How Did Julien Nahum Build NoteForms, a $37K/Month Notion App?

TL;DR

Julien Nahum built NoteForms into a business generating close to $37,000 in monthly recurring revenue by launching a six-day MVP for Notion users, promoting it within existing communities, and improving it through early feedback. The form builder grew to nearly 100,000 registered users after Notion opened its API. Read on for his practical methods for finding ideas, validating demand, building quickly, and reaching initial customers.

Transcript

I just spent 6 days working on it creating like a small MVP and now we are close to 37k of monthly working Revenue how does this guy make over $400,000 a year with an app he built in just 6 days Well turns out he really knows how to find customers obviously there is which is always a big one for this kind of products I was able to get quite a lot o... Read More

Key Insights

• NoteForms is a form builder for Notion users that grew to nearly 100,000 registered users and about $37,000 in monthly recurring revenue. Julien Nahum created its initial MVP in six days after Notion released an API that enabled integrations.
• Building on an established platform provides access to an existing community and lets a founder solve a focused problem instead of creating an audience from nothing. This approach helped NoteForms reach enthusiastic Notion users, although Julien acknowledges that dependence on another platform creates risk.
• The simplest source of product ideas is a problem the founder personally experiences. Being a user makes flaws easier to recognize, but personal demand may not represent a market, so the idea must be released quickly and tested with other people.
• Fast validation works by building the smallest useful product, sharing it with as many relevant people as possible, and gathering immediate feedback. Julien favors projects that a solopreneur can build quickly because a short development cycle limits the cost of testing uncertain demand.
• MVP speed comes from focusing on customer value instead of experimenting with technology. Julien has used PHP and Laravel for years, reuses code and interface elements from earlier projects, and concentrates new development on the core logic that distinguishes each product.
• Existing communities can supply the first customers when a product directly serves their interests. Julien promoted the free initial release across Notion-related Reddit communities and Facebook groups, where members were already interested in discovering tools connected to the platform.
• Twitter audience growth begins with genuine interaction rather than isolated promotional posts. Julien recommends identifying inspiring or relevant people, consistently engaging with them, and allowing recognition and reciprocal interaction to develop over time, which can gradually produce followers and product awareness.
• A viral loop emerges when normal product use exposes the product to additional people. NoteForms users shared or embedded forms, while viewers saw attribution linking back to the service, creating a cycle in which more users produced more forms and more opportunities for discovery.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Julien Nahum build a $37K-per-month Notion app?

Julien Nahum built NoteForms after Notion released its API, adapting the form feature offered by Airtable for Notion users. He created a small MVP in six days, launched while the timing was favorable, and used early users and feedback to iterate toward the product’s core value. NoteForms later reached close to 100,000 registered users and about $37,000 in monthly recurring revenue.

Q: What is NoteForms?

NoteForms is a form builder created for Notion users. It allows Julien to solve a focused need within Notion’s existing ecosystem rather than building a standalone platform and its community from scratch.

Q: How did Julien Nahum find the idea for NoteForms?

Julien had used Notion for two or three years before the company released an API that allowed people to build integrations and products on the platform. He recognized that Airtable offered forms and decided to bring a similar capability to Notion users.

Q: How can a solopreneur find promising software ideas?

Julien recommends starting with problems you personally experience because being the user makes flaws and possible improvements easier to see. He also finds ideas by discussing other people’s work and noticing tasks that consume one, two, or three hours each day but could be automated. Curiosity and exposure to new technology and opportunities on social media can reveal additional possibilities.

Q: How should a founder validate a software idea quickly?

Julien validates an idea by building the product, or at least an MVP, sharing it with as many people as possible, and collecting immediate feedback. Focusing on it for a short period helps reveal whether it provides real value before more time is invested. Because he works alone, he favors products he can build by himself and quickly.

Q: How can developers build MVPs faster?

Developers can move faster by reusing a familiar codebase, interface elements, and other common components from earlier projects. Julien says each new project lets him keep more of the existing foundation and focus on the core logic and customer value that make the new product different.

Q: Why build a SaaS product on an existing platform like Notion?

An established platform already has a community, so a founder can address a specific subproblem without first creating an audience. Notion had enthusiastic users, a large subreddit, and many Facebook groups that gave NoteForms access to interested people. Julien notes that this approach also creates platform risk.

Q: Where can founders find the first users for a niche app?

Founders can share their product in communities already centered on its platform or problem. Julien promoted NoteForms in Notion-related Reddit communities and Facebook groups, where users were already interested in products for Notion. Releasing quickly also gave him early feedback that helped him iterate on the product.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Julien Nahum built NoteForms after Notion released its API, adapting the form functionality offered by Airtable for Notion users. He created the first MVP in six days and benefited from launching at the right time. The product later approached 100,000 registered users and $37,000 in monthly recurring revenue.

• His idea process begins with personal problems, curiosity about how other people work, and attention to new technology. He validates ideas by building a small MVP, sharing it widely, and collecting immediate feedback. Reusing a familiar technology stack, interface components, and code from previous projects makes each experiment faster to complete.

• Initial customers came from Reddit, Facebook groups, Twitter interactions, and other Notion-focused communities. Product Hunt generated attention and a backlink but no sale in Julien's experience. NoteForms also grew through a viral loop because users shared forms containing product attribution, exposing the service to people who completed or viewed those forms.