From zero to €1.6 million: The “no-BS” guide to solopreneur freedom

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This article was written by Two and a Half Gamers founder and co-host and user acquisition and marketing consultant Matej Lancaric.

Hey there, fellow solopreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs and industry peers. TL;DR: I built a one-person gaming consultancy from scratch – no team, no investors – and scaled it to over €1.6 million ($1.8m) in annual revenue.

This article shares the journey, real numbers, hard lessons and what I’m doubling down on in 2025: content, creativity and freedom. No fluff. Just the truth. Buckle up. Here we go again!

In five years, I grew my one-person company from essentially zero to over €1.6m ($1.8m) in annual revenue. I did it my way – focusing on real value, staying profitable, keeping family first and ignoring much of the usual “hustle hype”.

It’s not always rainbows and unicorns out here, but sometimes it actually is.

This story isn’t the typical flashy startup tale. It’s not about chasing vanity metrics or burning out with 100-hour weeks. Instead, it’s a down-to-earth account of resilience, strategic value delivery and sticking to what matters most.

I’ll walk you through each year of my journey (with actual revenue and profit numbers), share the key lessons I learned at every stage, and illustrate how focusing on profit, family and authenticity over vanity and hustle culture made all the difference.

I hope that my experience can inspire you to carve your path to success on your terms.

Humble beginnings

In mid-2020, I took a deep breath and became my boss. Until then, I’d worked for other companies in the gaming industry (marketing and user acquisition). The decision to go solo was exciting and terrifying – I had zero clients on day one and no safety net.

However, I believed in my skills and saw an opportunity to fill a gap for smaller and mid-sized gaming companies that the big agencies often overlook.

People don’t know where it all started, even before my first job in the gaming industry, Pixel Federation. My interest in online marketing grew during my last year at the University. A friend from my childhood, Ondrej, started his own company and brand, Gentlemen’s.

An ecommerce brand focused on selling men’s accessories – wooden bowties, bracelets, notebooks, backpacks and other “fashion” sh*t. All are produced here in Slovakia. Handmade. This was 2013!

We met, cofounded a company and started working on this project together, and the rest is history. Then, we sold the brand before I started focusing fully on gaming.

We had to reinvest everything we earned from the paid performance marketing. It’s a different approach when you know it’s your own money and you have to get it back, because if you don’t, you are f**ked. It gives you a very different perspective.

Afterwards, every time I have a budget to spend on user acquisition, I treat it like it’s my own money. It makes a huge difference. Also, now we are back at it again with Ondrej (and Tibor) with Playablemaker.com.

I am going to go a bit lighter on some of the details so I don’t repeat myself. A big chunk of my journey is well documented here:

Anyway, let’s go back to 2020. To my surprise, that first year went better than I could have imagined. By the end of 2020, my tiny consultancy had generated €576,622 ($638,465) in revenue and achieved about €284,302 ($314,793) in profit.

Yes – over a quarter-million euros in profit in year one, with no investors, no fancy office, and (get this) no website or sales deck for most of the year. I literally didn’t even have a company website initially. Guess what? Nobody cared. Clients didn’t hire me for slick PowerPoint decks or a pretty website; they hired me because I delivered real value and solved their problems in user acquisition and marketing.

I focused all my energy on doing great work for the few clients I had, and it paid off.

That humble start taught me a powerful lesson: substance beats style. Instead of spending time on “looking professional” in 2020, I poured my effort into helping my clients grow their games. This no-bullsh*t approach quickly built a reputation through word of mouth.

By being authentically myself – a gamer and marketer who speaks frankly (sometimes too frankly) – I attracted clients who appreciated honest, effective advice over polished presentations.

Riding a wave of growth

If 2020 was about finding my footing, 2021 was a rocket ship. Word had spread that I could deliver results, and suddenly, more companies were knocking on my door (or rather, my inbox) than ever before, partially, thanks to COVID and the fact people realised I really don’t need to sit next to them in an office.

Definitely helpful. Partially because I do my work well. (As humble as it sounds, wink wink.)

I was just one guy, but I found myself in high demand in the gaming marketing niche. I said “yes” to a lot of new projects and pushed my own limits to seize the opportunity. That year, revenue doubled to €1.13m ($1.3m) in 2021, with a remarkable €710,844 ($787,334) profit. For context, that’s a profit margin of over 60%, which is almost unheard of in many startups.

It was crazy to realise that I, a solo practitioner working from a home office, was running a business with over a million euros in sales and more than half of that in pure profit. The fun part is that the real profit margin is even higher because, at this point, half of my life is an expense for accounting.

