Making money through Telegram channels has been a challenge for many channel owners who rely heavily on ads and paid posts. Yes, the ads make some money but it’s not something that can make 5 figures and above per month, especially for regular channels.
However, Julien Levallois saw the opportunity to build a Telegram tool, called Sublaunch that lets channel owners charge subscriptions for every member that joins their channels.
This opened up a new wave of monetization for Telegram channel owners and also Julien Levallios, who currently makes up to $36,000 per month from his project.
In this article, we look at how Julien Julien, came up with this tool that is helping hundreds of Telegram channel admins to monetize their subscribers while making him money at the same time. We’ll explore how he launched the project, promoted it, and how he is looking to scale it to a 6-figure per month business.
Julien Levallois, founder of Sublaunch
Julien Levallois, the mastermind behind Sublaunch, identified a gap in the market for a platform that could help Telegram channel owners generate revenue from their content. Telegram, a popular messaging app with over 500 million active users, had become a thriving hub for various communities, ranging from niche interest groups to professional networks. However, finding effective ways to monetize these channels remained a challenge.
Recognizing this opportunity, Julien set out to create a user-friendly and efficient solution. Thus, Sublaunch was born. The platform enables Telegram channel owners to create a paywall for their content, allowing them to charge users a subscription fee for access.
The early days: Cold DMs and organic growth
Starting a business from scratch is always challenging, and Julien was well aware of that when he set out to launch Sublaunch. In the beginning, he relied on sending cold direct messages (DMs) to potential clients, where he explained the benefits of Sublaunch and how it could help them make money from their Telegram channels.
Surprisingly, this approach worked. Through these cold DMs, Julien successfully onboarded the first 15 clients. These initial clients played a crucial role in the natural growth of Sublaunch because they started sharing their success stories and promoting the platform within their own networks.
One of the key factors that contributed to this organic growth was the unique link that each Sublaunch user received after signing up. This link followed the format sublaunch.co/username and turned out to be a powerful marketing tool. Users could easily share this link with their audience and direct them to their monetized Telegram channel.
The viral growth loop
As Sublaunch started gaining momentum, Julien noticed an interesting pattern: the more successful his clients became, the more money Sublaunch made. This observation made him realize that there was a viral loop in action, one that could drive the growth of his business without requiring a significant amount of additional investment.
Julien estimates that around 20% of Sublaunch's growth can be attributed to the visibility of the unique user links, which essentially act as a form of word-of-mouth marketing. The remaining 80% of the growth, according to Julien, is a result of his clients becoming more profitable. As they earn more money through their monetized Telegram channels, Sublaunch's Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) also increases, creating a self-sustaining cycle of growth.
Sublaunch's pricing structure further strengthens this viral loop. The platform offers a free tier that charges users a 15% transaction fee, as well as paid plans starting at $49 per month with an 8% transaction fee. This model ensures that Sublaunch's revenue is directly linked to the success of its clients, creating a mutually beneficial situation for both parties.
Impressive growth and profitability
The success of Sublaunch's business model is clearly demonstrated by the numbers. Julien, the founder, shared some incredible insights about the company's growth and profitability through a series of tweets.
In September, Julien revealed that Sublaunch creators had generated an impressive $1 million in just nine months. This achievement highlighted the platform's effectiveness in helping Telegram channel owners monetize their content successfully.
By December 2023, the number of active recurring subscriptions on Sublaunch had reached an impressive 17,372. This resulted in a monthly revenue of $29,341 for Julien, a figure that most startup founders can only dream of achieving in their first year.
In January 2024, the revenue was at $33,333:
And in February 2024, the revenue numbers reached at $36 385 and they are still rising as the software is on a growing trajectory.
Perhaps what sets Sublaunch apart is its profitability. Julien manages the entire operation on a single non-dedicated shared server, which costs him a mere $15 per month. With no other major expenses, his project, Sublaunch is running at a profit margin of 99.92%.
Lessons to take from Julien’s massive success
Julien Levallois' success with Sublaunch is a shining example of how a lean approach to business can lead to remarkable achievements. As a solo entrepreneur, he has built a thriving company without the need for employees, investors, or partners.
This accomplishment is especially noteworthy in an era where startups often rely on substantial funding and large teams to scale their operations. Julien has shown that it's possible to create a successful business with minimal resources, as long as you have a clear vision and a strong work ethic.
One of the crucial lessons entrepreneurs can learn from Julien is the significance of identifying a genuine market need and offering a simple, effective solution to address it. Sublaunch's success can be attributed to its focused approach in solving the problem of monetizing Telegram channels.
Another vital aspect of Julien's success is his ability to harness organic growth and create a viral loop that drives the expansion of his business. By providing users with unique links and aligning Sublaunch's revenue with the success of its clients, he has established a self-sustaining growth engine that requires minimal additional investment.
By keeping costs low and maintaining a high-profit margin, Julien has ensured that Sublaunch remains financially stable and resilient, even in uncertain economic times.
The future of Sublaunch
As Sublaunch continues to grow and its clients experience increasing profitability, the future looks promising for this startup led by Julien. With a proven business model and a growing user base, Julien is in a favorable position to expand the platform and explore new opportunities.
One potential avenue for growth could be expanding Sublaunch to other messaging platforms beyond Telegram. As more content creators seek ways to monetize their audiences, there may be a demand for similar solutions on apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or Discord.
Also, Julien is developing new features and tools to help his clients optimize their monetization strategies even further. This involves introducing analytics dashboards, promotional tools, or educational resources to assist Telegram channel owners in growing their audiences and increasing their revenue.
However, as Sublaunch scales, Julien may encounter new challenges, such as the need to hire additional team members or invest in more infrastructure. It will be interesting to see how he navigates these challenges while maintaining the lean and focused approach that has been the key to his success thus far.
If you are a Telegram channel owner who is looking to monetize your channel, you can check out the Sublaunch website.
