How a Google Workspace add-on served more than 40k users
Hello! Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your business?
Hello everyone! My name is Leandro, and I am from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I was a freelance software developer for 8 years, but I decided it was time to pursue my long-overdue wish of building my own products.
My business is Notion2Sheets, and it’s the most successful product I’ve built so far.
It’s a Google Workspace Add-On that runs in the Google Sheets right sidebar, allowing Notion users to sync their databases with Google Sheets.
How did you start this business? Take us through the process.
In May 2021, Notion released the beta of their public API, which users were eagerly waiting for!
I knew Notion before but never invested too much in the product, knowing now that there was a public API I thought it was a good idea to see what opportunities were there.
I deep dived into the product itself, communities like Reddit and Facebook groups to better understand users and realized that syncing databases with Sheets would enable some workflows that were currently not possible otherwise.
I already had knowledge about the Sheets API because of a different product I was building so I decided to give it a go.
It took me 2 weeks to build the MVP and publish it to the Google Workspace Marketplace. It had some bugs but having it on the open really helped to start conversations with users and start building from there.
How did you get your first initial customers?
In the early days of Notion2Sheets, the marketing strategy revolved heavily around social media engagement.
I frequently posted on social media and participated in relevant discussions by replying to questions and mentioning my product if relevant.
Sharing brief videos and screenshots showcasing the capabilities of the tool further boosted visibility. The Notion subreddit and all the Notion-related Facebook groups were the perfect place for it.
I released the tool two weeks after Notion launched its public API. Back then, moderators were quite permissive with self-promotion, something that’s no longer true. While the initial strategies no longer work, I continue to respond to Reddit messages related to Sheets, CSV, or any topic where I can mention Notion2Sheets.
In the beginning Notion2Sheets was free, it allowed users to sync 3 workspaces and 3 databases which updated automatically every hour and also with the option to run the updates manually.
I then use those limits with some iterations to define paid plans. I learnt the hard way that I was giving away too much for free so it took some time to find the right limits and features for each of the tiers, something that I am still exploring.
Initially, the tool was free. However, after introducing paid plans, it took two months to acquire my first 10 paying customers. Two of them remain happily subscribed to this day!
It took me 10 days to get my first 50 users which was great! In other products I built that never happened and I was always pushing the product to people, this time it felt different and people were pulling for the product. That’s something super important in my opinion for microsaas, you need to feel that users pull for your product and not that you have to push it.
Growth has always been organic, I am active on Reddit, Twitter, Facebook Groups and where Notion users hang and try to provide value to them, mentioning Notion2Sheets when appropriate.
Our ideal customer works in operations, project management, or product management within a company that heavily relies on Notion to organize its operations.
These individuals have made significant investments in Notion, and they aim to bridge its limitations by integrating Google Sheets, thereby enhancing their existing setup. Once they transfer their data to a spreadsheet, they can unlock numerous use cases that were previously unattainable.
Our most effective channel for reaching such customers is the Google Workspace Marketplace — where a search for ‘Notion’ places us as the top option — and our website.
Our blog also serves as a valuable resource, offering insightful articles on leveraging both tools in tandem.
Since launch, what are your marketing strategies or channels to get new customers?
Launching on Product Hunt was undoubtedly the best marketing decision I made. I reached out to Ben, who works for Notion and is an active member of the community, to be my hunter and it went very well. The product finished in the top 10, achieving our goal of being featured in the newsletter.
It is not only about the launch but everything that happens around it.
You first need to prepare the material that makes you focus on your landing page, your copy, and your visuals. The posts on social media keep the conversation going and increase the reach of the launch.
I also posted on Hacker News (HN) and made it to the front page, resulting in a significant surge in website traffic. While that was exciting, it didn’t translate into installs or sales.
How is the business doing currently?
We have 2 really nice months of growth after removing free accounts but October has been pretty quiet and November seems to be the same.
The product is at $8.400 MRR right now with more than 400 paying customers and almost 40k users that installed the add-on.
My most costly bill is Sendgrid, which I use to send transactional and marketing emails. Sendgrid’s most expensive plan is at $89.90 per month
I have configured emails for errors and success during sync processes and also for onboarding to explain to users the different features Notion2Sheets provides and a chance to get some feedback from them early on in the free trial period.
Where can we go to lean more about you and your business?
Here are some links you can go to learn more:
Official Website: https://notion2sheets.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeanZubrezki/
If you’re interested in more case studies of how indie founders are running their business and side hustles, check out Indie Hustle