Checkpoint 00: why I'm doing this in public
The kickoff post. Why the site exists, how the numbers work, and what the next twelve months look like.
This is checkpoint zero. Basically, the post explaining what this site is and why I’m putting all of this on the internet.
The goal
$100,000 earned online.
Could be from apps, YouTube, sponsorships, freelance work, random internet experiments, whatever ends up working.
The idea is just to track money I actually earn from things I build or do online and keep adding to the same number until it reaches $100k.
When that happens, the bar hits 100% and I guess we figure out what comes next lol.
Why do this in public?
Mostly because I think it makes the whole thing more fun.
If I have a terrible month, it goes on the graph. If something randomly starts working, that goes on there too. It means I get to look back at the actual journey instead of only remembering the good parts.
I also really like when people share real numbers online. It makes whatever they’re building feel way more tangible.
And honestly, following a number slowly move toward $100k feels more interesting to me than writing some giant retrospective after it’s all over.
How the numbers work
Every income source gets tracked separately, month by month.
The site adds everything together and compares it against the $100k goal. I update the numbers myself, push them, and that’s basically it.
Very simple, which is probably for the best.
Where the money is coming from
Right now, mostly:
- Trace: my first solo app
- StocksBrew: an AI tool for researching US stocks
- YouTube: ads and sponsorships
- Other stuff: anything new I build or experiment with that starts making money
I’m sure this list will change a lot over time. Some things might stop making money, some new thing might randomly become the biggest one.
That’s kind of what I want to track.
What’s next
I’ll do a checkpoint every month with the actual numbers, what worked, what didn’t, and what I’m trying next.
Some months will probably be exciting. Some will probably be extremely boring.
Either way, it goes here.
See you at checkpoint 01.