https://draculatheme.com/pro/journey

Dracula PROGet it now

A solo journey to 100k

Dracula PRO has hit 100K in sales -- here's everything I learned along
the way

Dracula PRO sales from Feb 2020 to Feb 2021
Zeno Rocha

I'm Zeno (@zenorocha) creator of Dracula.

Monetizing an open source project is very difficult, so I decided to
share my personal journey and lessons learned. I hope this can be
helpful and inspire your own journey.

January 2020

Getting Ready

$0

Dracula PRO sales / January 2020

Lessons learned

mail

Although I had traffic coming to the site, there was no way for me to
contact people directly, so I began to build an email list.

mail
investigating

People are tired of using crappy products with no support. That's why
I decided to focus on creating a premium experience instead.

investigating
hospital

Don't be afraid to tell your story, even if you're sharing the most
difficult moment of your life. Being vulnerable online is an
advantage, not a weakness.

hospital

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 Migrated draculatheme.com to Next.js! [?] Static Generated [?]
Powered by GitHub API [?] One template for 52 themes [?] 1,058,503
pageviews in 2019 Easy to build, easy to maintain, blazing fast.
1:10 PM * Jan 2, 2020
432
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I'm building something new - it's a dark theme, but this time it will
be premium and limited. If this interests you, enter the invite list
and I'll send you an email as soon as it's ready. draculatheme.com/
pro
[ENmv60cUwA]
2:40 PM * Jan 6, 2020
303
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 Wow, we just hit 300 people on the waiting list for Dracula Pro!
Thank you all for sharing 
[ENsCjFaUUA]
3:19 PM * Jan 7, 2020
81
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I'm experimenting with Typeform to see if I can build a form that
suck less. I don't want to start creating Dracula Pro without first
asking people what they *really* want. Let's see how it goes, wish me
luck!
[EO3V2pXUYA]
3:15 PM * Jan 22, 2020
151
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Less than 24 hours since I sent the Dracula Survey and there's more
than 100 answers already!
[EPAHxg7UYA]
11:10 PM * Jan 23, 2020
62
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Lots of people asked me: "How did you create Dracula?". This is
actually a super crazy story that I never put on paper. It's a very
personal subject and brings strong memories. Still, I decided to take
some time and write it, so here it is... draculatheme.com/about
[EPnqc32VUA]
3:27 PM * Jan 31, 2020
602

February 2020

Building in Public

$9,918.01

Dracula PRO sales / February 2020

Lessons learned

key

Before launching to everyone, I asked some of my close friends about
their opinions. Getting early feedback is key to a good product
launch.

key
silence

People are afraid of sharing sales numbers as they think this will
attract competition. The only competition you have is yourself.

silence
sparkle

Every milestone was shared publicly. Regardless of how big or small,
I started to create a habit of publishing quick wins.

sparkle

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
It took dozens of hours, but I think I have the final palette for
Dracula PRO 
[EQS4Jd-U0A]
12:51 AM * Feb 9, 2020
614
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
It's been years since I didn't record a screencast. This was fun!
[EQYeJ5CVUA]
2:55 AM * Feb 10, 2020
130
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
[?] Finishing all the last details for the Dracula PRO site. 
Tomorrow is launch day!
[EQbJ-UvUEA]
3:25 PM * Feb 10, 2020
652
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 The wait is over... Dracula PRO is live!  draculatheme.com/pro 
Everything I know about color schemes, typography, and productivity
tips for developers into one package. A thread...
[EQgOjO0UwA]
3:03 PM * Feb 11, 2020
14519
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I made $3,149.37 in less than 24 hours with draculatheme.com/pro
Dracula PRO is an overnight success... 7 years in the making. Here's
what I learned so far 
[EQlkAHdUEA]
3:55 PM * Feb 12, 2020
22311
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Made $5,428.91 in 3 days with Dracula PRO. draculatheme.com/pro Here
are more behind the scenes 
[EQv8qNZVUA]
4:19 PM * Feb 14, 2020
391
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I'm coding a testimonial section on the Dracula PRO site, but first I
need testimonials  Let's try out @gumroad's Workflow feature, which
allows you to send an email X days/hours/weeks after purchase.
Automation++ 
[EQ7NprIUYA]
8:52 PM * Feb 16, 2020
60
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
You can think about Revenue the same way you think about Coding. The
difference is that there are only 3 variables you can define...
[EROoPOrUEA]
3:18 PM * Feb 20, 2020
161
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
People asked if Dracula PRO included the color codes for them to use
in other apps. Because of that, I decided to not only describe all
colors in HEX, RGB, and HSL but also add design files for: * Adobe
(PSD/AI) * Figma * Sketch Go get them  draculatheme.com/pro
[ERZybgAVAA]
7:19 PM * Feb 22, 2020
361

