When Nicolas Jeanne quit his job at a bank after just three days, he knew one thing for sure: “I can’t have someone telling me what to do.” That decision kicked off a relentless journey through e-commerce, freelancing, advertising, and eventually indie hacking. In just over a year of teaching himself to code, Jeanne built and sold TalkNotes, an AI-powered voice-to-content app, for $200,000.
Before he wrote a single line of code, Nicolas was already a seasoned advertiser. “Most indie hackers start technical and try to learn marketing,” he explained. “I was the opposite. I learned marketing first. I managed over $1 million in ad spend before I could even code.”
His entrance into advertising came through necessity. After dabbling in dropshipping and e-commerce, he began freelancing to support himself. Facebook Ads were still relatively new, and Jeanne saw an opportunity to learn fast and scale quickly. He leveraged that experience to grow multiple brands and work with clients, gaining a sharp edge in an area where many developers struggle: user acquisition.
I made 17 apps in a year. The rule was: if it takes more than a week to build, it’s too long.
Nicolas Jeanne
But when his main freelance contract fell through and his store’s revenue dropped, Jeanne faced a fork in the road. “I had one year of savings. I needed to move fast. I realized I never wanted to build a business I couldn’t fully control again, like in e-commerce where a supplier error can destroy everything.”
So he did something drastic: locked himself in a hotel room for two months and committed to learning to code.
He started with foundational courses like Harvard’s CS50, followed by web development tutorials, a Python course, and later explored more advanced topics like Nuxt.js and machine learning. “At first, it was a nightmare,” he recalled. “I couldn’t build what I wanted, and I spent hours googling how to fix things. But slowly, it started clicking.”
The Birth of TalkNotes
The idea for TalkNotes came from laziness—and that’s not a bad thing. “I wanted to post something on Twitter but didn’t feel like typing,” he said. Google’s transcription tools let him down, so he decided to build a better solution using OpenAI’s Whisper model. “The results weren’t perfect, but they were way better than what was out there.”
With his background in dropshipping, Jeanne had a mindset of fast iteration. “I made 17 apps in a year. The rule was: if it takes more than a week to build, it’s too long.” TalkNotes was no different. Within days, he had a working MVP built in vanilla JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The MVP could record voice notes and convert them into structured formats like blog posts and bullet points.
He launched the app by listing it on startup directories he discovered using Ahrefs, and announcing it on Twitter. The response was immediate: over 1,000 free users and 7 yearly subscriptions in the first week. That was enough validation to pursue the project full-time.
“That first $700 in a week gave me confidence,” he said. “But I knew I needed more than directory traffic to grow.”
Scaling with Ads and Growth Strategy
Unlike many indie hackers who focus on organic reach or SEO, Jeanne leaned into his ad-buying expertise. “I build products that can scale with ads,” he explained. “Once I validated demand, I shifted to Facebook Ads. That’s where things really took off.”
He started small—$20 to $30 per day—but quickly scaled to $50 daily once the data started rolling in. His cost per customer ranged from $20 to $60, but he was confident in the lifetime value. “With churn below 10%, I knew I could afford to spend upfront and make it back within months.”
Jeanne optimized relentlessly. He tested static images and video ads, with a core focus on the hook. “You need to grab attention in the first half-second. Whether it’s the headline, the image, or even the colors—everything matters.”
The business crossed $7,000 in MRR within months.
He also experimented with SEO, offering free tools to drive traffic. While it did help with discoverability, it didn’t convert well. “The traffic was low-quality. SEO is powerful, but I’m still learning how to do it right.”
Getting Acquired
Jeanne started TalkNotes in August 2023 and sold it 11 months later, in July 2024, for $200,000. He listed it on Acquire.com, priced it for a fast sale, and closed the deal within weeks.
“I could’ve asked $300K, but I wanted a clean, quick cash exit,” he said. “It was my most successful product, and I was ready to move on.”
This wasn’t his first acquisition either. He previously sold another app, MakeLogo, for $65,000. “Same playbook. Validate, scale, and sell.”
Tech Stack and Philosophy
Despite the technical nature of TalkNotes, Jeanne emphasizes that the technology wasn’t the secret sauce. “Customers don’t care about your tech stack. They just want their problem solved.”
He built the MVP in vanilla code, but eventually refactored the app using Nuxt and Node with Express for the backend. Hosting, analytics (Plausible), and email marketing (Bento) were the only external tools he used. OpenAI’s Whisper API handled the transcription.
“Don’t overcomplicate things. Simplicity wins, especially when you’re solo.”
You don’t have to be great at tech. No one gives a sh*t about tech. Your customers aren’t going to ask about your tech stack. They just want a solution to their problem.
Nicolas Jeanne
Lessons Learned
The biggest takeaway from the TalkNotes journey? Marketing trumps tech. “Copywriting is the #1 skill,” Jeanne said. “I made $25,000 in pre-sales for an advertising guide that didn’t even exist yet. That’s the power of words.”
He urges aspiring founders to:
- Learn copywriting and marketing before coding
- Use paid ads if your product has a clear LTV
- Don’t waste time on products that don’t show traction
- Avoid building for broke audiences (“Indie hackers are rats. We don’t spend money.”)
- Ask users open-ended questions to truly understand their needs
And perhaps most importantly: don’t fall into the fantasy of overnight success.
“It took me 30 failures over seven years to finally make a living from my projects. Be humble. Expect it to be 10x harder than you imagine. And be ready to give up 2 years of your life before seeing a real payoff.”
From a failed dropshipper to a self-taught coder with a six-figure exit, Nicolas Jeanne’s story is a blueprint for indie hackers who value speed, testing, and ruthless execution over perfection. His message is clear: build fast, market harder, and don’t wait for permission.
