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The Fastest Way to Build a $10k/Month Business With WordPress Plugins

Published: January 08, 2026Leave a Comment

Most developers waste years trying to invent something new.

Top WordPress plugin founders do the opposite: they build in markets that already pay, fix what users hate, and ship fast.

While AI has brought immense changes, other things have stayed the same. The playbook I describe here is the same I’ve used to build WP Mayor, WP RSS Aggregator and SpotlightWP over a span of 15 years.

1. Start With a Proven Market — Not an Idea

Forget brainstorming.

Open the WordPress plugin directory and look for plugins with:

10k–100k+ active installs
3.1–3.9 star ratings (room to improve)
Freemium or $29–$199/year pricing
One clear job-to-be-done

Security tweaks, checkout optimizations, performance helpers, SEO utilities, backup tools, form builders — the “boring” categories are where money hides.

If thousands of people already installed it and they’re not fully happy, you have demand.

2. Reverse Engineer the Winners

Install the top three competitors and map everything:

First-run experience
Upgrade prompts
Pricing tiers
Feature gating
Email flows
Dashboard layout

Do not improve yet. First understand exactly how money flows.

3. Let Bad Reviews Design Your Product

Now read every 1–2 star review.

Paste them into a document and look for patterns:

“Too expensive” → simpler pricing, clearer value, fewer tiers
“Confusing interface” → ruthless UX cleanup
“Missing feature X” → your wedge into the market

Twenty angry reviews will tell you more than months of customer interviews.

4. Build the Leanest Possible MVP

Ship only:

The core workflow
The onboarding pattern users already understand
Your 2–3 differentiators

Add the paywall from day one. Avoid “free forever” modes that train users not to pay.

If it takes more than three weeks, you’re not building a business — you’re building a hobby.

5. Steal Their Distribution Channels

Your competitors already solved discovery. Find where they live:

YouTube reviewers
X threads
Facebook groups
Reddit posts
Niche newsletters

Bookmark everything. Their traffic sources become your traffic sources.

6. Launch With Demand Already Mapped

Before launch, your feed should be filled with:

Plugin comparisons
“Best WordPress ___ in 2026” roundups
People complaining about existing tools

You want zero uncertainty about how your market talks, what it values, and what it hates.

7. Copy Sales Pages That Convert

Do not write “original” copy from scratch.

Rewrite proven structures:

Hero promise
Feature blocks
Objection handling
Upgrade CTAs

Same framing, sharper clarity.

8. Scale With Affiliates, Not Ads

Once you hit your first few thousand per month:

Offer 30–50% lifetime commissions
Recruit bloggers and YouTubers
Hand them battle-tested angles and copy

One strong affiliate can outperform 100 cold DMs.

A Realistic Outcome

A developer cloned a popular image optimization plugin.

Users hated:

Hidden pricing
Ugly UX
Aggressive upsells

He rebuilt the same core with transparent pricing, cleaner UI, and one missing feature users kept asking for.

Three months later: $14k/month.

Total spend: hosting + payment fees.

The Rule

WordPress rewards execution, not originality.

Find what already sells. Make it slightly better. Market it relentlessly.

$10k/month is just 250 users paying $40/year.

Not magic. Just disciplined copying.

How to Show the Full Date (Including Year) in Your macOS Menu Bar

Published: December 31, 2025Leave a Comment

By default, macOS does not allow you to show the year in the menu bar clock. You can show the day and date, but the year isn’t available.

A simple free workaround is to use BitBar, which lets you run tiny scripts that display text in the menu bar. In this guide, you’ll add a script that shows the full date including the year.

Step 1 – Download BitBar

BitBar is free and open-source. Download it from GitHub:

https://github.com/matryer/bitbar

Install it and launch it once. On first run, BitBar will ask you to choose a plugins folder.

