From spreadsheet to $700K: The unlikely story of building a multi-million dollar business in public
If Pieter can..so can you.
Imagine starting a business with nothing but a spreadsheet. No fancy office, no massive investment, no grand five-year plan. Just a simple digital sheet, publicly shared, inviting feedback. That's exactly what Pieter Levels did in 2014 with Nomad List.
He wanted to find the best places for digital nomads to live. So, he created a modest spreadsheet and shared it on Twitter, asking for data.
The response? Stunning.
People didn't just add what he asked; they went above and beyond, adding columns for things like safety, LGBTQ-friendliness, and even coffee shop density.
Levels quickly built a minimum viable version of the platform, documenting every step in public. This radical transparency drew enthusiastic attention from major publications like Forbes and Business Insider, and even caught the eye of Tim Ferriss. When it was time to monetize, Levels didn't retreat to a boardroom. He simply asked his users for ideas, receiving over four hundred suggestions.
Today, Nomad List brings in approximately $700,000 in annual revenue, and Pieter Levels remains an independent solopreneur. His secret? He built it "while actively listening to user feedback and being completely open about it".
This isn't a fluke. This is a powerful, real-world example of what Anne-Laure Le Cunff explores in her profound and practical new book, Tiny Experiments.
Forget the old rulebook of rigid linear goals and solitary ambition. In a world defined by change and uncertainty, success isn't about perfectly plotted paths, but about a willingness to experiment, adapt, and grow in conversation with the world.
As Oliver Burkeman notes, the book shows how to "jettison arduous and dispiriting attempts at self-improvement in favor of achievable and energizing adventures". Adam Grant praises it as "a thought-provoking guide to doing more trials and making fewer errors".
Here's how Tiny Experiments empowers you to build your own success story, drawing on the power of public learning:
Start Scrappy, Learn in Public: You don't need a perfectly polished product. Pieter began with a basic spreadsheet. The book advocates for "radical transparency", encouraging you to openly "document the meandering process, missteps and all," inviting others to join your quest. This "learning in public" fuels your personal growth.
Crowdsource & Collaborate: Your audience isn't just a market; they're potential collaborators. By inviting public input, like Pieter did for features and monetization, you gain access to a "collective set of knowledge, skills, and physical assets that vastly exceed your own". This "pooling effect" allows you to achieve things "more efficiently".
Feedback is Your Fuel: Pieter constantly listened to user feedback to refine Nomad List. The book emphasizes the iterative cycle of "trial and error," where you experiment, observe results, and make adjustments. Tools like Plus Minus Next help you systematically reflect on what worked, what didn't, and what to try next, turning even "good mistakes" into learning opportunities.
Focus on Outputs, Not Just Outcomes: Pieter focused on building and sharing, trusting that the results would follow. This aligns with the concept of a "pact" – a time-bound commitment to a repeatable action that emphasizes "doing over planning". Success is simply showing up, regardless of the immediate end result.
Embrace Uncertainty as a Feature: Levels didn't have a fixed destination for Nomad List; the path emerged organically. Tiny Experiments teaches you to "collaborate with uncertainty" and see it as a "state of expanded possibility, a space for metamorphosis". It's about being "guided by systematic curiosity", knowing your ability to grow "remains unshakable, even when the path is unclear".
Ready to unleash your own potential and turn your ideas into thriving realities? Tiny Experiments offers a "science-backed toolkit for embracing uncertainty as a catalyst for growth". It's "an actionable toolkit for crafting a life so unique that it could only belong to you".