u/Southern_Fan_9600

https://preview.redd.it/izycwv700zah1.png?width=1404&format=png&auto=webp&s=554fb1eb357d58ab0227ab15c9da9f2041f7d3d1

A while ago, I started building a small Chrome extension called Sort Feed.

The original idea was simple: let people sort Instagram posts and reels by views, likes, comments, engagement, and other metrics.

I built the first version mainly because I wanted the tool myself. There was no big launch strategy, polished brand, or detailed roadmap. I just wanted to solve one clear problem and see whether anyone else found it useful.

Over time, people started installing it, sharing feedback, reporting bugs, and requesting new features.

That feedback slowly turned the extension into something much bigger than a sorting tool. I added analytics dashboards, profile comparisons, CSV exports, bulk downloads, transcription, translation, video controls, and more.

Eventually, I decided to add paid features.

I honestly wasn’t sure whether anyone would pay for a Chrome extension like this, but the first few purchases came in. Since then, the extension has generated more than $350 in total sales.

I know $350 isn’t a massive startup milestone, but seeing strangers pay for something I built from scratch felt like meaningful validation.

I’ll attach a screenshot of the revenue as proof.

Recently, I also rebranded the product from Sort Feed to Trendlyst.

“Sort Feed” worked well when the product only sorted content, but it started feeling too narrow as the extension evolved into a broader Instagram analytics and content-research tool.

Trendlyst gives me more room to expand the product without being limited by the original feature that started everything.

A few things I’ve learned so far:

• Start with one painful problem instead of trying to build a complete platform.
• Users will show you which features actually matter.
• You don’t need thousands of users before testing monetization.
• A product name that works for the MVP may not work for the long-term vision.
• Small revenue milestones can be more motivating than vanity metrics.

There is still a long way to go, but the journey from a small side project to a product generating real revenue has been exciting.

For other extension developers: what was the first moment that made you feel your extension had become a real product rather than just a side project?

I’ve been looking into what happens to contact forms after an agency finishes building a website and hands it over to the client.

Building the form itself is usually straightforward.

The messy part seems to begin after launch.

One client uses a WordPress form plugin. Another uses Webflow forms. Another sends submissions through Formspree. Some leads go to email, some to Google Sheets, and others are pushed into a CRM using Zapier.

Then, months later, a client says:

“We haven’t received any enquiries recently. Is the form still working?”

Now the agency has to figure out whether:

• The website stopped submitting the form
• The notification email went to spam
• An integration expired or broke
• The client changed an email address
• The form worked, but nobody followed up
• There simply were no new leads

And unless the agency is actively monitoring every client website, they may only find out when the client complains.

I’m curious how agencies actually handle this in practice.

For those managing several client websites:

How do you process and monitor contact-form submissions after launch?

Do you keep managing everything, include it in a maintenance plan, or hand it over completely to the client?

And has a client ever blamed the website or your agency because a lead notification was missed?

I’ve been looking into what happens to contact forms after an agency finishes building a website and hands it over to the client.

Building the form itself is usually straightforward.

The messy part seems to begin after launch.

One client uses a WordPress form plugin. Another uses Webflow forms. Another sends submissions through Formspree. Some leads go to email, some to Google Sheets, and others are pushed into a CRM using Zapier.

Then, months later, a client says:

“We haven’t received any enquiries recently. Is the form still working?”

Now the agency has to figure out whether:

• The website stopped submitting the form
• The notification email went to spam
• An integration expired or broke
• The client changed an email address
• The form worked, but nobody followed up
• There simply were no new leads

And unless the agency is actively monitoring every client website, they may only find out when the client complains.

I’m curious how agencies actually handle this in practice.

For those managing several client websites:

How do you process and monitor contact-form submissions after launch?

Do you keep managing everything, include it in a maintenance plan, or hand it over completely to the client?

And has a client ever blamed the website or your agency because a lead notification was missed?