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LinkedIn lead-generation automation with a low-friction self-service product that grew to 15,000 paying customers and roughly $375K in monthly recurring revenue.
15,000 paying customers · 70,000 total users
Fewer bars = easier, cheaper, or faster for an AI-assisted solo builder. Editorial judgments based on the case details.
Will van der Sanden launched Dux-Soup in 2016 as a side project for online lead generation. The product began across several platforms, then concentrated on LinkedIn because demand and differentiation were strongest there. The first full year produced about $1,500, while Will kept contracting as a developer and built the software in evenings and weekends. After roughly a year and a half or two years, revenue was high enough for him to stop normal contracting and work on Dux-Soup full-time. The current shape is a self-service SaaS with 70,000 total users, about 15,000 paying customers, average revenue of roughly $25 per user per month, and a 20-person team. Will says he is the only full-time engineer; the rest cover customer support, marketing, administration, and related work. The Turbo plan is the fastest-growing package at $41 per month. The business is self-funded, and the founder retains full ownership. The key story is not a novel technical breakthrough. It is a narrow tool, simple onboarding, low pricing, and distribution through people already teaching social selling.
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Join the Unicorn Club — $5/moCancel in one click · first payment refundable for 7 daysData credibility: Founder interview; Will van der Sanden stated the 2016 launch, roughly $1,500 first-year revenue, $25 average monthly revenue per user, $41 Turbo pricing, about 70,000 total users, and about 15,000 paying customers. The roughly $375K monthly recurring revenue and $4.5M run-rate figures are interviewer arithmetic and the creator's closing summary derived from those answers, not audited statements. Churn and team-size figures are also founder-reported. No country or city for the founder is stated in the transcript.