Indie Bites

Indie Bites

Why you should build a sweaty startup instead of an indie SaaS - Flo Schirmer

Sweaty startups, characterized by a short road from inception to revenue and often service-based, offer a viable alternative to traditional tech startups by leveraging existing skill sets in underserved industries.

How Tally grew to $150k MRR in 5 years - Marie Martens

Bootstrapped founders often face burnout by delaying team growth, necessitating a shift to more professional operations and scaling.

Why the Marketoonist is the dream indie business - Tom Fishburne

Building a unique brand and staying true to your core skills is more valuable than trying to be the best at something common, especially in the face of competition and emerging technologies like AI.

Why Jack Ellis acquired Fathom Analytics from his co-founder

Jack Ellis acquired his co-founder's share in Fathom Analytics through a unique, over-time buyout structured to maintain the company's independence and avoid external capital.

Typeshare's $34k MRR bootstrapped journey - Sam Shore

Partnering with creators who have an audience or marketing expertise can be a powerful growth strategy for indie hackers, even if it means giving up significant equity.

How Justin Duke is building Buttondown into the perfect bootstrapped business

February 7, 2025

Founders should prioritize building a company they genuinely enjoy working on, even if it means making calculated risks and avoiding the trap of simply creating a job they dislike.

How to sell your indie business - Josh Peleg

January 22, 2025

Acquirers actively monitor app growth using tools like Data AI and Sensor Tower, making it crucial for founders to be visible and have a clear roadmap for addressing any underperforming metrics.

Arvid Kahl on building a profitable SaaS (Podscan), calm funding and juggling a media business

January 15, 2025

Building and launching new projects, even if they don't become the 'next big thing', is crucial because each project serves as a stepping stone, providing valuable learnings and interactions that lead to future successes.

High Signal founder on the state of indie hacking and building in public in 2025 - Pete Codes

January 8, 2025

The "build in public" movement, while still valuable, has lost some of its marketing potency due to increased adoption and the rise of shameless copycats, leading some founders to shift towards more private growth strategies.

How Podsqueeze grew to $16k MRR in 18 months - Tiago Ferreira

September 13, 2024

A failed project does not equate to personal failure for an indie maker, as the goal is to find success with *

How Buy Me A Coffee grew to millions of users - Jijo Sunny

August 23, 2024

Founders often have a moral obligation to share their creations with the world, even if they don't immediately see a clear path to monetization.

How focusing on customer happiness led to success for KnowledgeOwl - Marybeth Alexander

Sustainable growth and freedom were the primary goals when acquiring Knowledge Owl, rather than aggressive expansion or VC funding.

Ranking #1 in Google with Lorem Ipsum and making a career out of scientific SEO - Kyle Roof

Scientific, data-driven testing of SEO factors is crucial for developing a unique point of view and differentiating oneself in the market, as demonstrated by Kyle's patent and Google's rule change.

Finding success with a QR code app after selling his previous indie business - Ramy Khuffash

Transitioning from a successful business is smoother when you have another project to immediately focus on, preventing a potential struggle with what comes next.

From Tweet Hunter's 8 figure exit, to starting all over again - Tibo Louis-Lucas

Embracing failure is a norm for bootstrappers, providing resilience and learning that prevents future struggles.

Building a $200k MRR bootstrapped maid software for a price sensitive niche - Amar Ghose, ZenMaid

A seemingly 'unsexy' niche like maid services can become a massive moat for a business due to industry-specific challenges and low willingness to pay, making it difficult for competitors to gain traction.

Building WP Minute, a 5-figure side project without a huge audience - Matt Medeiros, WP Minute

Continuously publishing content, even without immediate sponsorship or listener growth, builds a valuable resume and increases opportunities within a niche community.

Building a $700k ARR newsletter - Manu Cinca, Stacked Marketer

Bootstrapping offers predictability in business survival but can hinder development speed, while external funding provides capital for faster growth and development at the cost of less predictable business outcomes.

Bootstrapping the 100DaysOfNoCode learning platform - Max Haining

Max Haining's entrepreneurial journey began with a realization at age 13 that he didn't need to get a traditional job, leading him to explore income streams and business building independently.

Bouncing back from losing 70% revenue - Max Serrano, IGotAnOffer

The shift from digital products to coaching, while offering a larger market, necessitates accepting lower profit margins.

Building and monetizing an audience as a software engineer - Randall Kanna Franson

January 24, 2024

Randall Canna Franson leveraged a Twitter course in 2020 to rapidly grow her audience from 1,200 to over 8,000 followers, which then compounded quickly, demonstrating the power of focused learning and consistent content.

Can you really scale a No Code SaaS? - Kieran Ball, NoCodeLife

January 11, 2024

Successful no-code app development hinges on the founder's skill and knowledge, not the tool itself, with examples like Excel Formula Bot and Swapstack demonstrating scalability.