The Turning Point

With the launch of iOS update 14 and the Shortcuts app, users could now create personalized icons for their iPhone home screens—a feature that previously required jailbreaking the device. Traf, recognizing the potential, quickly set to work designing attractive icon packs, leveraging his past experience with jailbroken phones.

A Tweet Sparks Interest

After styling his own home screen with custom icons and sharing a screenshot on Twitter, Traf received an overwhelming response. Curious followers wanted to know how he achieved the look.

With just two hours of effort, he compiled his icon sets, uploaded them to Gumroad, and created a simple website using Notion and Super. His tweet went viral, garnering 1 million impressions within 48 hours and attracting attention from major tech blogs like iMore and Cult of Mac. Traf had already earned over $5,000 from his initial sales.

The Big Break

Then, the game changed. The prominent tech YouTuber MKBHD featured Traf's icon set in a video about customizing iOS. With a link to Traf's work in the description, sales skyrocketed from $6,000 to over $40,000 the following day.

The video titled "Is It Actually Possible to Make 6 Figures as a Content Creator in 2024?" explores the potential for content creators to generate significant income through innovative ideas.

Within just six days, Traf achieved $100,000 in sales on Gumroad.

The Aftermath

Following Traf's success, numerous designers began creating their own custom icon packs. Among them was popular YouTuber Oliur, who also saw significant earnings of over $30,000 in a short timeframe. However, the trend eventually slowed, with sales of icon packs continuing but at a less explosive rate.

Traf later shared an earnings update, revealing that over nine months, he had earned an impressive $397,005 from nearly 15,000 icon sales on Gumroad.

The Takeaway

Traf's success can be attributed to his early recognition of a new niche and his design skills. With just two hours of initial work, he capitalized on a unique opportunity, earning well beyond $400,000.

This inspiring tale emphasizes the vast possibilities for earning income online. The landscape is continually evolving, and there will always be new opportunities on the horizon.

As someone who has also dabbled in selling icon packs, I can attest to the potential for growth. By offering free icons, I've been able to build a substantial email list for future content and products.

Content creation is a defining trend of the 2020s, and it shows no signs of slowing down. There’s a niche for virtually everything, and you may have expertise that others are eager to learn about.

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