Step 2 – Choose (or Create) Your Plugins Folder

Use this folder path:

~/Documents/BitBar

If the folder doesn’t exist, create it:

mkdir -p ~/Documents/BitBar

Step 3 – Create the Full Date Plugin

Inside your BitBar folder, create a file named:

fulldate.1m.sh

The 1m means the script refreshes every minute.

Open that file and paste this:

#!/bin/bash
date '+%a %d %b %Y'

This will display something like:

Wed 31 Dec 2025

Step 4 – Make the Script Executable

Open Terminal and run:

chmod +x ~/Documents/BitBar/fulldate.1m.sh

Step 5 – Refresh BitBar

Click the BitBar icon in the menu bar and choose Refresh all.

Your menu bar should now show the full date including the year.

Optional: Customize the Date Format

You can change the output by editing the date format string.

European numeric format

date '+%d/%m/%Y'

ISO format

date '+%Y-%m-%d'

Long format

date '+%A %d %B %Y'

Optional: Hide the macOS Clock

If you don’t want both the default clock and BitBar showing at the same time:

Go to System Settings → Control Center → Clock
Disable Show in Menu Bar

BitBar will then be your single menu bar date display. If your OS does not permit hiding the macOS clock, you can use a third party app like Bartender. Alternatively you can use the option to choose the analog clock, which only shows a discreet analog clock.

Position the BitBar Date Instead of the macOS Clock

macOS does not allow third-party menu bar items to occupy the absolute far-right system clock position. However, you can place your BitBar date at the rightmost position of the bar so it behaves visually like the built-in one.

Hold the ⌘ Command key.
Click and drag the BitBar date item in the menu bar.
Drag it all the way to the right until it snaps next to the system clock.
Release the mouse.

The BitBar date will now stay anchored in the rightmost position of the bar.

Transferring USD to Revolut VS Wise – Which Bank is Best?

Published: November 12, 20251 Comment

Short answer: For receiving and moving USD, Wise is usually the better choice, especially if you’re in Europe and getting paid from US banks. Revolut is strong for day-to-day spending and FX, but its USD rails are often weaker and more expensive.

Quick verdict by use case

You live in Europe and receive USD from US clients/brokers: Use Wise for USD (ACH/wire into a real US account in your name). Then convert or forward wherever you want.
You live in the US and want a spending app: Both work, but Wise is usually cheaper and clearer on FX. Revolut is fine if you mainly spend and rarely receive cross-border USD.
You just need a travel card for occasional FX: Either is fine. If USD inflows are important, lean Wise.

First, neither Revolut nor Wise is a traditional bank

Both are regulated fintechs / e-money institutions that partner with banks. Deposit protection and regulatory setup differ by country. You should always check the legal entity and protections in your jurisdiction before parking large sums there.

How USD accounts work in Wise

With Wise, when you open USD “account details” you typically get:

A US routing number and account number in your name (ACH + wire-capable for most users).
Ability to receive:
- ACH transfers from US banks with no Wise fee to receive.
- Domestic US wires for a flat incoming fee.
- SWIFT USD transfers from abroad, also with a fixed incoming fee.

For FX, Wise:

Uses the live mid-market rate and charges a separate, explicit fee (usually in the ~0.3–0.7% range depending on route).
Shows you the fee and the exact amount the recipient will get before you confirm the transfer.

How USD accounts work in Revolut

Revolut’s USD setup depends heavily on your residency.

For many EU/UK customers: the USD “account” is often a UK/EU-domiciled USD account accessed via SWIFT, not a US domestic checking account. Incoming USD usually arrive via international SWIFT wires, which can trigger intermediary bank fees.
For US customers:
- Revolut lets you send local USD ACH transfers to US bank accounts with no Revolut transfer fee for ACH.
- Domestic USD wires in or out incur a flat fee per wire on the Standard plan.

For FX, Revolut:

Often advertises “no fee” weekday exchanges up to a plan-specific allowance, but the effective cost can appear in spreads and special conditions.
Charges extra weekend markups for many users on lower-tier plans, with higher-tier paid plans avoiding that markup but charging a monthly subscription.

