My first $10k month

Date: April 20, 2025

I made first recurring A$10k month. For a while, this was a milestone.

I think this monetary goal hit was exciting. Frankly, I didn’t realize I had hit this after I closed the deal. Only after when I was calculating my revenue for my weekly update to mentors.

I do feel proud. Being able to say a 5 figure number and it being true. But at the same time, I feel nothing and nothing has changed.

Me intentionally setting a goal of $10k/month is probably not correct to say. I just knew that eventually I want to hit it, but it was never my guiding star every day.

I think the number itself just feels like it should be strived for. The extra zero at the end of your revenue figure.

For the past year, I’d probably bounce back and forth between my feelings and excitement towards money. Often towards demeriting the success of it.

Had my first $400 project. It was lucky.

Had a $3200 project. It’s a one-time thing.

Had multiple of these projects completed. You didn’t do a good enough job for them to continue being customers.

Made $2k recurring. Well that’s still less than what you earned in your previous job.

Made the same as my previous junior role salary. Other people are making 6 figures.

Now hitting $10k this month with all recurring customers. Actually it’s AUD not USD, plus many kids out there are making way much more.

Or people got to that milestone at this earlier age or in weeks rather than months.

But our business isn’t a real business. People your age have sold companies or are working key roles at startups.

Well…

But…

Actually…

The goal post keeps moving. That will never change. No matter how far along you go.

Now I want to make $10k with products rather than with my time and service.

I realized that goals are meant to satisfy the current pain you’re experiencing.

Ask me a few months ago, I wanted the money for “runway” to continue working on products & businesses that are more scalable.

Now that I have enough for me to last a couple months, I want revenue that doesn’t beg my time and attention.

Making $10k just 6 months ago would have blown my mind. And yet things change and they just become ordinary. I’d probably expect the same feeling for each milestone after.

I don’t feel like it’s the number that matters, but what it unlocks. I can afford to pay my rent fully, eat out more, have fun, without constantly being bogged down by financial stress (clarificiation: stress I create for myself — my parents can afford for me to not make money and it’s a privilege cushion I acknowledge).

All of this reminds of an interview I watched recently about Evan Spiegel, founder of SnapChat.

He took a large payout of $10 million by selling his shares of Snap, an amount of money he says will last him the rest of his life.

It’s taken a burden and anxiety of him to now truly build Snap to what it can become, even rejecting Zuckerberg’s 3 billion dollar offer. What a position to be in.

I reflect on what I care about now:

Doing the work to keep this position and momentum, nothing is given.

Building the skills, I have so much to still learn and experience.

And finally, strive for the horizon, not the goal.

Hitting a certain number won’t derive me happiness, but instead going towards the general horizon which likely contains that milestone along with the things I care about— freedom, purpose, relationships, experiences.

That might be what really matters.

— Ethan