I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
How I built a $30M company
Hi Reader,
10 years ago, I started a web app challenge where I set out to create a startup that would generate recurring revenue.
That startup ended up being ConvertKit.
But ConvertKit wasn’t always what it is today. There were a lot of ups and downs—not just within the company: with me personally.
The team approached me with the idea of making a documentary about my story.
I said no.
Part of the reason I didn’t want to make a documentary is I don’t like being in the spotlight. The other reason I gave was that I don’t want it to seem like ConvertKit is all about me (because it isn’t).
But deeper down, the real reason I didn’t want to make this documentary is I knew I’d have to talk about what was really going on behind the scenes. I couldn’t hide behind a fluffy creator story. I knew I would have to get real.
And getting real meant telling stories I didn’t want to tell.
Let me know what your takeaways are.
—Nathan
Nathan Barry
I'm a designer who turned into a writer who turned into a startup CEO. My mission is to help creators earn a living. Subscribe for essays on building an audience and earning a living as a creator.
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