How Leave Me Alone Went from a Side Project to $10K MRR

Most inboxes are a mess. Leave Me Alone fixes that.

What started as a simple tool built by two indie makers traveling the world has grown into a profitable SaaS with $10K MRR and a dedicated user base—all without a big team, outside funding, or aggressive ads.

Their secret?

Building in public, engaging online communities, and staying radically transparent.

Let’s break down how Danielle Johnson and James, the creators of Leave Me Alone, turned a frustration with spam emails into a bootstrapped success story.

The Problem They Solved

Email newsletters can be useful—but unwanted ones? They’re a time-consuming nightmare.

Danielle and James, two full-time digital nomads, realized they were constantly battling inbox clutter. But the existing solutions had a major flaw:

Most “unsubscribe” services were free—but at a cost. They made money by selling user data, something that went against the privacy-conscious mindset of their potential customers.

This gap in the market was clear:

People wanted a clean inbox without sacrificing their privacy.

With that insight, they built Leave Me Alone—a tool that lets users see all their email subscriptions in one place and unsubscribe with a single click. No tracking. No selling data. Just a simple, privacy-first solution.

The Strategy

Leave Me Alone’s growth wasn’t fueled by ads or massive funding. Instead, they leveraged a transparent, community-driven approach that made their journey just as compelling as their product. From day one, Danielle and James built in public, sharing every win, mistake, and lesson learned.

They positioned themselves in the right online communities, engaging with other indie makers on Makerlog, Women Make, and Indie Hackers. By consistently posting updates, insights, and revenue milestones, they built a loyal following that actively shared their progress.

Their launch on Product Hunt provided a major boost, but it was just the beginning. Instead of relying on one big splash, they kept momentum by refining their product, tweaking their pricing model, and doubling down on organic visibility.

Building in Public = Free Marketing

By being radically transparent, they turned their journey into a story people wanted to follow. Their approach wasn’t just about getting users—it was about building relationships with early adopters who believed in their vision.

• Frequent updates on Twitter kept their audience engaged
• Indie maker communities drove early traction and credibility
• A referral program encouraged word-of-mouth growth

Transparency also helped them iterate faster. Early users felt invested in the product’s success, providing valuable feedback that shaped Leave Me Alone into a tool people truly wanted

Metrics & Milestones

Here are some numbers summing up the journey of Leave Me Alone:

🚀 10,000+ users
💰 $10K MRR
📈 34% month-over-month increase in sales
📝 Featured in major tech publications
👥 100% organic growth (no paid ads!)

Takeaways & Practical Tips

Want to grow your SaaS with a lean, no-BS strategy? Steal these moves:

✅ Build in public. Share your journey on Twitter and startup communities. People follow stories, not just products.

✅ Engage in the right communities. Makerlog, Indie Hackers, and Twitter were key drivers for Leave Me Alone.

✅ Launch strategically, but keep going. Product Hunt got them early traction, but sustained engagement built real growth.

✅ Experiment with pricing. The shift to credit-based payments boosted retention and conversions.

✅ Leverage word-of-mouth & PR. One organic newsletter feature drove more signups than any paid campaign could have.

Danielle and James didn’t have a big budget, a growth team, or even a traditional office. What they had was a problem worth solving, a community-first mindset, and the grit to iterate and improve.

The first few things you try are probably going to fail, or you might have to pivot drastically based on unexpected feedback. This is perfectly ok and normal, and will help you be a better entrepreneur if you learn from your mistakes.

Danielle Johnson, Founder @ Leave Me Alone

If there’s one thing to take away from their journey, it’s this:

💡 Great SaaS products don’t just solve problems—they build trust and a following.

Will you be the next bootstrapped success story?

Another great example of growing a business without paid ads comes from InfluenceKit. They managed to reach $13K MRR without spending a dime on ads!