Inkdrop
inkdrop.app
Markdown note-taking app for developers with cloud sync and a plugin ecosystem.
Takuya Matsuyama
Osaka-based solo developer of Inkdrop and the Dev as Life YouTube channel
About Takuya Matsuyama
Takuya Matsuyama is an indie app developer based in Osaka, Japan, and the solo maker of Inkdrop, a Markdown note-taking app built for developers. He worked at Yahoo! Japan after completing a master's degree in information science, then went freelance in 2012.
He launched Inkdrop in 2016 and grew it into a subscription business that supports him full time. Rather than offering a free tier, he kept Inkdrop paid-only so he could spend his limited time as a solo developer on paying customers. He has said its revenue has stayed above $10K MRR for several years, though he no longer publishes exact figures.
Matsuyama is also known for marketing through content. His YouTube channel Dev as Life, with more than 200,000 subscribers, features coding workflows, desk setups and the journey of building a solo product, and his viral Vim and terminal setup videos helped bring developers to Inkdrop. He writes a newsletter at devas.life and posts in both English and Japanese.
Products by Takuya Matsuyama
Revenue
Takuya Matsuyama has publicly reported $10K+ MRR (as of 2022). Source
- Revenue (monthly, log scale)
- First product
- Went full time
- Launch / milestone
- Started 2012
- 2010Milestone: Joined Yahoo! Japan after his master's degree
- 2012Went full time: Went freelance
- 2016First product: Launched Inkdrop
- 2022Revenue: Revenue ≈ $10K/month (self-reported)≈ $10K/mo indiehackers.com
Timeline
- 2010 — Joined Yahoo! Japan after his master's degree.
- 2012 — Went freelance.
- 2016 — Launched Inkdrop.
How Takuya builds
- Paid-only pricing keeps a solo product sustainable
- Content marketing on YouTube is a growth engine for a niche app
- Build the tool you want to use yourself
Learn from Takuya Matsuyama
[youtube]Free
Dev as Life
Videos on coding workflows, terminal and Vim setups, and running a solo SaaS.
[newsletter]Free
Dev as Life newsletter
Behind-the-scenes posts on building Inkdrop, productivity and indie development.
Takuya Matsuyama vs John O'Nolan
Takuya Matsuyama vs Derrick ReimerTakuya Matsuyama FAQ
What app did Takuya Matsuyama build?
He built Inkdrop, a Markdown note-taking app for developers, which he runs solo.
How much does Inkdrop make?
Takuya has said Inkdrop's MRR has been above $10K for multiple years, but he stopped sharing detailed numbers.
How much does Inkdrop cost?
Inkdrop has a single Basic plan at $9.98/month or $99.80/year with a 30-day free trial.
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