March 2020

Reacting to Refunds

$17,476.46

Dracula PRO sales / March 2020

Lessons learned

money

I never had time to work on my open source projects, but now that I
was monetizing, I was able to spend more time doing something I love.

money
crying

It's painful to process your first refund request. It feels like you
failed and that you're not good enough. Still, you have to understand
that there's no such thing as the perfect product.

crying
megaphone

Sharing stories from users is really important and creates social
proof. Your first customers are the most important - make sure they
are happy.

megaphone

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
This is one of my favorite Dracula setups ever by @birobirobiro_. It
uses: * Linux Mint * Gnome Terminal * GEdit * VS Code (@code) *
Ulauncher (@ulauncherapp) * Insomnia (@getinsomnia) * Google Chrome
(@GoogleChrome) 
4:40 PM * Mar 1, 2020
1255
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Dracula PRO just hit $10,000 in sales in less than three weeks  To
celebrate, I created 20 coupons with a 20% discount Go get it now -
the code is "twitter10k" gum.co/dracula-pro/tw...
[ESHXeWuUcA]
3:50 PM * Mar 2, 2020
503
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
The new Dracula files for Figma, Sketch, and Adobe (PSD/AI) are now
open source and available for free. 1. draculatheme.com/adobe 2.
draculatheme.com/figma 3. draculatheme.com/sketch I can't wait to see
what you're all going to create :)
[ESCQKWFU0A]
3:32 PM * Mar 3, 2020
271
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
[?] Windows users, I have some good news for you. 2 new themes have
been added to Dracula PRO: * Notepad++ * Windows Terminal Go get them
at draculatheme.com/pro
[ESUhm0KU0A]
3:18 PM * Mar 5, 2020
310
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I spent the last few days working on a complete redesign of the
Dracula site and logo. draculatheme.com What do *you* think???
2:03 PM * Mar 24, 2020
572
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Variables you can control:  Your thoughts  How you spend your money
 What you do with your time Variables you can *not* control:  The
economy  What happened in the past  What other people think/say/do
Where should you spend your energy?
3:50 PM * Mar 29, 2020
1201

April 2020

Going Viral

$29,734.00

Dracula PRO sales / April 2020

Lessons learned

eyes

Transparency is a scarce resource. When people see someone sharing
numbers and lessons openly, they get inspired by that, and you get
credibility in return.

eyes
screaming

One day one of my tweets went viral. That caused a huge spike in
traffic and sales. It definitely helped, but it's a one-time event.

screaming
gear

When you're a company of one you have to do engineering, marketing,
accounting, etc. Creating systems is crucial to manage everything.

gear

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
It's been 7 weeks since the launch of Dracula PRO and I made
$17,876.38 in sales. draculatheme.com/pro Here are 5 lessons I
recently learned 
[EUsJsOsUMA]
3:57 PM * Apr 3, 2020
501
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I've been playing with geometric patterns using JavaScript. Would you
use this as a wallpaper?
[EVQHWg-UMA]
3:24 PM * Apr 10, 2020
487
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
From $0 to $20,145.92 in 2 months with a side project A thread... 
[EVaSvBxU4A]
2:47 PM * Apr 12, 2020
5498138
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I'm super excited to announce the Dracula PRO Wallpapers!  *
Programmatically generated with JavaScript  * Converted to vectors
using SVG [?] * Exported as PNG to fit every platform and screen size
 Continue thread to see the Desktop & Watch versions... 
2:27 PM * Apr 15, 2020
556
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
People are afraid of being transparent and showing their sales
numbers. They think this will empower existing competitors and
attract new competitors. Let me tell you something. Your biggest
competitor is yourself.
2:13 PM * Apr 17, 2020
270
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Open source monetization is real. You just need to find the best
angle to approach it. Here's what works. A thread... 
3:07 PM * Apr 20, 2020
1094

