My SaaS journey-I reached my €100K ARR goal. New one: €500K ARR By 2026
Pauline isn’t just another entrepreneur; she’s the embodiment of resilience, creativity, and the indie hacker spirit. From juggling a demanding job as a data scientist at IBM to crafting a SaaS product that now makes €100K ARR, her journey is a rollercoaster of failures, triumphs, and invaluable lessons.
I couldn’t stop reading her story — her struggles, her breakthroughs, her wins — and, most importantly, the insights she shares so openly.
Whether you’re a developer dreaming of your first SaaS or someone navigating the turbulent waters of entrepreneurship, Pauline’s story will resonate deeply. I’m thrilled to share her path with you — not just the successes that make headlines but the hard-earned lessons from her setbacks.
By the end of this article, I promise you’ll walk away with a notebook full of ideas and the motivation to start — or restart — your own SaaS adventure. Let’s learn from Pauline and take our projects to the next level!
Let’s get started.
Building a Career at IBM
Pauline Clavelloux began her career in a joint venture between Accenture and Microsoft as a data analyst. A year later, she joined IBM and quickly rose through the ranks to become a data scientist and eventually a manager — a remarkable feat for someone so young. While managing her corporate responsibilities, Pauline always sought challenges outside the confines of her day job. In June 2024, after five years as a manager at IBM, she officially left her corporate role to pursue indie hacking full-time.
Reflecting on her transition, Pauline shared:
“Being a manager at IBM gave me discipline, but indie hacking gave me freedom. It’s like switching from a planned journey to charting your own path in uncharted territory.”
Her SAAS Journey Begins
2020: A Spark Amid COVID-19 Lockdowns
The COVID-19 pandemic became the turning point in Pauline’s journey. With newfound spare time, she decided to experiment with automated cryptocurrency trading.
She enlisted a developer friend to help her build it. Together, they crafted a trading robot that worked 24/7. Result? A ROI five times their initial stake! Amazing isn’t it?
Encouraged by this success, she launched her first SaaS product: a customizable trading alert service for investors. However, the product failed to gain traction.
Key Lessons from the First Failure
- “A great idea for you doesn’t mean it’s great for others.”
- “Before building, know your audience and how to reach them.”
- “Don’t spend months perfecting something no one is willing to buy.”
Learning from Failure
2021: Growing Her Personal Brand
After her first product failed, Pauline sought advice from Thibault Louis-Lucas, a successful entrepreneur. His recommendation? Build an online presence.
Starting with just 11 Twitter followers, Pauline shared insights on data science and entrepreneurship. One day, one viral tweet brought her over 1,000 new followers in 48 hours. This growing audience became her foundation for future products.
“X isn’t just a platform; it’s the ideal place to learn from others and share stories to — maybe — inspire and help others who want to start a business project.”
AI Photo Transformations
Her next SaaS venture used AI to transform photos into creative, funky styles. Promoted through her Twitter network, the product earned €500 in three months but failed to generate recurring revenue.
Pauline decided to sell the product, realizing it lacked consistent demand:
“A one-time hit doesn’t make a sustainable business. It’s fun, but fun isn’t enough for recurring revenue.”
The next Product and an Unforeseen Obstacle
2022: Twitter Data Analysis Tool
Pauline’s third product was a tool to gather Twitter data, compile it into Google Sheets, and create dashboards. While promising in concept, its development coincided with Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter. The platform’s API fees skyrocketed to $42k/month, making the product financially unviable.
Despite the setback, Pauline refused to give up. She pivoted, determined to create something that would finally resonate with her audience.
5:30 PM · Oct 17, 2024：
I made the first sales for my new SaaS
I decided to write the full story, from the idea to the collaboration to reach clients. Article released tomorrow in your mailbox for my people who joined my newsletter (free, link below)
⭐ The Breakthrough: IACrea
2023: A Simple Solution for Real Estate
IACrea, Pauline’s fourth product, marked her first major success. Inspired by relatives struggling to visualize furnished homes while house-hunting, she developed an AI-powered tool that generated images of furnished interiors from empty room photos.
What Made IACrea a Success?
- Focused Target Audience:
Instead of marketing to individuals, Pauline targeted real estate agents, who had a recurring need to showcase properties attractively. - Effective Marketing:
- Leveraged SEO and directory sites for 40% of traffic.
- Partnered with affiliates like real estate trainers and photographers.
- Attended real estate events to connect directly with clients.
3. Avoided Common Pitfalls:
Advertising and cold emails didn’t work. Instead, she doubled down on strategies that brought measurable results.
Within months, IACrea was generating €13k/month.
Her Article：IACrea from 0 to 40k€（Sharing the strategy I applied）
Reducing the Churn Rate
Churn was a significant challenge for IACrea, with an initial rate of 41%. Through innovative changes, Pauline reduced this to 16%:
- Credits Roll Over: Unused credits could be carried over to the next month, reducing customer dissatisfaction.
- Annual Plans: She introduced a discounted annual plan, locking in customers for longer durations.
- Continuous Feedback: Regular updates based on customer input kept the product relevant.
Pauline noted:
“Reducing churn isn’t about tricks; it’s about making the product genuinely valuable and flexible for users.”
Her Article：I reduced my churn from 41% to 16%（And I share with you my simple actions）
A Costly Mistake
In 2024, a competitor launched a similar product at a lower price. Feeling threatened, Pauline reduced IACrea’s pricing by 25%. The results were disastrous:
- Revenue dropped by 25%.
- Affiliates lost motivation due to reduced commissions.
- Margins shrank, limiting her ability to reinvest in the product.
She later reflected:
“Price wars are a race to the bottom. It’s better to focus on value and differentiation than compete on cost.”
Her Article：I lost 25% of revenue, avoid my mistake
2025 and Beyond: Scaling with Partnerships
With IACrea now stable, Pauline set her sights on achieving €500k ARR by 2026. Her strategy includes:
- Leveraging Distribution:
Building on her network of over 10k contacts in real estate. - Partnerships:
Collaborating with indie hackers to develop complementary SaaS products while focusing on distribution. - New Products:
Launching tools like NextJSDirectory, a boilerplate for creating directory websites.
Her Article：I reached my €100k ARR goal. New one: €500k ARR
Pauline’s Key Insights from Twitter
Here are some of Pauline’s most impactful thoughts shared on Twitter:
- “Execution beats ideas. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel — just make it roll better.”
- “Personal branding isn’t about oversharing; it’s about being known for your expertise.”
- “Simplicity scales. The easiest products to explain are the easiest to sell.”
- “If you’re not failing, you’re not learning. Embrace the process.”
Conclusion
Pauline Clavelloux’s story shows us that success isn’t about avoiding failure — it’s about learning from it. From failed ideas to €100k ARR SaaS, her journey proves that persistence, focus, and the right strategy can turn dreams into reality.
If you’re hesitating to start your own SaaS, let Pauline’s journey inspire you. Every step forward, even through challenges, brings you closer to success.
Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance:
“Success isn’t about never failing; it’s about always getting back up.”
Thanks for taking the time reading this blog.
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