My GPT Wrapper Makes $550 MRR One Year After Launch
Hey builders,
I wanted to share my journey building a micro-SaaS, CoverLetterGPT, which now earns $550/month in recurring revenue (MRR)āall while requiring minimal effort and maintenance. Hereās how I did it and why I believe small, simple SaaS apps are an underrated way to start as an indie maker.
Quick Stats:
- Built in 1 week
- Runs on autopilot
- ~$550 MRR after one year
- Minimal customer supportāonly 3 Stripe disputes to date
- Costs ~$15/month to operate (hosting + OpenAI API fees)
- Deployed on Railway & Netlify
BTW, I built Open SaaS, the free, open-source SaaS template based on what I learned from building and launching CoverLetterGPT.
Because Open SaaS is a community-driven project, it also benefits from community feedback and contributions, so it boasts a clean codebase and a ton of useful features. Check it out and give us a star! Weāre always improving it.
Small Wins Are Worth It
Many developers think a SaaS has to be big, flashy, or wildly profitable to be worth building. I disagree. For me:
- $550/month is fantastic as side income.
- It runs itself, requiring virtually no maintenance.
- I can balance it easily alongside my full-time job.
- Itās fun and doesnāt consume my free time.

Hereās why I think you should aim for small, achievable SaaS projects instead of trying to āhit it bigā from the start.
Build & Launch Fast

The most important lesson Iāve learned: speed is everything. The faster you launch, the faster youāll know if your idea works. Hereās what worked for me:
- Avoid long, drawn-out failures: Build small, execute early.
- Use the fastest tools available: I used Wasp because it gives me all the building blocks already set up (auth, database, cron jobs, email sending), letting me focus on the business logic of the app. Paired with Chakra UI, I was able to build the app in about 1 week.
- Forget perfection: I didnāt worry about making it pretty or perfectāit just had to work.
Keep It Simple
The beauty of micro-SaaS is in its simplicity. Hereās why:
- My app does one thing well: generating cover letters based on rƩsumƩs and job descriptions.
- Thereās no need for a fancy landing page or marketing gimmicks. This is my š¶ hot take.
- Users get 3 trial creditsāenough to try the app and see value before paying.

One of the biggest perks of micro-SaaS is how low-maintenance it can be. With CoverLetterGPT, I rarely handle customer service thanks to its simplicity.
This means I spend my time on new ideas rather than maintaining old ones.
Itās All About Tradeoffs
While I could optimize and grow CoverLetterGPT further, Iāve chosen to keep it small and simple. For me:
- Small wins are still wins.
- I value having a side project thatās easy to manage alongside my full-time job.
- Iād rather have less stress than chase higher profits.
Links & Resources
If youāre thinking about launching your own SaaS, here are some helpful resources:
- šØāš» CoverLetterGPT (Live App)
- šø Open-Source SaaS Template
- š ļø Framework: Wasp
- āØ UI Components: Chakra UI
- š ļø Hosting: Railway & Netlify
- āļø My Original Reddit Post
Final Thoughts
If youāre considering building a SaaS, donāt overthink it. Start small, move fast, and treat it as an experiment. Forget the ārulesā and focus on launching. Hereās what matters most:
- Keep it simple: Build an app that solves one problem well.
- Launch fast: Test your idea and iterate based on real feedback.
- Minimize effort: Aim for maximum reward with minimal maintenance.
For me, $550 MRR isnāt just āenoughāāitās amazing. Itās proof that small, focused apps can succeed, and theyāre a great way to build confidence and skills as a maker.
Letās stay in touch!
If you found this helpful, check me out on Twitter where I like to build in public and share what Iām learning and building.