How did this happen? Looking back, I’d credit a few factors. First, deep expertise and focus – I stayed in my lane, offering top-notch marketing and user acquisition services specifically for game developers and publishers.

Being one of the few specialists in this area, I became the go-to person for clients needing that help. Second, I wasn’t afraid to charge what I was worth. In fact, I even slightly raised my rates as my track record grew, knowing that the value I brought justified the cost. I’ve never believed in undercutting or offering big discounts to land a client – more on that later.

Third, I simply worked smart and leveraged my time well. Fourth, there was no plan B. This had to work, which is the most important part of this whole exercise.

That’s not to say 2021 was easy. On the contrary, it was intense. I was essentially maxing out my capacity. Long days, juggling multiple client campaigns, very little downtime – I definitely felt the stress of rapid growth.

There were moments I thought, “This is awesome, but can I keep this up?”

It was a classic entrepreneurial high: exhilarating but precarious. The big lesson of 2021 was that growth can be amazing, but burnout is a real risk if you try to do everything alone. Yet, my daughter was born in late 2021. I started a podcast in Slovakia in 2021 and doubled down on content production and writing.

Still, 2021 showed me what was possible when you deliver great work and when you think with your brain and not your arse. That’s pretty important. 80% of people still didn’t get the memo.

Anyway, I even got some external recognition: my company’s explosive growth landed us as one of the fastest-growing tech businesses in the country that year. Apparently, we ranked 2nd fastest-growing technology company in Slovakia – not bad for a business literally run out of my daughter’s room.

This proved that focusing on value and results rather than hype could beat out many venture-funded players on pure performance.

A reality check

As it turned out, 2022 gave me a reality check whether I wanted it. Early that year, I experienced every consultant’s nightmare: one of my biggest clients (who made up a large portion of my revenue) hit a crisis and abruptly cut their marketing spend.

In a week, about 50% of my monthly revenue disappeared. Ouch. After the previous year’s highs, this felt like hitting a wall at full speed. For the first time since going solo, I saw a significant drop in my income.

That was scary, and it happened for the first time. Since then, it’s been happening from time to time. It’s happening to all consultants. It’s unpredictable. But you get used to it. Now I know it’s all going to be fine, but it still sucks.

I launched a passion project: an “amazing no-bullsh*t gaming show” – a podcast and content series for the gaming community I co-hosted with friends Jakub and Felix. I am so glad we started doing this together. We had known each other for a long time, but Two and a Half gamers strengthened our friendship. I love them both deeply and couldn’t imagine doing this any other way. They also tolerate me, which is a big plus.

After my daughter was born, I started consciously structuring my days to spend about 70% of each day with Katarina and fit work into the remaining 30%.

Because nothing is more important than my little one. Full stop.

Boxout quote: I want to emphasise this to anyone reading: you do not have to sacrifice family to build a successful business.

Most people would say that’s impossible for a business owner, but I have proved it’s not only possible but can make you more effective. I learned that being “busy” is often just a state of mind; when you truly prioritise your time, you can achieve incredible things in less time than you think.

By the end of 2022, I had turned what could have been a disastrous year into a transformative learning experience. I diversified my client base so that no single client would hold me hostage again. I streamlined my processes even more to get work done faster. And crucially, I reinforced my commitment to a family-first, balanced lifestyle.

The lesson here was clear: it’s about building a life you actually want to live, even when business fluctuates.

Throughout 2023’s growth, more than once, I’d been told, “Start an agency, man! You’d make a killing.”

And sure, I’ve led teams before. People said I had “founder energy” and maybe they were right. But the agency route? That’s a different beast. It’s less about doing the work you love and more about managing the people doing the work. And honestly? I’m not in this to be a full-time babysitter of KPIs and calendars.

One of the funniest stats I have from 2023 is that my little company was listed among the top gaming companies in Slovakia by revenue, and all the others above me had dozens or hundreds of employees. I am constantly punching far above my weight class purely by being efficient and effective.

2024: here we go!

As 2024 rolled in, I took a moment to appreciate how far the journey had come. This was the fifth year of my solopreneur adventure, and the business had consistently been profitable and growing in one way or another each year.

From a numbers perspective, 2024 was another solid year, reaching over €1.6m ($1.8m) in revenue. This is a modest rise compared to the leaps of earlier years, but if you read the graph properly, you know what’s coming in 2025.

In short, I chose to reinvest in quality and future growth rather than squeeze every last euro of profit out of the year. As mentioned before, my whole life basically now became an expense: built three houses in Slovakia, invested in several companies (and continue doing so in 2025), and renovated another flat.