May 2020 - July 2020

Adding More Value

$52,879.37

Dracula PRO sales / May 2020 - July 2020

Lessons learned

cycle

By listening to users and implementing their requests, I was able to
create a feedback loop. Keep adding value and people will notice.

cycle
sad

I decided to write a book and give that for free for existing
customers. I never wrote a book before, so I was super scared.

sad
microphone

Once the book was out, I did many podcast appearances to spread the
word and attract a new audience. There's no such thing as "build and
they will come".

microphone

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 The most requested Dracula PRO theme is finally available!  Vim
users, Neovim users, MacVim users, here it is. [?] draculatheme.com/
pro
[EXCxBDFUwA]
2:28 PM * May 4, 2020
487
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 I can't believe Dracula reached 100 themes!  Open source is a
crazy thing. Thank you so much for everyone involved in this.  Let's
continue to make the most cross-platform theme ever created :) [?]
draculatheme.com
[EXDE23EUEA]
2:07 PM * May 6, 2020
971
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I implemented a little color selector to help new theme developers.
Units: * HEX * RGB * HSL * ANSI npm packages used: * react-select *
color-convert Live at: draculatheme.com/contribute
1:21 PM * May 8, 2020
370
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
As promised... here are the new Dracula PRO themes for @GoogleChrome

[EYjOZ8IVcA]
3:09 PM * May 21, 2020
16112
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
it's official, I'm writing a book! 14habits.com
4:01 PM * May 27, 2020
483
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Dracula PRO just hit $40,831.92 in sales. I never would have thought
that a side project could have such a big impact on my life. Here's a
breakdown of all the metrics... 
[EZrQXSnU0A]
3:22 PM * Jun 4, 2020
1476
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
14 HABITS OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE DEVELOPERS Pre-order is now open! 
English: amazon.com/dp/B08BF74RRG  Portuguese: amazon.com/dp/
B08BF7PZZX If any of my tweets, talks, or open source projects ever
helped you, please consider getting this e-book. It would mean a lot
to me! [?]
1:54 PM * Jun 23, 2020
523
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Q: In your opinion, which book cover looks better? A or B?
[EbxTstVU4A]
3:33 PM * Jun 30, 2020
91133
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
This is the first time ever that I'm doing a pre-sale  Here are the
numbers so far: 162 copies sold  And here's what I learned... 
[EcVgRjhUcA]
4:39 PM * Jul 7, 2020
141
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I just released a book!  14 Habits of Highly Productive Developers
is now available on Amazon and Gumroad. It's everything I know about
productivity, tech career, and side projects into one package. 4
months of work, 10+ years in programming.  14habits.com
1:29 PM * Jul 14, 2020
28822

August 2020 - December 2020

Being Consistent

$87,733.80

Dracula PRO sales / August 2020 - December 2020

Lessons learned

pumpkin

To keep people interested and maintain the momentum, I created a
community challenge where users would share their setups on social
media.

pumpkin
nerd

As the number of users grows, the number of support emails also
grows. Because of that, I decided to increase the price.

nerd
turtle

Some days people would buy a lot. Other days I had almost no sales.
Never underestimate the power of being consistent, especially when
things are bad.

