Backstory

Jon Yongfook, a Singapore-based indie hacker, transitioned from corporate design roles to building Bannerbear, a SaaS for automated image and video generation. With 30k followers on X, Jon's journey began with a background in e-commerce design, where he identified repetitive tasks ripe for automation. His attempt at Pieter Levels' "12 startups in 12 months" challenge in 2018, though halted after seven months due to burnout, sparked his passion for building tools that streamline creative processes.

The Journey

Jon's corporate stint designing for e-commerce platforms exposed him to the tedious task of creating social media assets, inspiring Bannerbear's creation. During his 2018 "12 startups" challenge, he launched PreviewMojo, a precursor to Bannerbear, which pivoted into his flagship product after reaching $10k MRR in two years. The challenge taught him the importance of time-boxing and shipping, even if not every project succeeded. Bannerbear's success stems from its API-driven approach, allowing developers and marketers to automate image creation for platforms like Instagram and Shopify.

Timeline

  • Founded: 2019
  • Team Size: Solo founder + contractors
  • Industry: Design Automation

Products & Ventures

Bannerbear

$51k/month

An API and no-code tool for auto-generating images and videos, widely used for social media, e-commerce, and marketing

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Browserbear

A no-code automation tool for web scraping and repetitive tasks

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Key Insights from X

"If you want to go from 0 to $10K MRR you should divide your time 50:50 between coding and marketing"

Jul 30, 2021 View Tweet →

"The 12 startups challenge teaches you to time box and ship. It's not about hitting big, it's about learning what you're passionate about"

May 2021 View Tweet →

Key Strategies

  • 🎯 50:50 coding-marketing philosophy
  • 🎯 API-driven product approach
  • 🎯 Time-boxing and shipping focus
  • 🎯 Sustainable growth over rapid scaling
  • 🎯 Build-in-public with humor

Challenges & Lessons

  • ⚠️ Burnout from rapid shipping
  • ⚠️ Balancing technical depth with marketing
  • ⚠️ Finding the right niche
  • ⚠️ Managing automation complexity