The ten examples in this list come from a November 2022 thread by Aleksandr Volodarsky, republished by HackerNoon on December 27, 2022. They are a historical selection, not a current or independently verified ranking. The thread presents businesses it says generated millions with zero employees, but its revenue, audience and customer figures use no common measurement period or audited methodology.
What the 2022 list does—and does not—show
Volodarsky said he spent more than 50 hours researching the examples. That is his description of the work behind the thread, not an independently measured study. The HackerNoon article reproduces his claims; it does not establish that every business had no employees, contractors or outside support, or that each still operates the same way today. The list numbering also skips 5 and labels two entries as 6, although it names ten businesses. Read the HackerNoon article.
The figures below explain why the thread chose these examples, but they should not be treated as comparable financial results. Revenue, recurring revenue, customers, readers, downloads, visits and copies sold are different measures; the thread does not provide consistent periods or verification for its numbers.
The ten companies and businesses in the thread
Stardew Valley
The thread says creator Eric Barone generated more than $300 million in revenue over six years. The stronger verified point is about how the game began: the official FAQ says Stardew Valley 1.0 was developed completely solo by Barone over 4.5 years, and that he also developed version 1.1 solo. The FAQ says other contributors helped with updates starting with version 1.3, so “solo-developed” describes the initial game, not every later version. The official press factsheet reports more than 41 million copies sold across all platforms as of December 2024, including more than 26 million on PC and 7.9 million on Nintendo Switch. Those are dated unit sales, not revenue or current 2026 totals. Official FAQ; official press factsheet.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
BuiltWith
The thread describes BuiltWith as a website-technology lookup service founded by Gary Brewer and claims $14 million in annual revenue. That revenue figure is a thread claim, not an audited or currently established result.
Viral Nova
The thread describes Scott DeLong’s viral-content curation site and claims it reached peak annual revenue of $5 million to $10 million and 100 million monthly readers, with no funding or employees. These are historical claims reproduced in the article; it supplies no common financial methodology or independent substantiation.
Rank #2
Photopea
The thread identifies Ivan Kutskir as the creator of the free photo and graphics editor and claims 10 million monthly visits, about $1.5 million in annual revenue, and 1.5 million hours of monthly use. The article does not verify those figures or establish that they describe Photopea today.
Digital Inspiration
The thread attributes Google Docs, Sheets and Slides add-ons to Amit Agarwal and claims five million monthly visits, $10 million in annual revenue and more than 40 million plugin downloads. Visits, revenue and downloads are distinct measures, and the article does not document how any was counted.
Rank #3
Rego apps
The thread groups apps by Allen Wong and claims he made more than $100 million from them. It does not specify a measurement period or provide audited support for that amount.
Justin Welsh’s portfolio
The thread says Welsh’s businesses generated more than $3 million in revenue with 94% margins, across consulting, courses, a paid community, newsletter sponsorships and other income. The article does not define the period, margin calculation or verification behind those claims.
BrüMate
The thread describes Dylan Jacob’s insulated beverage-can business and claims $20 million in revenue, zero employees and more than 2.5 million worldwide customers. It does not establish a measurement period or independently document those figures.
Pieter Levels’s portfolio
The thread describes a collection of businesses, including a remote-job marketplace, AI photography and a nomad community, and claims revenue of roughly $3 million or more. That portfolio-level estimate is not presented as audited or tied to a consistent reporting period.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Best Value
- From the acclaimed, award-winning author of Alexander Hamilton: here is the essential, endlessly engrossing biography of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.—the Jekyll-and-Hyde of American capitalism.
- In the course of his nearly 98 years, Rockefeller was known as both a rapacious robber baron, whose Standard Oil Company rode roughshod over an industry, and a philanthropist who donated money lavishly to universities and medical centers.
- He was the terror of his competitors, the bogeyman of reformers, the delight of caricaturists—and an utter enigma.
Carrd
The thread describes AJ’s one-page website builder and claims more than $1 million in annual recurring revenue and over four million sites built. Annual recurring revenue is not the same as realized revenue, and the article does not independently verify either figure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read “one-person company” claims
A founder can build a product alone without every part of the business remaining a one-person operation. The Stardew Valley FAQ makes that distinction concrete: Barone created the initial game solo, while later updates involved contributors. For the other examples, the HackerNoon article does not consistently document contractors, platform or publishing support, later hires, current staffing or company structure.
For a personal-finance reader, the useful lesson is to separate a compelling founder story from a reliable financial comparison. Before treating a headline number as a measure of business performance, check:
Quick Recap
- What is being counted? Revenue, recurring revenue, profit margin, visits, customers, downloads and units sold answer different questions.
- What period does it cover? A peak year, lifetime total and monthly estimate cannot be compared directly.
- Who reports it, and when? Most figures here are claims in a November 2022 thread, reproduced by HackerNoon, rather than audited records.
- What does “one person” mean? It may describe a founder’s role or a product’s early development, not the full labor and support behind a company over time.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
