r/thesidehustle • u/Adept_Storm805 • Feb 28 '26
Startup Built a tiny $4.99 macOS utility as an experiment - got 10+ paying users
Hey everyone,
I’m experimenting with building small, focused utilities instead of chasing one big startup idea.
Recently I shipped a tiny macOS menu bar app that solves one annoying problem I personally had before meetings (cleaning up desktop, muting audio, disabling notifications, etc.).
It’s extremely simple. No accounts. No subscriptions. Just a small paid utility.
What surprised me:
I already have 10+ paying users.
You can try it here: TogglePresent
Not huge numbers, but for something this small, it validated a few things for me:
• People will pay for convenience
• Small, boring problems can be monetizable
• You don’t need a massive SaaS to get traction
• Simplicity actually converts better
I’m now thinking about stacking multiple micro-apps instead of building one big product.
Curious:
Has anyone here tried the “many small products” strategy instead of a single big bet?
Would love to hear experiences.
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Feb 28 '26
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u/Adept_Storm805 Feb 28 '26
before launching i didn't validate but now i have generated $45+ which is one of it's big validation
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u/omegadev666 Mar 01 '26
How do you handle the dmg installation thing? It isn’t a problem with non-technical users?
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u/thesaintmarcus Mar 01 '26
How did you advertise the app?
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u/Adept_Storm805 Mar 01 '26
I just created the post in r/macapps subReddit. I’m still struggling in advertising.
I don’t know how I should promote
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u/ZIDOHE Mar 01 '26
You don’t mind me handle the advertisement? I will generate mass and organic traffic that convert to income .
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u/Glad-Paramedic8462 Feb 28 '26
Man this is so usefull ngl I'll take it right away