From 0 to $20k/mo and 356k followers by building Notion templates in public

Jason Chin started building in public before he even had a product. A few years later, his first business, Easlo, is making $20k/mo and he has over 356k followers on X alone.

Here's Jason on how he did it. 👇

Juggling creating with military service

I was in military service when I started and could only work on weekends, so I had big time constraints. It wasn’t just the lack of time, but also the constant stress. It was hard, but becoming a creator was actually an attempt at making the most of the time that I had.

It all started with a piece of advice that I kept seeing over and over in the community of indie hackers and creators online: Build in public and create an audience before having something to sell.

Knowing that making videos would be nearly impossible during my military service, I began posting on X about sa tools, a topic gaining traction and one I was passionate about. Creating content on Twitter is something you can do anywhere without needing a place for filming or recording, you can jot down ideas and publish new content on your phone anytime, anywhere.

That's exactly what I started doing.

Backing into an idea

I see no code as a way to reduce friction and shorten the timeline from idea to product. I recently read that "inspiration is perishable," and it resonated with me. I think it neatly explained what I love about no code. It helps us go from that initial spark of an idea to building the product in its simplest working form quickly.

So talking about no code as it was trending made a lot of sense for me. And it led me to rediscover Notion and my passion for building templates and dashboards, which felt like creating mini apps for people to install in their Notion workspace.

Already consistent in creating content, I focused on building in Notion. And that's how Easlo was born.

Easlo offers free and premium digital products in the productivity space, specifically revolving around Notion. I used free tools or plans to build my first product. Once I started making money from that product, I reinvested in better software and plans. Now, Easlo uses Notion, Circle, Loom, Figma, Framer, Gumroad, Senja, Beehiiv, Superhuman, Typefully, Capcut, and Manychat.

Easlo generates an average monthly revenue of $20k from one-time payments. And these days, my following on X is at 356k+

Growth: Socials

My business grew largely alongside my audience on my social channels — most of my traffic comes from X, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Through social media content, people got to know me and learned about the solutions I created in Notion.

I don’t have a strong preference today on which platform works best. It's more about committing to a type or format of content — whatever kind works best for you and what you share.

But overall, here's what I've found:

• My YouTube videos convert audiences to customers the most effectively.

• If you already have a product, I think TikTok is a good place to start sharing and gaining attention. TikTok, IG Reels, and YT Shorts all have great chances of getting attention quickly.

• X and IG are great for building your online profile and showcasing who you are.

• Instagram stories are good too, but mostly for connecting with an existing audience.

Whatever platform you're using to create content or build an audience, here are my tips:

Find community

I think it's important to first surround yourself with people you aspire to become and connect with like-minded individuals. Being in the right community makes it easy to not only find the inspiration you need, but also to discover your audience through engaging and adding value to what others are sharing.

Pick a niche

Starting with a niche is helpful when you’re just beginning. It’s easier to find the right community, do good work, and establish trust and authority. From there, you can tap into neighboring interests and niches that reflect other parts of who you are.

Focus on one channel

It's good to have one platform as your core channel. Once you establish an audience on a particular platform, like I did on Twitter, you can share your content from other platforms.

For example, I shared my TikTok and YouTube videos on Twitter for those who wanted to see video tutorials or deeper dives. Similarly, as I already have customers who use my Notion templates, I can direct them to related tutorials and video walkthroughs on YouTube, which naturally helps them discover my channel.

Be consistent

Be consistent. On every platform, including my TikTok and YouTube channels, the hardest part is probably the beginning when you have no followers.

Keep it personal

The personal aspect of a personal brand is important. You naturally become the salesperson for your products and businesses because it reflects who you are and, at the end of the day, people follow people.

It's easy to lose touch and become purely focused on marketing to your audience. That's why I remind myself to show more of the human side, me as the person building the product — not just demoing it.

Be flexible

My flexibility to adapt my content style and format to what audiences want to see was a big advantage. Be flexible and optimize your content.

Don't bother with hacks

I did use what some considered "hacks" on X at one point. I no longer do this. And it doesn't work if you don't already have an audience.

Using free products to make money

I prioritized free products when I first started because no one knew who I was. Giving away freebies built the trust needed for customers and my audience to purchase my premium offerings.

I still offer many of my Notion templates as free products for people to try and experience Notion and my templates hands on. I believe in letting the product speak for itself. If users find the free Notion templates helpful, they can choose to upgrade to more comprehensive, premium templates.

These premium offerings are built to last longer, supporting more areas of need that might arise later. Premium templates come with more features and pages, while free templates are usually single-page designs, which conveniently make them easier for new users to explore.

As far as converting free users, I have email workflows that first welcome users and share additional tips for the template they've downloaded. Later, I introduce a related premium template that they can upgrade to if they decide Notion is a tool they want to use long term.

Make time for creativity

I've heard people say that you lose your hobby once you turn it into a business, but I believe it can still be enjoyable.

It’s about separating the time to sustain your business growth and revenue from the time to indulge in creativity and enjoy the work itself.

Commit to the long game

My best advice is to commit to the long game. That's what I'm doing. Let consistency reveal your results and don't let your results hinder your consistency.

My goal from here is to help other creators and influencers in the educational and personal growth space develop custom solutions for their audiences. By merging my expertise in building Notion systems and dashboards with their specialized knowledge, we can create Notion templates that precisely target niche audiences in need.

You can follow along on X and easlo.co.