I Made $239.12 with my Side Projects in 2024

No this is not a marketing trap. I hate marketing! I won’t subtly mention the products that I built. But yeah, I don’t want to do marketing. I just wanna build.

I'm a solo developer, completely bootstrapped. I've poured my heart into building several products over the past year, working full-time while freelancing so I don't die starving. The result? A few hundred dollars in revenue. I take full responsibility; it's all my fault! I know that. I'm not complaining though—I love what I do, and it's been an incredible journey! I love building, truly, but I'm realizing I'm spinning my wheels. I haven't found the right path to get my creations in front of users. Marketing feels like a whole other job I don't have the patience and heart for "wasting" my time on it, especially with so many ideas on my head that I want to create!

I'm starting to think about a pivot – maybe focusing on platforms with existing user bases. Something that handles some of the marketing for me, you know? I've been thinking about building for marketplaces like Shopify, where the audience is already there. Has anyone else tackled this dilemma? Any advice for a solo dev stuck in the build-but-no-users trap? I love and will keep building for no one, but it wouldn't hurt to make a few bucks with it.