I Built a Digital Product, OG image templates on Nextjs – Here’s What I Learned

Early last year, I decided to launch a digital product:https://apicrud.gumroad.com . It was a learning experiment as much as it was an attempt to ship something useful. I learned a lot along the way, about building, shipping, and what people actually want.

The Idea: Open Graph Templates for Next.js

I started with a pretty specific idea: Open Graph (OG) image generation template for Next.js. Why? Because OG images are crucial for sharing links in social media, especially for eCommerce stores and blogs. They’re like visual first impressions. I figured: if I can make useful OG templates, devs would pay for them rather than designing them from scratch.

So I built it. Plug-and-play with Next.js. In my head, I was already imagining Shopify users, indie hackers, and marketers using it to spice up their link previews.

To convince users to make a purchase, I have a free download of 10 simple OG images so they can see the quality of the code and design. And users can purchase the premium version with more than 30 beautiful OG images.

The Reality: Building is the Easy Part

I was proud of what was built but crickets. Not a ton of traction.

Here’s what I realized:

• Usefulness is subjective : What I thought was super helpful wasn’t necessarily something others were actively looking for. OG images feel like a “nice-to-have,” not a “must-have” unless you're already deep into SEO or social media strategy.
  

• Marketing > Code : You can build the cleanest tool, but if no one knows it exists, it doesn’t matter. I spent 90% of my time building and maybe 10% promoting. It should’ve been the other way around.
  

• Audience matters : I built for a vague group—"anyone with a Nextjs website." That's way too broad. Niching down might help. And most dev don’t change OG images offen.
  

What I’d Do Differently

• Validate first : Next time, I’ll float the idea in communities, ask around, maybe throw up a landing page and see if anyone bites before I dive into dev mode.
  

• Build in public : Sharing the process early on builds interest and gives you early feedback.
  

• Tighter focus : Instead of trying to make a general design for everyone, I’d solve a specific design pain point for a well-defined group.
  

Still Worth It

Even though it didn’t blow up, I’m glad I shipped it. I learned more about product thinking in this one project than I would’ve by reading 1000 articles about it. And it’s still up, maybe someone will stumble on it and find it useful. Maybe I’ll spin it into something new.

And hey, if you’re a dev looking for a plug-and-play OG template for Next.js, check it out atAPICRUD as I have a free download as well.

Feedback is always welcome.