Leading up to our 14th birthday, we've been sharing posts about Gumroad's journey. We also asked some of our long-time creators to share their stories.

Our next post in our Trip Down Gumroad: Creator Spotlight series is by Álvaro Trigo who joined Gumroad in 2016. Alvaro transformed a simple JavaScript component called fullPage.js from an open-source side project into a thriving full-time business that's been used by major companies like Google, eBay, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola. His journey from web developer to digital entrepreneur shows how the right platform can help creators focus on what they do best while handling the complexities of selling online.

How I Turned a Side Project Into a Profitable Business with Gumroad

by Álvaro Trigo

From Side Project to Full-Time Business

Back in 2013, I was working as a full-stack web developer in Cambridge, UK. I had always been passionate about web technologies, and in my spare time, I started working on a simple JavaScript component to improve my own skills and to help developers create full-screen scrolling websites. I called it fullPage.js.

At first, it was just a side project—something open-source that I shared on GitHub to help fellow developers. To my surprise, the project gained traction quickly, racking up GitHub stars and being used by companies like Google, eBay, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola.

People started reaching out, asking for additional features and customization. That’s when I thought I could try adding additional features behind a paywall and see what happened.

Finding the Right Platform to Sell Online

The problem? I had no idea how to do this or deal with VAT tax in Europe.

I did some research online and found that another developer was using Gumroad to sell digital products. It looked simple and fast to set up, so I decided to give it a try.

One of the things I appreciated immediately was how easy it was to start selling. Gumroad took care of everything—payments, invoices, VAT compliance—so I could focus entirely on improving my product, instead of getting caught up in the technicalities of selling online.

The Turning Point: Going All In

I listed my first paid extensions, put up a simple landing page, and started selling.

Within the first 30 days, I made over $1,500 — I was shocked! This was quite a surprise! I didn’t expect it at all! I didn’t even do any marketing.

By month seven, I was making more than my salary as a web developer. That was when I made the decision to quit my job and go all in on fullPage.js and related product ideas.

One of the first things I did with my new freedom was travel to Asia for 90 days—something I never would have been able to do while working a full-time job. It’s definitely one of the perks of working by yourself and being able to work from anywhere!

I stayed all over Japan for one month; then I flew to Taiwan and mainland China. All I needed was a laptop to check support, fix a few bugs, and launch new features.

Looking back, I can say it was totally worth it, and I can’t wait to do it again, but this time I’ll aim for a whole year!

Scaling My Business with Gumroad

As my business grew, Gumroad evolved alongside it, adding new features that helped me scale.

Expanding Revenue Streams: Initially, I sold one-time purchases, but when Gumroad introduced memberships, I was able to start selling subscriptions as well.
Managing Software Licenses: Gumroad’s license key system made it easy to control access to my software.
Automation & Customization: I integrated Gumroad’s API to build a custom dashboard, allowing me to manage users and licenses more efficiently.

At one point, I even had the amazing opportunity to work at Gumroad for a few months. Being on the inside gave me an even greater appreciation for how the team works behind the scenes to constantly improve the platform for creators —Gumroad isn’t just a payment platform; it’s a dynamic ecosystem where creators can thrive.

Challenges Along the Way

Like any business, there were challenges, and I had to adapt along the way.

1. Ensuring Instant Delivery

One of my initial challenges was ensuring customers received critical instructions immediately after purchasing my products. In 2017, Gumroad had a very small team, and their workflows feature—which I initially relied on—sometimes had delays of several hours.

To solve this, I started using their Advanced PING feature, a webhook that triggers actions via a URL. I combined it with Zapier and my own code to automate responses, but occasional delays still occurred.

After reaching out to Gumroad’s support team, they came up with a quick solution—introducing the 'Resend PING' feature, which still exists today. That quick response and flexibility from their team helped me keep things running smoothly for my customers.

2. Tracking Sales and User Behavior

While Gumroad provides basic stats, I needed more detailed tracking to optimize my business.

Thankfully, they offer a public API, which allowed me to build my own analytics tool. This not only helped me track key performance indicators for my use case but also led me to share the tool publicly so other sellers could benefit from it as well.

3. Support Burnout & Finding a Solution

As my business grew, so did the number of customer support inquiries. At first, I didn’t mind handling them myself—it was a great way to stay close to my customers and understand their needs. But over time, I realized I was spending 2 to 3 hours a day just answering emails, troubleshooting issues, and managing refund requests.

This became a real problem. Instead of focusing on creating new features, improving fullPage.js, or building new products, I was stuck in a cycle of answering the same questions over and over. It was exhausting and, more importantly, it was holding back my ability to grow my business.

I knew I needed help. So, I decided to hire a support person to handle customer inquiries. However, at the time, Gumroad didn’t have a built-in feature to add team members or collaborators. That meant I had to share my credentials and fully trust this person with my account—a risky move for any business owner.

Thankfully, it all worked out. My support person handled inquiries efficiently, and I was finally able to focus on creating again. It was one of the best decisions I made for my business, freeing me up to work on what truly mattered—building and innovating rather than being stuck in my inbox.

What’s Next?

Today, fullPage.js continues to generate revenue although it has faded a little bit after 9 years, but I’m not stopping here. My next steps include:

Building a new site builder: I’m expanding fullPage.js into a complete no-code tool at fullsnap.i o.
Improving my existing WordPress plugins for my products and growing my community.
Exploring new SaaS ideas, and I hope to continue using Gumroad for those—especially if they introduce features like changing plans on memberships.

My Advice to Online Sellers

If you’re thinking about selling anything online—whether it’s software, courses, ebooks, or design assets—I always recommend starting with Gumroad. The setup is incredibly simple: you can upload images, videos, write a description, and start selling in just a few hours. And best of all, Gumroad takes care of everything from VAT to payment disputes, so you don’t have to.

Yes, Gumroad charges some extra fees, but especially at the beginning, it is totally worthy it.

For me, Gumroad wasn’t just a payment processor—it was the foundation that let me turn my side project into a full-time business. If you’re an independent creator, it’s one of the best tools out there to start and grow your business.

You can follow Álvaro on Twitter, or explore fullPage.js