Wins, failures, and the tactics that actually worked.
The complete log of building 500k.io from $0 to $500K MRR. Tactics + feelings, no fluff. New entries every week.
Conversion Rate Optimization Services What They Do
Conversion rate optimization services explained for paid traffic teams. What is included, pricing models and how to choose a provider.
Landing Page Conversion Rate Optimization Playbook
Landing page conversion rate optimization playbook for paid traffic. Hypothesis, testing and rollout framework to lift ROAS without more spend.
Average Media Buyer Salary 2026 Benchmarks
The average media buyer salary in the US is $66,414 in 2026. See real compensation benchmarks, agency costs and hiring maths for $30k+ monthly ad budgets.
Performance Marketing Agency: What It Actually Does
Performance marketing agency explained for founders spending $30k+/month. Real engagement models, KPIs, ROI maths, and how to vet one without getting sold to.
Fixed Price Marketing Agency: 5 Buyer Checks
A fixed price marketing agency caps your monthly fee regardless of ad spend. We break down the exact deliverables, scope risks and five buyer checks.
Google Ads Management Agency Explained with Costs
What a google ads management agency does, costs and how to evaluate one. Get deliverables, pricing models and a checklist to choose well.
Landing Page Split Testing: A Practical Playbook
A practitioner's guide to landing page split testing: hypothesis design, traffic split, sample size math, and reading winners without fooling yourself.
Field notes: what we shipped from May to September 2026
The journey to $500K MRR, in receipts. Every system, page and funnel we shipped between May and September 2026, what it was for, and what it taught us. No client names.
Google Ads ROAS Benchmark: Real 2026 Numbers and Fixes
Google Ads ROAS benchmark in 2026 by industry and campaign type, with the maths, attribution traps, and tactics to lift your return on ad spend.
Facebook ROAS Benchmark: What 35000 Brands Show
The median Facebook ROAS benchmark sits at 1.86x for DTC ecommerce. See the real numbers by industry, funnel stage and margin, and how to set targets.
Conversion Rate Optimization Audit
Conversion rate optimization audit. A conversion rate optimisation audit framework that finds revenue leaks before A/B testing, with the 11 checks we run
Why Are My Facebook Ads Not Working? a Diagnostic Guide
Why are my Facebook ads not working? A diagnostic guide that separates delivery, creative and measurement failures, with fixes you can run this week.
Paid Social Agency: What They Do and How to Pick One
Paid social agency explained by operators: service scope, pricing math, and the 11 questions that reveal whether one is worth hiring in 2026.
Creative Testing Services: What They Actually Do
Creative testing services run high-velocity ad experiments so you stop guessing. See the maths, the cadence and the KPIs that separate real operators
Creative Testing Solutions That Actually Win in 2026
Creative testing solutions that ship weekly winners: frameworks, KPIs and vendor criteria built from $35M in paid spend. Crank11's operating playbook.
Acquisition Cost Per Customer Formula: The Real Math
The acquisition cost per customer formula, worked examples, and the numerator mistakes that make CAC lie. Built for $30k+/month paid spenders.
Cost Per Customer Acquisition: What the Number Means
Cost per customer acquisition explained with the formula, channel benchmarks, and the LTV math that decides whether your number is actually working.
I Build 500k.io Solo. I Started CRANK 11 With a Co-Founder.
Why one business runs solo with AI and the other needed a partner — the honest test for when to stay solo, when to take a co-founder, and what each model actually costs.
Claude AI for Business: The 2026 Founder's Guide
Claude AI for business in 2026: which plan to pay for, the four functions it runs best (content, sales, support, ops), how it stacks against ChatGPT, and the 30-day rollout.
Stripe, Beehiiv, Resend: the 4-API solo SaaS stack
The exact 4-API backend a solo founder runs — Stripe, Beehiiv, Resend, Supabase — with real monthly costs, what each one does, and which one makes you pay first.
Lead Gen With AI by Vertical (Bathroom, MVA, Mutuelle)
I run lead gen across 3 verticals at The Kreators AI — US bathroom remodeling, US auto injury, and French mutuelle senior. AI changes the playbook by vertical. Here's how, with real CPLs.
Marketing Automation With AI in 2026 (Real Stack)
The honest marketing automation stack I run on 500k.io and The Kreators AI. 9 tools, $300-500/mo, and the 5 workflows that produce 80% of the leverage.
Premium Newsletter Tier Pricing: The Real Math
Most newsletter founders price the premium tier wrong. Here's the math from running The 500K Brief and the 4 questions that determine whether $9 or $29 is right for you.
M-Series Mac for AI Builders: What I Use
I run an M4 Max MacBook Pro every day for AI-heavy work. Here's the honest review, the specs that matter, what I'd skip, and whether you need an M-series Mac at all.
