One Million Goal.

Join me on my journey from zero to building a seven-figure business: One Million Goal.

by on

I'm Marco Santonocito.

On January 1st, 2025, I stopped dreaming and started doing: I set out to build a million-euro business from scratch while keeping my day job.

This is the raw, unfiltered story of my One Million Goal journey—where I share every success, failure, and lesson learned along the way.

Ready to see how far we can go together?

It was 2017 when I launched Ammesso.it, a simple app to help my friends prepare for their medical school entrance exams. What started as a side project eventually grew into the most popular exam prep app among Italian students, leading to a 6-figures acquisition by Testbusters. That moment changed everything - it showed me that the path from side projects to significant financial success wasn't just a dream. It was possible.

Today, I'm embarking on an even bigger journey, and I want to bring you along for every step.

One Million Goal.

This isn't just another "how I built this" blog or a collection of entrepreneurship tips. It's a real-time chronicle of my attempt to achieve what many consider impossible: building a seven-figure business while balancing a full-time role as Chief Product and Technology Officer and being present for my family.

How?

As I watch the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence I'm convinced we're at a unique inflection point. The tools and capabilities emerging from the AI revolution aren't just incremental improvements; they're game-changers.

They're democratizing access to capabilities that once required entire teams, making it possible for solopreneurs to build, scale, and automate in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago.

This technological leap, combined with the lessons I've learned from my previous ventures, makes me believe that reaching these ambitious goals is more feasible than ever—not easier, but more achievable with the right approach and tools.

The Three Summits

The Three Summits (Midjourney)
The Three Summits (Midjourney)

I've broken down this ambitious journey into three distinct milestones:

First Summit: €1 Million Total Revenue

The initial goal is to generate one million euros in combined revenue from my various projects. This first milestone is about proving the fundamentals - that I can create products people want and are willing to pay for.

Second Summit: €1 Million ARR

Once we hit that first million, the focus shifts to sustainability. Can I build something that generates one million in annual recurring revenue? This isn't just about one-time sales anymore - it's about creating lasting value.

Final Summit: €1 Million MRR

The ultimate challenge: scaling to one million in monthly recurring revenue. This is the kind of growth that transforms side projects into legitimate enterprises, the kind that could redefine what's possible for indie hackers and solopreneurs.

Why Share This Journey?

The entrepreneurship space is filled with success stories told in retrospect, carefully curated to show only the highlights. But that's not what we need. We need real stories, told in real-time, showing both the triumphs and the failures.

As I write this, I'm sitting in my home office in Pordenone, Italy. It's late evening, and I've just finished putting my daughter to bed. Like many of you, I'm building these dreams in the margins of my day.

What You'll Find Here

This blog will focus on three core areas:

  1. The Reality of Indie Projects
    I'll share detailed breakdowns of my projects - from Babytales.ai, which creates AI-powered personalized children's books, to new ventures I haven't even conceived yet. You'll see the numbers, the strategies, and most importantly, the mistakes.
  2. The Zero to Million Journey
    Everything will start from zero. Every milestone, metric, and method will be documented. Whether it's customer acquisition strategies, pricing decisions, or technical architecture choices, you'll get the unfiltered truth about what works and what doesn't.
  3. The Work-Life Integration
    Challenge Building a seven-figure business while maintaining a full-time job and being present for family isn't just about time management - it's about life design. I'll share how I navigate these waters, including the difficult trade-offs and occasional failures.

My Promise to You

This won't be a highlight reel. You'll see the daily grind, the failed experiments, and the moments of doubt. I'll share revenue numbers, customer feedback (good and bad), and the strategies I'm testing. Some months might show impressive growth; others might reveal harsh lessons (especially the first ones). But every post will be honest, detailed, and focused on providing actionable insights.

The Journey Begins

In 2022, Annalisa and I spent time as digital nomads, exploring Southeast Asia. That experience taught me something crucial: the most meaningful journeys are the ones we share with others. This project - One Million Goal - is my way of sharing what could be the most significant journey of my professional life.

Making memories in Hanoi: Me, Annalisa, and a wonderful family sharing stories, laughs, and good vibes 🌟🇻🇳

Will I reach these ambitious goals? Honestly, I don't know. But I do know that the pursuit itself will be worth it, and the lessons learned along the way could help others on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

If you're building something on the side, dreaming of financial freedom, or just curious about what it really takes to scale indie projects while maintaining a full-time career, I invite you to follow along. Subscribe to get regular updates, detailed breakdowns, and honest reflections from the journey.

Let's see if we can turn this ambitious goal into reality, one milestone at a time.

Your turn: What's your million-dollar goal? Share it in the comments below, and let's build something extraordinary together.

Subscribe to

Road to One

Let's grow together joining a community of more than 1,000 readers.

I share my wins, fails, and the lessons learned along the way—plus actionable tips and ideas to help you on your own journey.

Your Email

By submitting this form, you'll be signed up to my free newsletter. I may also send you other emails about my projects. You can opt-out at any time. For more information, see the privacy policy.