Net effect: if you’re outside the US, getting USD into Revolut often means SWIFT and potentially painful third-party fees, whereas Wise gives you local ACH rails and predictable costs.

Comparing the cost of getting USD in

From a US bank to Wise

Typical flow:

Open USD account details in Wise. Get routing + account number.
Add your Wise account as an external account in your US bank.
Push an ACH transfer from your bank to Wise.

Cost profile:

Wise fee to receive ACH: 0 USD.
Your US bank may charge a small fee, but many do ACH for free.

If the sender insists on a domestic wire instead of ACH, you pay Wise’s incoming wire fee.

From a US bank to Revolut

Two very different realities:

You are a US Revolut user:
- Local ACH transfers in USD to your US Revolut account can be fee-free from Revolut’s side.
- US domestic wires usually have a fixed inbound wire fee per transfer.
You are an EU/UK Revolut user receiving USD:
- You often only have international USD (SWIFT) details.
- Revolut itself may not charge to receive a bank transfer, but your sending bank and intermediary banks can charge 15–50 USD or more in aggregate fees.

This is the big practical difference: Wise gives non-US residents a domestic-style USD account; Revolut often relies on SWIFT unless you are on the US product.

Converting USD to EUR (or other currencies)

Wise FX

Uses the real mid-market rate (same as you see on public FX tickers).
Charges a transparent fee (e.g. “0.45%” or similar) shown before you convert.
No separate weekend markup; only the stated fee.

Revolut FX

On Standard, weekday exchanges within your allowance may show “no fee,” but the app applies its own spread and rules.
On weekends, many users pay an extra exchange markup on top of the underlying rate; higher-tier plans remove this but cost a monthly fee.

If you regularly convert significant USD to EUR, Wise is usually easier to reason about and compare, because the rate is mid-market and the fee is explicit.

Speed and limits

Wise: ACH in usually 1–3 business days, wires same/next day; send limits can go up to high six figures for verified accounts.
Revolut: ACH/wires in the US follow standard bank timings; SWIFT times vary (1–5 business days) and can be delayed by intermediaries.

Practical scenarios

Scenario 1 – You’re in Europe, getting paid USD from a US broker or client

Example: US broker pays you monthly in USD.

Wise: Give them your US routing/account. They send an ACH. You receive the full 1000 USD; Wise fee to receive is 0. Then you convert to EUR at mid-market minus a visible fee.
Revolut (EU user): Give them your Revolut USD SWIFT details. Their bank sends an international wire. You might see 15–50 USD shaved off by correspondent banks before it even hits Revolut. Then you convert, possibly with weekend markup depending on timing and plan.

In practice, Wise nearly always wins on net received amount and clarity here.

Scenario 2 – You are in the US and just want an app to move USD around and spend abroad

Wise: Good local USD account, clean FX, strong international transfer stack.
Revolut US: Fine for ACH and card spending. Domestic wires cost a fixed fee in and out. FX is okay but with quirks (weekend rules, plan limits, etc.).

If you care about predictable FX, Wise is cleaner. If you mainly care about app UI, metal cards, or specific Revolut features, you might pick Revolut knowing the cost structure.

Scenario 3 – You want to hold USD and occasionally move it

Wise: Better rails for incoming USD (especially if you are not US-resident). Easy to send USD out again via ACH/wire or convert.
Revolut: Acceptable if your USD comes from within the Revolut ecosystem (other Revolut users). Less ideal when money originates from US banks via SWIFT.

Other considerations

Regulation and trust: Both are large, regulated players but neither is a classic deposit-insured retail bank in every market. Check the specific protections in your country and avoid holding very large long-term balances purely in these apps.
Card spending: Both offer cards. Wise ties directly to your multi-currency balance. Revolut adds lifestyle features, subscriptions, insurance bundles, and so on.
Business accounts: Fee tables differ for business vs personal, so always check the specific plan pages before committing.

So, which is “best” for USD transfers?