Mindset over money

Even though I mentioned the past revenue a lot in this article, let’s get something straight. I’ve never been driven by the smell of freshly printed cash. Sure, I like earning good money (who doesn’t?), but the whole idea that “money makes the world go round” never really clicked for me.

I’ve had plenty of people try to sell me the dream – equity deals, stock options, skin in the game, the usual pitch deck jargon. And while they were talking percentages and payouts, I mostly thought, “Eh, sounds exhausting”.

There’s this popular startup fantasy: build fast, exit hard and ride off into the sunset with a suitcase full of cash. Is that your dream? Go for it. No judgment.

But let’s not kid ourselves – when money is the main motivator, your compass can start pointing in some weird directions. It becomes dangerously easy to say yes to things that don’t align with your values just because there’s a payout at the end of the tunnel.

That “more” for me? Health, family and peace of mind. I’ve seen too many people chasing corner offices and executive titles while their personal lives quietly crumble. They say their kids are their world, but their calendars tell another story. I’m not pointing fingers – we’ve all been there.

I believe in working hard and earning well, but not at the cost of the moments that actually matter. Because what’s the point of a bigger paycheck if it means being a stranger in your own home?

Family first: redefining success

A huge part of my journey, and one of the main messages I want to share, is prioritising family and personal wellbeing over the so-called hustle culture. You often hear entrepreneurs claim their family matters most, yet they’re working 24/7 and barely see those family members.

Adopting a family-first approach meant making strategic decisions to ensure my family, my mental health and my company’s financial health could all thrive together.

Family-first means taking your kids into the middle of the woods and spending time with them. Who says others can’t join?

I structured my work around life, not the other way around. I’ve mentioned that in 2022, I was spending 70% of my day with my little girl. That wasn’t just a random luxury. Being there for my family is a non-negotiable and I designed my business to accommodate that. It meant I had to be extremely efficient and focused during the limited work hours, which ironically made me even better at my job.

There’s no greater productivity motivator than knowing you want to actually spend time with your kid and watch her grow up. They grow so fast. Too fast. By saying “no” to things that weren’t truly important, I got “yes” results in both family and business.

I want to emphasise this to anyone reading: you do not have to sacrifice family to build a successful business.

Don’t buy into the hustle bros that say endless grind is the only way. It’s simply not true. I’m living proof that you can scale back on the grind and still scale up your company. In fact, having a happy personal life gave me the mental clarity and motivation to perform even better when I was working. It’s the classic win-win that too many entrepreneurs miss out on.

The family-first approach also opens up many opportunities. My daughter takes a short lunch nap, so I have about 60 minutes until she wakes up. What do I do? I made 15 videos (9 AI UGC) and finished before she woke up.

2025 and beyond: the evolution of a creator, strategist and full-time curious human

Five years into this journey, I’ve realised something strange: success at the top can feel…weirdly lonely.

When you’re just starting out, there’s always someone ahead of you to chase or learn from. But after a while, you start looking around and thinking, “Wait, who do I follow now?”

That’s when you realise the next version of yourself doesn’t come from mimicking others – it comes from inventing the path you want to walk.

Of course, I haven’t gotten here alone. Tatyana Bogatyreva and Arthur Chin were two of my earliest connections in the UA world, dating back to the wild west of 2016–2017. Or was it earlier? We first met at the Facebook office in Paris during UA All Stars, where we were all just starting to figure things out.

Nearly a decade later, I still look to these OGs as kindred spirits in the space. That kind of long-term professional friendship is rare and valuable – it reminds me where I came from and why I started.

With Tatyana, we go back to the time when I had no idea what IPM meant. This was at the 2018 London Appsflyer MAMA event after my talk about creatives.

Yeah. We learn all the time.

Asia FTW: energy that matches my speed

One place where I feel completely at home professionally is Asia. The fast pace, constant innovation and zero-BS attitude across South Korea, China and beyond fit my natural rhythm perfectly.

The Two and a Half Gamers podcast has gained a surprising amount of traction there and the reception has been nothing short of energising. Thats why we started our Korean channel on YouTube as well.

In January 2025, we held our first live event in Seoul, hosted with our friends at Airbridge, and it might just kick off a new tradition. We’re already dreaming up what version 2.0 could look like. It’s always thrilling to meet marketers, founders and creators who match your energy – and Asia? They get it. We get it. And it feels like home.

More creator, less conference circuit

Here’s the thing: 2025 is shaping up to be my creator era. The spark that started with a few blog posts and podcast episodes has now ignited into something bigger. My Brutally Honest newsletter grew to over 18,000 free subscribers, with 11,500 on Substack and 7,537 on LinkedIn.

