Hello, I’m David Kim.
I’m planning to create a series of videos discussing renowned indie hackers, their stories, and growth trajectories. Welcome to and subscribe my YouTube channel and Podcast “AI Watcher by DK”.
We’ll deconstruct their cases and learn from both their successes and failures.
I’m on my indie hacker journey under an anonymous identity, aiming to share my progress from 0 to $100k MRR. Feel free to follow me on Twitter.
Today, we’ll explore the journey of Tony Dinh, a Vietnamese indie developer born in 1993 who has made significant waves in the tech world. His story is one of consistent success, demonstrating that his achievements are far from mere luck or one-time wonders.
The Spark of Inspiration
In early 2020, as the COVID pandemic forced many to work remotely, Tony found himself drawn into the world of indie development.
He discovered IndieHackers and became an avid listener of their podcast. The success stories of indie developers like Pieter Levels, Kyle Gawley, and Jon Yongfook became his daily dose of motivation and inspiration.
A Portfolio of Profitable Products
- Black Magic: The Twitter Tool That Started It All
One of Tony’s early successes was Black Magic, a Twitter tool that impressively reached $14k in Monthly Recurring Revenue. This product eventually sold for $128,000, marking Tony’s first significant exit.
2. Xnapper: Simplicity Meets Profitability
Following Black Magic, Tony created Xnapper, a straightforward screenshot tool. Despite its simplicity, Xnapper brought in an average MRR of about $4,000. Tony later sold this product for $150,000, further cementing his status as a successful indie developer.
3. Typing Mind: Riding the AI Wave
Tony’s most lucrative product to date is Typing Mind, essentially a wrapper for ChatGPT. This product now generates an impressive $45,000 in MRR. Tony’s quick action in launching Typing Mind just hours after ChatGPT went live, combined with continuous optimization, has kept the product competitive in the crowded ChatGPT wrapper market.
The Journey to Full-Time Indie Development
Tony’s tech journey began early, creating his first product in high school using Visual Basic 6.0. At 19, he landed his first internship, earning $345 a month.
By 2021, his salary had grown to $8,800 monthly. It was at this point that Tony decided to take the leap into full-time indie development.
When Tony quit his job, his products Black Magic and DevUtils were bringing in $600 in MRR.
While this wasn’t enough to cover his living expenses, Tony had a valuable asset: 8,000 Twitter followers, providing a solid foundation for his indie developer career.
The Ideal Indie Developer Setup
Tony’s situation was ideal for an indie developer. His previous high-paying job allowed him to build up savings that could support him for two years in Vietnam, even without income.
Being single at the time and living in Southeast Asia, with its low cost of living, put Tony in a prime position to start his entrepreneurial journey.
Mastering Twitter: A Key to Success
Tony Dinh has not only created profitable products but also built an impressive Twitter following of 130,000, placing him among the top tier of Twitter influencers in the developer community.
This large following has been a crucial factor in Tony’s success, providing a direct line to potential users and a platform for marketing his products.
Tony’s Twitter strategy emphasizes several key points:
- Frequent engagement with followers and other accounts
- Not being afraid to use humor and share memes
- Writing in-depth thread tweets that provide valuable content
- Sharing interesting tidbits and maintaining a friendly, approachable presence on the platform
This approach has allowed Tony to build a loyal following that not only supports his products but also provides valuable feedback and ideas for new developments.
From Idea to Product: The Birth of Black Magic
In May 2021, with over 2,000 Twitter followers, Tony had the idea to create a tool related to follower counts.
He developed a clever feature that adds a progress bar around a user’s Twitter profile picture, growing as the follower count increases.
Tony’s followers loved the idea, prompting him to develop it into an app with a monthly subscription model.
He continued to add features, such as customizable colors and follower growth predictions, increasing the product’s value over time.
This simple idea evolved into “Black Magic,” which at its peak reached $14,000 in MRR.
Adapting to Change and Moving Forward
When Twitter overhauled its API system under Elon Musk’s leadership, introducing much higher prices, Tony had to make a tough decision.
Rather than trying to adapt Black Magic to the new, more expensive API, he decided to sell the product.
He then created two new products: X Napper and TypingMind. Most recently, in April, Tony launched Image Social, a small creative project for making website open graph images.
Conclusion
Tony Dinh’s journey from intern to successful indie developer is a testament to the power of perseverance, adaptability, and strategic thinking.
His story serves as an inspiration to aspiring indie developers, showing that with the right mindset, skills, and a bit of luck, it’s possible to build a thriving career in the indie development world.
If you’re interested in discussing Tony’s product and marketing techniques further, feel free to reach out on Twitter. Until next time, keep building and dreaming big!
