How I got a 🌮 as my email address

As a designer, developer, or just through the entrepreneurial spirit, I bet you’ve had some random ideas for fun little projects. Perhaps it’s an app, a physical product, or a simple blog …

Kyle Van Deusen

Published:

Filed Under:

Kyle Van Deusen

Kyle Van Deusen

The Admin Bar

After spending 15 years as a graphic designer and earning a business degree, I launched my agency, OGAL Web Design, in 2017. A year later, after finding the amazing community around WordPress, I co-found The Admin Bar, which has grown to become the #1 community for WordPress professionals. I'm a husband and proud father of three, and a new resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

taco email
This content contains affiliate links. View our affiliate disclaimer.

As a designer, developer, or just through the entrepreneurial spirit, I bet you’ve had some random ideas for fun little projects.

Perhaps it’s an app, a physical product, or a simple blog diving deep into an obscure topic you’re into (no judgement).

You may have even gone as far as purchasing a domain.

But other obligations get in the way, self-doubt creeps in, and the project sits on the shelf unfinished (or never started).

If you’ve had one idea like this, then you’ve probably had at least a dozen. While some may be long forgotten, chances are there are 1 or 2 that keep crossing your mind.

If so, I think you’re going to be just as fascinated by Ben Stokes’ story as I am.

Ben is a full stack developer, and like us, he’s constantly coming up with little project ideas.

I found Ben after going down a Twitter rabbit hole and reading his fascinating story about creating a paper website.

And while the idea of publishing a website from a paper notebook seemed silly (and maybe impossible?) he not only validated the concept, he’s now bringing in thousands of dollars in recurring revenue from it!

But it was another one of his 8 “tiny projects” that got me to open my wallet…

Before Paper Websites, Ben bought 300 emoji domain names from Kazakhstan and built an email service with them.

When I read about it, there was just no way I was going to pass up on the opportunity of being the proud owner of kyle@🌮.fm!

Mailoji has gone viral on social media and is well on its way to becoming a legitimate, profitable business.

But here’s the thing…

The difference between Ben and the rest of us isn’t having unique ideas.. I bet you have a hundred of them.

It’s not about having the capital… he launched his projects on a shoestring budget.

It’s not even about having the technical expertise… he hired a guy on Upwork to build a mail server.

The difference is simply taking action.

It’s the same whether you’re Bill Gates or Ben Stokes.

Your idea probably isn’t the next Microsoft but it could be the next Mailoji — and that’s still pretty awesome!

Share This Article!
Kyle Van Deusen

Kyle Van Deusen

The Admin Bar

After spending 15 years as a graphic designer and earning a business degree, I launched my agency, OGAL Web Design, in 2017. A year later, after finding the amazing community around WordPress, I co-found The Admin Bar, which has grown to become the #1 community for WordPress professionals. I'm a husband and proud father of three, and a new resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Come Join Us!

Join the #1 WordPress Community and dive into conversations covering every aspect of running an agency!

Kyle Van Deusen

Community Manager

The Friday Chaser

Wash down the week with the best of The Admin Bar! News, tips, and the best conversations delivered straight to your inbox every Friday!

Latest Events

February 20th, 2024

Making Sense of Security

Going beyond the marketing hype to make informed decisions on security!

January 26th, 2024

Effective Spam Defense for WordPress Forms

Conquer form spam in WordPress with Mark Westguard on Jan 26th. Learn key spam-fighting tactics in our live, interactive session. Register now to transform your forms!

More Articles

Privacy By Design

Are your websites designed with privacy in mind? Privacy By Design

Incorporating Privacy by Design in web development not only aligns with legal requirements and avoids hefty fines but also serves as a competitive advantage by enhancing client trust and consumer privacy awareness.

Process

No More Headaches: Streamline Your Business Processes in 7 Simple Steps

Are your internal business processes a source of too many headaches in an already busy schedule? Learn how to streamline your processes right here.

Cookie

Google Tightens Privacy Rules: Preparing Your Website for Consent Mode V2

What web agencies need to know about Google’s Consent Mode V2