Andy Cloke

Building - connect any API to Airtable, without code.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

I wrote up my story bootstrapping @data_fetcher to $10k MRR!

https://t.co/uF6Tmgkgq5

Including:

- Coming up with & building the idea
- How I got my first customers
- Hiring marketing help
- Growing pains
- Handling support for 100s of customers as 1 founder
- What's next?

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@tejchilli Thanks for the quick response! Awesome to hear. The —confirm thing would be great. If I use json output mode it doesn’t require extra confirm but then I lose build logs. I basically want one command I can run from terminal then see progress, like git push master Heroku used to.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

Migrated web app to @render from @heroku.

Mixed first impressions:

Dashboard: environments are v useful, everything is a tad too muted

CLI: I wish I could use service names ('data-fetcher') not IDs ('rv-e1nsr2kqw6ea61afkae7'), --confirm flag still makes me confirm 🤷‍♂️

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

One-shotted a pricing page redesign with Claude Code... conversion rate has gone from 14% to 20%

What a time to be alive

[Data Fetcher @data_fetcher]

Airtable's powerful, but connecting it to external data can get confusing fast. Here's a quick breakdown of your options:

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

2 years on the SaaS plateau rollercoaster.

Determined to break through $25k this year.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

e.g. The page `/airtable-integrations/json` was ranking around #8 for 'airtable import json' keyword.

I built `/airtable-import/json` and it's in #4 position after within a day.

CTR will be higher too.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

Basic but easy-to-forget SEO tip:

If Google is ranking a page for a keyword you weren't really targeting, create a dedicated new landing page for this keyword.

The new page will rank well and quickly, since Google 'wants' to rank you for it.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@pqoqubbw @GitBookIO @mintlify Thanks to being so responsive and looking forward to the updates 🤲

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

Just migrated Data Fetcher's help center from @GitBookIO ($80 / month for custom domain) to @mintlify (free).

+ better editor and more customisable

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@pqoqubbw @GitBookIO @mintlify But in general, it's such a polished product and a huge improvement on GitBook.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@pqoqubbw @GitBookIO @mintlify I contacted support about all of these and got very generic answers rather than any help / confirmation they'd been recreated. I'd potentially make support a bit more proactive.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

Just saved my business £650 / year.

Switched from @MailerLite to @brevo_official for email newsletters.

Brevo is way cheaper and have 40% off annual plans for Black Friday!

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

I ordered 1 pair of jeans...

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@hannahwiginton Thanks, will take a look!

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

Are there any GitBook alternatives out there?

Paying $79 per month and can't even remove their branding 🤮

I want:
- Friendly but professional, clean UI like GitBook
- Easy WYSIWYG editing
- Custom domain
- Hosted, not self-hosted
- <$50 month

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@iam_samcox @_jamesmundy Tbf taking a second look you can scope it to just one repo

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@iam_samcox @_jamesmundy The fact you have to give it GitHub access is so odd + they leaked everyone’s GitHub access tokens last year.

And their pricing screams VC-backed enshitification of free plan in a couple of years. Probs just scarred by gitbook!

I’m tempted though.

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@tiffanychenster Thanks, will probably try it soon

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@elie2222 @ntkris @mintlify Hm the GitHub requirement is weird

[Andy Cloke @clokehead]

@elie2222 @ntkris @mintlify I see what you mean! Tempted