Chapter 16: Monetize Track — Turn Attention Into Revenue

Validation proves people care.
Distribution gets more people to notice.
But here’s the truth: attention alone isn’t a business.

At some point, you have to ask for money. Do it earlier than feels comfortable so you learn whether you have a business or a fan club.

That’s what the Monetize Track is for—turning curiosity into cash. Not with a perfect business model, but with small, evidence-based pricing experiments.

Why Monetization Matters Early

Indie founders delay monetization out of fear. They tell themselves:

“I’ll charge once I have more features.”
“Nobody will pay this early.”
“I’ll add pricing once I hit 1,000 users.”

That’s the graveyard mindset.
Because if people won’t pay, you don’t have a business—you have a hobby.

Charging early doesn’t kill momentum. It creates it. Every dollar validates your idea more than a hundred compliments ever will. A single payment flips your mindset from “maybe” to “we have customers.”

How to Run a Monetize Loop

1. List 5 — Pricing Experiments

Brainstorm five different ways you could test revenue:

Monthly subscription tiers.
One-time purchase / lifetime deal.
“Pay what you want.”
Free trial → paid upgrade.
Consulting / service add-on.

2. Pick 1 — Focus on One Offer

Choose a model that feels realistic to test this week.
Criteria:

Simple to explain.
Quick to implement.
Low risk for both you and the customer.

3. Ship 1 — Make It Purchasable

Ship a basic monetization test:

Add a Stripe checkout button.
Create a Gumroad page.
Publish a pricing page (even with one option).
Manually invoice someone via PayPal.

The goal isn’t perfect billing infra—it’s proof people will pay. Add the button. You can clean up invoicing later.

Quick Pricing Tips

Anchor with a clear outcome: “Save 3 hours a week for $19/month.”
Fewer choices convert better; start with one plan.
Round pricing unless a specific number has meaning.

4. Ask 3 — Pitch Directly

Find three real prospects and present your offer:

DM people who showed interest.
Email sign-ups who engaged.
Reach out in communities where you already share progress.

Ask them directly: “Would you pay $X for this?” Follow with, “What would make it a clear yes?”

5. Measure 1 — Track Real Revenue Signals

Choose one clear metric:

of people who paid.
$ of revenue collected.
Conversion % from free to paid.

Remember: intent is nice, but only money counts. Track trials‑to‑paid if you run free trials; otherwise count purchases.

Sharing your monetization experiments builds credibility. Examples:

“Tested $9/month vs $19/month—5 people picked $19.”
“Launched my first pricing page. Zero sales, but lots of feedback.”
“Made $87 this week from a Gumroad button. First dollar online!”

People respect founders who charge and share transparently. Share refunds too—they build trust.

A Real Example: Early Monetization

When I added pricing to Indie10k, I didn’t over-engineer.

Ship → A simple public pricing page. No complicated Stripe integration at first.
Ask → Reached out to early users, offered lifetime discount if they ran one real loop.
Measure → 3 people paid within the first week.
Share → Posted: “Our first $57 MRR! Here’s how we tested it.”

That tiny win created more momentum than any number of free sign-ups. It also gave me permission to ask better questions: “What did you expect at $19?”

Pitfalls to Avoid

Analysis paralysis. Don’t spend weeks debating $9 vs $12. Pick one and test.
Hiding pricing. If your pricing page says “contact us,” you’re stalling.
Over-engineering. Stripe, Gumroad, or PayPal—all fine. Don’t wait for perfect billing flows.
Confusing free with validation. Free users ≠ paying customers.
Hiding behind discounts. Temporary promos are fine; permanent sales hide pricing problems.

Micro-Exercise

This week, create one pricing test:

Add a “Buy” button.
Post a lifetime deal.
Offer a service add-on.

Then pitch it to three people. If all three say no, ask each what would have made it a yes.

By the end of the week, you’ll know: did anyone care enough to pay?

Key Principle: Dollars Are the Strongest Signal

Compliments, clicks, and sign-ups are nice. But a payment—no matter how small—is the clearest evidence you’re solving a real problem. Optimize for earning a first dollar fast, then improve from there.

👉 In Chapter 17: Retain Track, we’ll focus on keeping those customers once you’ve won them—turning one-time wins into compounding revenue.

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The TenK 6 Handbook