Spreadtheworld
About the Company
Xavier Coiffard's company, Spreadtheworld, was a startup marketing database created to help entrepreneurs find places to post their products. Initially a curated list of over 400 websites, the platform provided valuable resources to startup founders. The business model centered around offering this database to users via a no-code setup using Airtable to store the data, Gumroad for payments, and Carrd for landing pages.
Though Spreadtheworld was the primary focus, Xavier also launched several other products during his journey as a solo entrepreneur. These included IdeaHunt, a product validation platform, RemoteFR, a job board for French developers seeking remote work, and UserBooster, a Notion dashboard for launch strategy. Despite the eventual closure of the business in 2023, Spreadtheworld's success demonstrated the potential of rapid prototyping and leveraging no-code tools.
Xavier’s approach was to focus on creating simple, effective products with minimal upfront investment. His products were often created quickly, tested with small audiences, and iterated based on feedback. This lean approach allowed him to build multiple products within a short period and gain a profitable revenue stream.
Idea Behind Company
The idea for Spreadtheworld emerged from Xavier's personal experience as a co-founder, where he struggled to find a comprehensive list of places to post his startup. What began as a private list of 100 resources quickly gained traction when he shared it on platforms like Reddit and IndieHackers. Positive feedback from the community led him to turn it into a formal product, expanding the list to 400+ sites.
Xavier initially thought about creating a more complex product that would automate submissions to these websites, but feedback from potential users led him to pivot. Instead, he focused on simply curating a list of useful platforms and offering it in a straightforward, accessible format. His experience reinforced the importance of talking to users early to validate ideas and understand whether there was a genuine demand for a product.
The idea behind his subsequent products, such as IdeaHunt and RemoteFR, also stemmed from his personal challenges as a founder. For example, IdeaHunt was designed to address the issue of idea validation, a common pain point for entrepreneurs. RemoteFR targeted the French developer community, which lacked a niche job board for remote work opportunities.
Creating the Company
Xavier’s approach to creating Spreadtheworld was to launch quickly and iterate based on feedback. He used no-code tools to build the product rapidly, with Carrd for the landing page, Airtable for data storage, Gumroad for payments, and Mailchimp for email marketing. This allowed him to keep costs low while developing a functional MVP (minimum viable product).
The product itself was primarily about curating a list of places for startups to post their products, but the real work was in building and maintaining the database. Xavier dedicated time to researching and verifying over 400 platforms and keeping the list updated. The entire product took only a few days to build, with the majority of the time spent gathering and organizing the data.
Xavier's technical background helped him execute the product using no-code tools, but his real focus was on speed and validation. He recognized that time spent building features could delay launching, so he prioritized getting the product out there as quickly as possible. This iterative approach allowed him to test his ideas and pivot when necessary, ensuring that each product met real needs in the market.
Launching the Business
To launch Spreadtheworld, Xavier followed a systematic process. He began with a soft launch on Twitter to get initial feedback, then shared the product in smaller, niche communities like IndieHackers and the no-code subreddit. After refining the product based on these early interactions, he proceeded with larger launches on platforms like HackerNews and ProductHunt.
Xavier emphasized the importance of "iterative launching" instead of relying on a single, massive launch. He would make incremental changes based on feedback from each launch phase, making sure to fine-tune the product along the way. The process typically took 1-2 weeks, with ProductHunt requiring additional preparation for a successful launch.
A key component of his strategy was asking a designer to create attractive visuals, such as a cover image or GIF logo, to enhance the appeal of his products. These visual assets played an important role in catching the attention of potential users during product launches.
Earnings
Spreadtheworld reached an average of $2,000/month in revenue, primarily through sales of the curated startup marketing database. Xavier kept costs low by using affordable no-code tools and only spending on a premium Carrd plan, which cost under $50/year. He also experimented with pricing and promotional strategies, such as Black Friday discounts and participating in Gumroad Day, which significantly boosted sales.
While the revenue from Spreadtheworld was steady, Xavier also experimented with other products. For example, he offered bundle deals that combined multiple products like Spreadtheworld and UserBooster. This helped increase the value of each transaction and provided additional revenue streams. However, his attempts to scale with paid advertising were less effective compared to organic traffic from social media and community-driven channels.
Xavier also found that sponsoring newsletters in the IndieHacker community had a good ROI, providing a cost-effective way to reach targeted audiences. Although his business was profitable, the constant product creation challenge left little time to focus on scaling or expanding the existing products. Ultimately, Xavier planned to slow down after completing his 6-in-6 challenge and focus on growing the successful products that generated revenue.
