I Earned My First $100 on Gumroad — Here’s Exactly What I Did

It wasn’t life-changing money — but it proved something way more important: people will pay for what you create.

I Earned My First $100 on Gumroad — Here’s Exactly What I Did

Here’s the exact product, strategy, tools, and lessons I used to earn my first $100 on Gumroad — so you can shortcut your way to your first sale too.

It might not sound like much, but that first $100 changed everything.

Not because I suddenly got rich.

Not because I cracked some algorithm.

But because it proved that I could build and sell something on my own.

If you’ve been on the fence about starting something on Gumroad (or anywhere else), this article is for you.

I’ll walk you through exactly what I did — step by step — no fluff, no secrets held back.

Why I Chose Gumroad

Before diving into the process, here’s why I picked Gumroad over other platforms:

Zero upfront costs. You don’t need to pay anything to start.

Built-in checkout system. No dealing with Stripe or PayPal directly.

No-code setup. You can launch a product page in under 10 minutes.

Audience tools. You get email capabilities and analytics out of the box.

For a beginner trying to validate an idea, this was perfect.

Step 1: Picking the Right Product

I didn’t start with a complex course or a massive ebook. I started small — a $5 Notion template.

Why?

• Low commitment for buyers
• Easy to make and iterate
• Quick to test the market

The product: a simple, aesthetic Notion habit tracker built for creators and developers.

Tip: Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for done. You can always improve later based on feedback.

Step 2: Solving a Real Problem

I asked myself:

What problem do I face daily that others might have too?

Answer: Tracking goals consistently. I’m a developer juggling side projects, fitness, content creation, and learning. I needed a clean, simple tracker — and couldn’t find one I liked.

So I made my own.

Once I realized others like me might need the same, I packaged it into a Notion template, added a short walkthrough, and called it a day.

Step 3: Creating the Product Page

Here’s the structure I followed:

• Title: Clear and value-driven.
  “Minimal Habit Tracker for Creators & Coders”
• Subtitle: What the product helps you do.
  “Build streaks, crush goals, and stay on track — without the clutter.”
• Description:
• What’s included
• Who it’s for
• How it helps
• A few visuals
• Price: I went with pay-what-you-want, starting at $5. This made it easier for early buyers to support me.

Gumroad makes this process super beginner-friendly — no need to worry about fancy landing pages.

Step 4: Launching Without an Audience

Here’s the truth: I didn’t have 10k followers. I had maybe 400 on Twitter, a few friends on WhatsApp, and a LinkedIn profile gathering dust.

Still, here’s what I did:

1. Posted on instagram

• Shared the backstory: why I built it
• Added a few screenshots
• Used relevant hashtags (#Notion, #Productivity, #Makers)

2. Reached out to communities

• Posted in a few Notion and productivity subreddits (be careful with self-promo — provide value!)
• Shared in 2–3 Discord servers for creators

3. DM’d friends directly

Not to sell, but to get feedback. Some of them ended up buying and sharing it further.

Step 5: Gathering Feedback and Iterating

The first few sales came in slower than I expected. But when they did, I immediately messaged buyers:

• “Thanks for getting this — any feedback?”
• “What would make this more useful for you?”

This helped me:

• Fix minor layout issues
• Add a “dark mode” version
• Include a quick-start PDF guide

Every small update gave me a reason to share it again — and that drove more traffic.

Step 6: Sharing My Journey

I documented everything publicly:

• post when I hit my first 10 sales
• Shared lessons I was learning
• Posted revenue screenshots (yes, the tiny wins)

This built trust and made people more likely to support my work.

Revenue Breakdown

1st week: $25 (5 buyers)

2nd week: $35 (7 buyers)

3rd week: $40 (8 buyers + 1 tip!)

Total: $100 in 3 weeks

Not earth-shattering, but it meant people were willing to pay for something I made.

What I Learned

1. You don’t need an audience to start.
   You just need something useful and the courage to share it.
2. “Build once, sell forever” is real.
   That template still earns the occasional sale — months later.
3. Done is better than perfect.
   If I waited until it was “ready,” I’d still be waiting.
4. Talk about your product more.
   What feels like repetition to you is visibility to others.

Final Thoughts

The internet changed the game.

You don’t need permission. You don’t need funding. You don’t need a co-founder.
You just need an idea, a problem to solve, and the willingness to share.

My first $100 on Gumroad wasn’t about the money.
It was about momentum.

Now I know what’s possible — and I’m just getting started.

Thinking of launching on Gumroad? I’d love to hear about your idea — drop a comment

Thank you for being a part of the community

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