Andy Cloke: How He Built Data Fetcher Into a $23K/Month Micro-SaaS
Who is Andy Cloke?
Andy Cloke is the solo founder of Data Fetcher, a micro-SaaS tool that helps Airtable users pull data from external APIs directly into their databases. What started as a small side project has grown into a business generating $23,000/month in recurring revenue with over 600 paying customers.
Net Worth
While Andy hasn’t publicly disclosed his net worth, estimates can be made based on his business earnings. With $23K/month in recurring revenue (approx. $276K/year) and an 85% profit margin, Andy’s net worth is likely in the mid-six-figure range and steadily growing. Unlike many founders, he has no outside investors, meaning all profits go directly to him.
From Where?
Andy lives in London, UK, where he studied engineering at university. However, he never felt truly passionate about his degree. Instead, he was drawn toward creating his own projects. This curiosity pushed him to teach himself how to code and eventually become a freelance React developer for startups while experimenting with entrepreneurial side projects.
Early Entrepreneurship
Andy launched multiple side projects before Data Fetcher, most of which failed. His first taste of success was a TikTok influencer directory. It scraped influencer data and sold access via a SaaS model, generating a few thousand dollars per month before he sold it. That small win gave him the financial breathing room to focus on something more sustainable.
During this time, while experimenting with an IPO newsletter project, Andy faced a pain point: importing financial data into Airtable was tedious. This problem planted the seed for what would eventually become Data Fetcher.
Data Fetcher – The Big Breakthrough
In 2020, Andy launched Data Fetcher, an Airtable extension that connects to any external platform through APIs. It allows users to automate workflows like pulling in Facebook Ads, Google Analytics, or financial data directly into Airtable.
Andy’s decision to build on Airtable wasn’t random—he spotted a similar successful product for Google Sheets and realized Airtable was missing such a tool. Plus, Airtable had just launched its extension marketplace, giving him free distribution.
Within days, he landed his first paying customer, and the growth snowballed from there.
Growth Strategy
- Platform Distribution: By being early on Airtable’s marketplace, Andy tapped into a stream of qualified users.
- Content Marketing: He wrote tutorials, blog posts, and YouTube videos about popular integrations (like Facebook Ads → Airtable), which drove organic growth.
- Customer Feedback: Talking to users helped him simplify features and make Data Fetcher usable even for non-technical people.
The results:
- $1K MRR within months
- $10K MRR after the first year
- $20K+ MRR after three years
Struggles and Challenges
- Failed Side Projects: Andy admits wasting nearly 6 months on shiny new projects whenever growth slowed.
- Platform Risk: Building on Airtable means Airtable could build competing features anytime, threatening his business.
- Lack of User Testing Early: Andy once went a full year without talking to customers, leading to poor UX decisions. He later learned that one afternoon of user interviews fixed issues that boosted revenue almost overnight.
Lessons Learned
- Focus beats distraction: Shiny objects are tempting, but staying committed to one product pays off.
- Talk to users early: Feedback accelerates growth faster than guessing.
- Solve your own problems first: The best ideas often come from personal frustrations.
- Leverage growing platforms: Riding on Airtable’s growth gave Andy free visibility.
Andy Cloke’s Net Margins & Lifestyle
Running a SaaS means low overhead. Andy spends about $2,500/month on hosting and $1,000 on tools, plus a small co-working fee. With an 85% profit margin, most of his $23K/month revenue turns into profit.
This lean setup gives Andy both financial freedom and flexibility—a lifestyle many indie hackers dream of.
Final Thoughts
Andy Cloke’s journey shows the power of small, focused SaaS businesses. He didn’t chase venture funding or billion-dollar valuations. Instead, he solved a real problem, leveraged a growing platform, and patiently scaled over time.
Today, Data Fetcher is a life-changing micro-SaaS that proves one determined founder can build a profitable, sustainable business from scratch.
