Dhanvin Sriram, a 26-year-old who once worked as a financial analyst, transformed a basic concept into a $4,000 monthly side income after experimenting with ChatGPT at the end of 2022. His creation, PromptVibes, began as a straightforward collection of prompts designed to improve AI responses. Today, the platform boasts 20,000 newsletter subscribers and an upcoming paid Chrome extension, positioning it as a potential revenue doubler for its founder.
Sriram was not the first to recognize ChatGPT’s versatility. Since its release in November 2022, the tool has been adapted for tasks ranging from crafting marketing materials to assisting with programming. However, he identified a critical gap: the quality of outputs depended entirely on the prompts used. He says, “ChatGPT is only as good as the prompts you give it, and there was no place like a database that you could go to find these prompts.” His response was a simple website featuring a fill-in-the-blank search interface—users could type, “I’m a ___ looking to___ about___.” Below, a button reads: “Find matching prompt.”
The platform launched without any promotional spending. Within months, it attracted 100,000 unique visitors, driven largely by organic sharing across social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Sriram notes, “This was like zero pain traffic, it just caught on. I think if you build something that actually solves people’s problems, they’ll start posting on Instagram and TikTok, and you’ll get organic growth.” Though traffic surged, he delayed monetization until his newsletter subscriber base reached 5,000, a milestone he discovered through online discussions. At that point, he introduced ad placements, charging $500 for premium spots and $50 for basic ones.
Early revenue was modest, but growth accelerated as subscriber numbers climbed. By August, when the list hit 10,000, ad sales generated between $2,000 and $3,000 a month. With 20,000 subscribers, income from ads alone surpassed $4,000 per month. The newsletter evolved into a collaborative space where users voluntarily shared strategies—whether related to search optimization, email campaigns, or AI prompt engineering. “I love being part of online communities,” he says. “That’s a secret I’ve found over the last year—whether you want to know about SEO or newsletters, people are just happy to share their knowledge.”
Self-replicating prompts fuel premium expansion
A major advancement arrived when Sriram developed a “prompt that helps me generate prompts”—a self-replicating tool that became the backbone of PromptVibes’ premium version. This upgrade includes a Chrome extension for organizing prompts, with pricing tiers set at $4.99, $9.99, and $19.99 monthly. He estimates that if 3 percent of his newsletter subscribers convert to the middle-tier membership, “That’s about 600 people, paying $9.99 a month, which is another $5K a month.”
The business operates with minimal overhead. The website retains a utilitarian design reminiscent of early internet platforms, no animations, no dark mode, reflecting Sriram’s hands-on approach. He has not hired staff or outsourced development. The deliberate simplicity, he argues, aligns with user needs rather than industry trends.
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Challenges remain. Software development delays and the transition from a stable job to entrepreneurship have created uncertainty. Sriram says, “It’s definitely a roller coaster because when it’s going well, you feel amazing. But sometimes things, especially when you’re building software, hit a delay and then you’re like, okay, what am I doing? But I’m hoping everything just works out in the end. And you know, sometimes you just have to take the risk.” Despite these obstacles, the benefits, autonomy, creative freedom, and financial progress, have justified the risks. He has quit his full-time job, confident PromptVibes could support him independently.
Community and adaptable revenue drive success
Two key elements underpin the project’s potential: community engagement and flexible revenue streams. Sriram’s method, starting small, prioritizing user feedback, and refining the product, mirrors strategies used by early digital entrepreneurs.
For users struggling with generic AI responses, PromptVibes provides a practical solution. Instead of experimenting with phrasing, they can input pre-optimized prompts tailored to specific goals. The paid extension expands this functionality, allowing users to save and refine their own prompts. While the product targets a specialized audience, it addresses a frequently overlooked aspect of AI interaction: the precision of prompt design.
Sriram’s journey does not revolve around creating the next major tech empire. Instead, it demonstrates how identifying an unmet need, addressing it efficiently, and letting market demand drive growth can yield meaningful results. His current $4,000 monthly income may not be transformative for many, but for someone who traded security for independence at 26, it validates the approach.
Simplicity vs. growth: the core dilemma
As PromptVibes prepares to roll out paid features, Sriram confronts a new consideration: how much expansion is possible before the product loses its core simplicity. For now, his focus remains on balancing growth with usability. “The aim isn’t to build the largest platform,” he says. “It’s to create something people genuinely need.”
