From Physics Student to Notion Entrepreneur: Matthew's Story of Perseverance

Matthew, a Polish physics student with an entrepreneurial spirit, wasn't satisfied with the traditional path. After two failed online ventures, he discovered Notion in February 2023. Despite initial doubts, he saw the potential to create and sell his own project management templates. In April 2023, he launched Matthew | Notion4Coders and wasted no time releasing his first product.

Matthew's business thrived on an organic approach. He leveraged social media, strategically placed his templates on discovery platforms, and built relationships within the Notion community. He also used various tools like Canva for design and Gumroad for sales. His perseverance paid off with his first paid sale in June 2023. By October, he surpassed $1,000 in revenue. Matthew's story highlights the importance of resourcefulness and starting even when things aren't perfect. His advice? Don't wait for the ideal moment, take action and chase your dreams now.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how it led you to where you are now?

Hi, I'm Matthew. I come from a small town in Poland near the Czech border, currently living & studying in Cracow. I graduated from Technical School in the field of IT and now I'm pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Technical Physics - currently in my 3rd year. I always wanted to study what I'm passionate about, that's why I chose physics. 

What inspired you to start your business?

In November 2022 I was tired of living on my savings, working only on holidays and constantly searching for new jobs, so I tried to find ways to make money online. I wanted to detach income from my time.

How did you come up with the idea for your business?

After 2 failed attempts (Digital Planners and affiliate marketing), which I briefly mentioned before, I found software called Notion. It was February of 2023, I was firstly really skeptical about it, because it seemed too complicated to use, but after playing with it for a while (mostly with pre-built templates), I got comfortable with it. Then I found that you can sell your own Notion templates. I launched my X account on 25th of April 2023. The rest is history.

Were there any particular market trends or gaps you noticed that influenced your decision to start this business?

I think the overall trend of starting a digital business can give you back your time and also use ChatGPT and no-code tools to start a business with no initial costs.

What were the initial steps you took to launch your business?

I created my X account and 5 days after creating it, I launched my first product - Coding OS.

How did you fund your Digital Business initially?

At the start, I tried to do everything organically, but as I learned more & more I started buying subscriptions for tools that will come handy in leveraging it and investing in myself - knowledge, implementation and help.

Did you face any challenges or obstacles during the early stages, and how did you overcome them?

I think the main point of me not giving up was that I had nothing to lose, was tired of living meaningless life, searching constantly for jobs. Of course I had worse days, but I kept going no matter what. Also curiosity and seeing small wins helped a lot.

What strategies did you use to grow your business?

Organic X growth, connecting with other like-minded people, leveraging Notion marketplaces (mostly Official Notion Gallery) and Gumroad emails.

What tools do you use for your business?

Notion, Canva, Loom, Senja, Cal, X, LinkedIn, Gumroad, ConvertKit, Framer.

How did you acquire your first customers?

Posted my template on ProductHunt and Notion Official Gallery.

Can you share any significant milestones or turning points in your business's growth journey?

June 4th 2023 - first paid sale, August 2nd 2023 - first client, September 8th - 1000 followers on X, October 23th - $1000 revenue.

What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out as an entrepreneur?

Don't wait for the perfect moment, start now. Time will pass anyway.