turtle

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Today marks exactly 6 months since the launch of Dracula PRO. The
results? 1,148 copies sold $55,878.77 in sales What started as a
simple side project, became something much bigger...
[EfJcoVxU8A]
3:17 PM * Aug 11, 2020
17014
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Playing around with some custom app icons. Here is @code's icon as an
example. Would you use these?
[Efehmv3UYA]
5:05 PM * Aug 15, 2020
478
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
[?] Presenting the Dracula PRO Desktop Icons! After using it for a
couple of days, my personal favorites are Firefox, Chrome, Hyper, and
Xcode. This is another free update for draculatheme.com/pro users :)
[Eft6sPcU4A]
5:23 PM * Aug 18, 2020
797
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
!Hola!  Coming soon: 14 Habitos de Desarrolladores Altamente
Productivos Thanks @mdelapenya for helping me make this a reality! 
Don't miss an update: 14habits.com/es
[EgPKdQLUwA]
1:45 PM * Aug 25, 2020
501
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 You have 24 hours to get Dracula PRO for $49. After that, the price
will increase to $79. draculatheme.com/pro
12:00 AM * Sep 1, 2020
172
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
[?] This week 11 new themes have joined the Dracula clan! * Adminer
* BetterDiscord * colorls * IDLE * Obsidian * Plank * Pywal * Roam
Research * The Lounge * TiddlyWiki * Zathura There are now 129 themes
on draculatheme.com 
2:12 PM * Sep 29, 2020
302
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
My side project launched in February just hit $70,336.33 in sales.
Here are 5 ways to monetize your open source project as an
individual: 1. Ads 2. Licensing 3. Consulting 4. Sponsors 5. Premium
Code (thread)
[Ejk0ayAVcA]
3:34 PM * Oct 5, 2020
3709
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 Introducing the 2020 Halloween Costume Contest! [?] Take a photo
or screenshot of your setup and share it using the hashtag #
draculatheme  The best post will get a free Dracula PRO and the
winner will be announced on October 31st.  I'll start, here's my
setup...
[ElYBW6EVMA]
2:19 PM * Oct 28, 2020
703
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 Happy Halloween! [?] I would like to say THANKS to all the Dracula
users out there!  VSCode: 1,661,819 users  JetBrains: 280,392 users
 Atom: 219,224 users  Let's continue to build the most used theme
for developers in the world :)
2:35 PM * Oct 31, 2020
1046
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
This year I'm thankful for... - The 2,063 people who read my book 14
Habits  - The 1,568 people who supported Dracula PRO  - The 75
people who work with me at Liferay Cloud  - The 1 person who makes
each day special, my wife Carol  Happy Thanksgiving!   
9:30 PM * Nov 26, 2020
871

January 2021 - February 2021

Hitting The Mark

$101,578.04

Dracula PRO sales / January 2021 - February 2021

Lessons learned

globe

Pricing is hard, especially when you have to deal with different
economies on a global scale. To address this, I implemented
Purchasing Power Parity.

globe
star

Don't look for a shortcut or some secret formula. Just be yourself
and do your thing. Build your own journey and share it with others.

star
finish

When you're creating a product there's no finish line. Although I'm
happy to hit 100k, this is not the end, it's just the beginning.

finish

Tweets from this period

 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
 After tons of requests, I'm super happy to announce Purchasing
Power Parity! Why? Because not everyone earns in dollars. If you are
in Brazil, India, China, or any country outside the US, check this
page for a special code draculatheme.com/pro
[ErlmV8cVEA]
1:01 PM * Jan 13, 2021
673
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
If you are a developer... - working on open source - and struggling
to get visibility Reply with a link to your project. I'll take a
look, provide honest feedback, and suggest some ideas on how to
improve it.
2:39 PM * Jan 20, 2021
22637
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I get a lot of questions about building a career in tech. I try my
best to answer every question and recommend other books about it. But
the truth is, this doesn't scale. That's why I decided to compile all
my book suggestions into this Notion page: notion.so/1e6aa053a4124c...
[EstmuEqVcA]
2:36 PM * Jan 27, 2021
1604
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
I just built a full testimonial feature using no-code/low-code.
Here's my entire workflow: 1. @gumroad 2. @typeform 3. @zapier 4.
@airtable 5. @vercel Keep reading to see numbers and more details 
[EurWn42VoA]
2:57 PM * Feb 20, 2021
1233
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
Open Source Lifestyle. It's the unique intersection of building,
sharing, and being transparent. Anyone can see, modify, and
distribute your ideas as they see fit. It's about taking a software
distribution model and applying to your personal life.
4:34 PM * Feb 23, 2021
211
 
Zeno Rocha
Zeno Rocha@zenorocha
How I made $101,578.04 selling colors online draculatheme.com/pro/
journey A visual timeline... 
[EvBrVilVIA]
2:18 PM * Feb 25, 2021
40311

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