **crossed the 300+ user mark** and received **6 stars** on the [github](https://github.com/DarkInventor/QuotesAI) 

![Github - DarkInventor](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zzr4ve6h93isspusa0gs.png)

i'm genuinely thrilled and grateful for the amazing initial traction. this is just the start of the [quotesai](https://quotesai.vercel.app/) journey!

what makes this launch even more special is that i decided to build quotesai completely in public view. by sharing regular updates, getting feedback from the community, and being transparent about my progress, i'm learning invaluable lessons.

in fact, let me take you behind the scenes with some key insights from my recent marketing experiment across various channels:

**reddit**: 3 posts, 12.8k+ impressions 

[**twitter**](https://x.com/kathanmehtaa/status/1799431052924219568): marketing push, combined 5k+ impressions 

**facebook** groups: shared posts

[**linkedin**](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7205183700928520192/): 1 post, 250+ views 

[**newsletter**](https://thataitoolsguy.substack.com/p/launching-my-free-open-source-ai): sent to my 400+ subscribers 

[dev.to blog](https://dev.to/darkinventor/i-open-sourced-my-ai-first-side-project-for-free-3bp2): 1 post, 51 views

in total, my content reached nearly **20k+ impressions**! this translated into **310 user interactions** and **609 page views.**

here’s the look at analytics for quotesai 

(it has increased a bit since i last checked) 

![Analytics Quotesai](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/e96dct023vwg2zcv0n5e.png)

however, here's the brutal truth - the conversion rate from impressions to signups was only **0.11%** at **just 22 new users.**

a 0.11% conversion is extremely **low**, indicating that my current approach and messaging needs refinement. for a product to be viable long-term, i'd want at least a 3-5% conversion rate from marketing efforts.

so what's next?

i have a crucial decision to make - **either double down on quotesai** by pivoting to create something more useful and valuable, **or start fresh** on a new project idea entirely.

i'm leaning towards iterating on quotesai based on the initial promising traction. over the next couple of weeks, i'll be:

researching and analyzing data to understand user needs better

speaking to some of you to gather qualitative feedback

ideating on new features/pivots that can drive higher conversions

> my goal is to build something that people genuinely want and will happily use daily.

this is just the beginning of my journey building in public. i'll continue sharing regular updates on my progress, what's working well, what's not, and most importantly - the lessons i'm learning along the way.

i hope that by documenting my process transparently, i can inspire others to launch their own open source projects too!

so stay tuned for more by following me on twitter @kathanmehtaa. let's grow quotesai (or whatever it evolves into) together!

if you are interested in checking out quotesai github repo → [click here](https://github.com/DarkInventor/QuotesAI)

and if u want to play around with quotesai → [click here](https://quotesai.vercel.app/)

i will see u in the next update till then lfg! 

and, happy coding :)

ps- if u are interested in knowing more about how do i market my projects, what channels i use, and what i use lemme know and i will write about it by sharing my real world examples of how i do it and you can too.

-kathan