For receiving and moving USD cheaply and predictably: Wise wins in most realistic setups, especially for non-US residents.
For an all-in-one spending app with decent FX and extra lifestyle features: Revolut is fine, but treat incoming USD via SWIFT as an expensive edge case.

The rational setup for many people is:

Use Wise as the main USD “hub” (client payments, broker withdrawals, etc.).
Convert and send out to:
- Your local bank for savings/investing, and/or
- Revolut (or another app) for daily card spending.

Using Options to Access U.S. ETFs as an EU Retail Investor

Published: November 10, 2025Leave a Comment

European retail investors cannot normally buy U.S.-domiciled ETFs like QQQ due to the PRIIPs regulation and the missing KID. Brokers block direct purchase to comply. However, you can still own such ETFs by using options. We’ll keep on using the very popular QQQ as an example.

The Workaround

Sell a cash-secured put on QQQ. One contract controls 100 shares. If QQQ closes below your strike at expiration, assignment occurs.
Receive 100 QQQ shares via assignment. You own the shares even though direct buying was blocked.
Sell the shares if desired. EU rules restrict brokers from offering non-PRIIPs ETFs to retail clients. They do not prohibit a client from selling an ETF already held.

What This Is and Is Not

Bullish exposure path: You are paid premium and may acquire shares at the strike if assigned.
Not a clean substitute: Sizing is lumpy (blocks of 100), timing is uncertain, and rolling is often required.

Key Constraints and Risks

Capital: Minimum cash ≈ 100 × strike price. Example: $400 per share → ~$40,000 per contract.
Assignment timing: You may not be assigned when you want the exposure. Deep ITM strikes increase assignment odds but reduce premium efficiency.
Broker policy: Many EU brokers block purchases of non-PRIIPs ETFs but allow sales of positions already held. Policies can change. Client agreements reserve rights to close positions for risk or compliance reasons.
Operational: Options expire. You must manage rolls, strikes, and expiries. Taxes differ for premium, dividends, and capital gains.
Regulatory: Future rules could narrow or remove this path.

Practical Setup

Account permissions: Enable U.S. options. Confirm assignment handling and settlement currency with your broker.
Contract choice: Select strike and expiry to match target entry level and time window. Cash-secured only if you want delivery.
Exit mechanics: If assigned, you can hold, write covered calls, or sell the shares. If unassigned, you earned premium but did not gain share exposure.

Cleaner Alternatives (UCITS)

For long-term Nasdaq-100 exposure, use PRIIPs-compliant UCITS ETFs:

Invesco EQQQ NASDAQ-100 UCITS ETF (EQQQ) — TER ~0.30%.
iShares NASDAQ-100 UCITS ETF (CNDX) — TER ~0.33%.
Xtrackers NASDAQ-100 UCITS ETF (XNDX) — TER ~0.25%.

Bottom Line

The put-assignment path can create temporary exposure to QQQ for EU retail accounts that cannot buy it directly. It is capital-intensive, operationally complex, and dependent on broker policy. For most investors, UCITS Nasdaq-100 ETFs are simpler and adequate replacements. However, if you absolutely want access to U.S.-domiciled ETFs this is how to do it.

Using Your Stock Broker to Get the Cheapest Currency Conversions

Published: November 09, 2025Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever needed to convert currencies, you’ve probably considered services like Wise, Revolut, or maybe even a crypto exchange like Kraken. But have you ever thought about using Interactive Brokers (IB) to trade the currency pairs directly? Let’s dive into how Interactive Brokers stacks up as a tool for currency conversions and compare it to popular alternatives.

Why Interactive Brokers for Currency Conversion?

Interactive Brokers isn’t just for buying stocks or trading options; it’s also a powerful tool for converting currency. Unlike Wise or Revolut, where you’re charged a margin on the conversion rates plus a small fee, Interactive Brokers allows you to directly trade currencies on the foreign exchange market, meaning you can often get closer to the interbank rate—the most favorable rate available.