Newsletter and podcast growth is a grind. There are no shortcuts, only hard work and valuable content that solves problems and offers solutions. Brutal honesty and a bit of fun help, too.

Also, I now have 405 paid subscribers, which pushed annual recurring revenue from $16,000 to $52,000, a three-times jump! This excludes the paid promotion and collabs that started lining up.

Tell me if you want to collaborate, I have some slots left.

That’s not just growth. That’s a signal. It told me, “Matej, this is scalable. Go deeper”. So I am. Expect more articles, more videos and yes, even more “crazy sh*t” ad creatives, because somehow that’s now my brand (and frankly, I love it).

What type of content can you expect from me? State of UA reports, playables and creative trends, specific genre playbooks, industry reports, game UA reviews and a lot more.

This shift in direction has also changed how I think about industry events. No more hopping from conference to conference every month just for visibility or FOMO. From now on, I’m all about niche, curated events with people I actually want to talk to.

Quality over quantity. Depth over noise. If I’m speaking somewhere or hosting something, know that it’s because I truly believe in the crowd, the mission and the conversations we’ll have there. That’s the bar now.

Brutal honesty and the joy of asking

Funny thing – I used to be the kind of guy who never asked for discounts or favors. My logic was: if I can afford it and it’s worth it, just pay and move on. But lately I’ve changed my mind. Because I’ve realised a powerful truth: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. That applies not just to discounts, but to everything in life – intros, opportunities, mentorship, even feedback.

Closed mouths don’t get fed. If you want something? Say it. Ask for it. The worst that can happen is a “no”. The best? Game-changer.

Meanwhile, let me just say: I still think work-life balance is a myth, but not in a cynical way. I just think the only way to win long-term is to genuinely love your work.

If your life is spent recovering from your work, something’s broken. I don’t “balance” my work with life, I integrate it. I bring my whole self to the work, and I let my work fuel other parts of my life. That’s how I stay energised.

Minime in the front seat, walk-and-talks in the back

I’ve embraced one more philosophy in recent years: never lose touch with your inner kid. That curious, creative, slightly mischievous version of you – keep that alive. Let them ride shotgun. Let them steer sometimes.

Whenever I’m creating something that feels truly fun or wild, it’s because my Minime is driving and I’m just letting him rip around the track. This approach drove the growth of Two and a Half Gamers significantly. Look at the 2024 numbers: now we are sitting on 15,000 subs, just four months from the last count.

This episode is definitely our viral hit with 43,000 views:

Anyway. Also… I walk on calls. A lot. And apparently, this makes some people uncomfortable. I don’t get it. If we’re deep in conversation and I’m pacing through a park or strolling down a side street, I’m actually thinking better.

Moving helps me talk. It’s not disrespectful; it’s efficient. So to the folks who prefer I stay glued to my desk, I say: loosen up. Some of the best ideas I’ve had were born between footsteps. Who says you can’t move and build momentum at the same time?

Key takeaways from my solopreneur journey so far

1. Authenticity is your greatest unfair advantage.

Being unapologetically yourself, whether that means being brutally honest (pun intended), slightly weird, or walking during client calls, is how you attract the right clients and collaborators. People don’t hire robots; they hire humans they trust.

2. Work-life balance is a myth – love your work instead.

If you’re constantly needing to “recover” from your job, you’re probably in the wrong one. Integrate life and work. Design a rhythm that fuels you instead of draining you.

3. Ask for what you want. Seriously.

Whether it’s a better deal, a favour, or an opportunity, closed mouths don’t get fed. Learning to ask has unlocked more than I ever expected.

4. You don’t need to follow the traditional playbook.

No office? No problem. No pitch deck? Nobody cares. Forget the startup checklist. Build your business around what works for you – lean, real and on your terms.

5. Your inner child knows what’s up.

Keep the curious, joyful, “crazy idea” version of yourself alive. That version is often the one closest to your creative truth and your edge.

6. Build something that serves your life – not the other way around.

The ultimate flex isn’t how many hours you work. It’s how much freedom you’ve created to live fully, spend time with your family and wake up excited to build your thing.

If you’re building solo, or thinking about it, I hope this gives you a glimpse of what’s possible. Not just the revenue but the freedom, family time and meaning behind it. I’m still learning. Still adjusting. Still building.

Thanks for reading. If you’re on a similar journey, let’s connect. Subscribe to the newsletter or send me a DM. I’m here for the long game.

You can find the original Substack post here.