When you want to convert from, say, USD to EUR, you simply trade the currency pairs like you would with any other financial asset. This direct approach has some advantages:

Lower Spreads: Interactive Brokers gives you access to live FX spreads, which are often tighter than the margins applied by consumer currency conversion services.
Transparent Fees: IB charges a small commission per trade—usually just a few basis points. This transparency can help you avoid the surprise markups that might be embedded in other conversion tools.

Comparing Costs: Interactive Brokers vs. Wise, Revolut, and Kraken

Let’s take a look at a simple comparison using an example conversion of $1,000 to euros. Here’s how the different options stack up:

Interactive Brokers: IB’s fee structure is typically a very small commission, and the exchange rate is practically at market value, making it extremely competitive for larger amounts. Let’s say the total cost is around 0.02% of your $1,000 transaction.
Wise and Revolut: Both of these platforms tend to offer exchange rates close to market rates, but they add a small markup. Wise charges a transparent conversion fee, while Revolut may depend on your account type—standard accounts might have weekend markups or fees for larger amounts.
Kraken (Crypto Exchange): Crypto exchanges like Kraken can also be used to convert currencies, albeit indirectly. You’d need to convert your USD into crypto (like USDC) and then trade it for another fiat currency, such as EUR. The fees can vary significantly, ranging from trading fees (often 0.1% to 0.26%) to withdrawal fees, and there is also the added volatility risk when handling crypto as an intermediary.

Example Calculation

Let’s assume you are converting $1,000 to euros on each platform:

Interactive Brokers: If the EUR/USD rate is 1.10, you could receive approximately €909, factoring in a minimal commission fee.
Wise: You might receive around €906, after the service fee of around 0.5%.
Revolut: You could receive a similar amount as Wise during weekdays, but if it’s the weekend, there might be an extra charge, bringing it down to about €903.
Kraken: With Kraken, after trading and withdrawal fees, you might end up with around €900, though this could vary depending on market conditions and the crypto route you choose.

Speed and Convenience

Interactive Brokers: While IB offers great rates, the process might feel a bit more technical. You have to be comfortable with the trading interface.
Wise and Revolut: Both are extremely user-friendly. Wise, in particular, is designed to make international transfers simple, even if you pay slightly more for that convenience.
Kraken: Converting via a crypto exchange involves more steps and comes with crypto-specific risks, like market volatility. It’s probably not the most convenient choice unless you’re already comfortable with crypto trading.

Downsides to Using Interactive Brokers for Currency Conversion

While using Interactive Brokers for currency conversion can lead to substantial savings, there are a few downsides to consider:

Not Intended for Currency Conversion: Interactive Brokers is primarily a brokerage platform for trading stocks, options, and other assets. Using it purely for currency conversion is sometimes seen as a “hack” and not its intended use. In fact, Interactive Brokers has been known to discourage users from exploiting this feature solely for currency exchange purposes, and they may even limit your account activity if this behavior is detected.
Complexity: The trading interface is not as intuitive as dedicated currency conversion platforms. It may feel overwhelming for users who are not already familiar with the intricacies of forex trading.
Regulatory and Compliance Risks: Depending on your country, there may be specific regulations around currency trading that could complicate things if you’re only looking to convert funds. Interactive Brokers might also scrutinize your transactions more closely if it appears that you’re primarily using the platform for currency conversion.

Final Thoughts: Best Option for Currency Conversion?

If you’re converting large amounts and want the lowest possible cost, Interactive Brokers is likely your best bet. It offers near-market rates with very low commissions, which adds up to considerable savings, especially if you’re converting a significant sum. However, if ease of use and speed are priorities, Wise and Revolut are still excellent choices.

Kraken, while an interesting option, adds a layer of complexity and risk due to the need to convert through crypto. It might be worth considering if you’re already active in the crypto world, but for most people, IB or a dedicated currency conversion service will be simpler and more straightforward.

If you’re already using Interactive Brokers for trading, why not leverage it for currency conversion too? The potential savings could be worth the extra clicks.