3 books that changed me as an indie hacker

I know reading might sound a bit luxurious for many indie developers because we’re often eaten up by our own codes most of the time.

But reading has changed me as an indie hacker. No joke. Below are 3 books (with my own summaries) that have helped me build and launch my second project on Product Hunt today within 6 months.

Important:

I just launched on ProductHunt today and I'm in the #1 spot: https://www.producthunt.com/posts/summerian
Come and say hi, I'm really happy to meet new people!

⓵ This is Marketing

Although this is a marketing book, it has taught me a lot about developing a product. The most life-changing lesson for me is that people want to know how the product can change their life.

That’s true, but most often neglected by us developers. In the past, when I thought of some cool features, I went ahead and developed them right away without asking myself “is this really helpful?”

Sadly not. Valuable features are not necessarily the most complicated ones. And there’s no universal “feature” for everyone because they have different needs.

#Lessons:
Always validate the idea first before implementing it. Spend more time on prototyping and user testing. I make it a habit to ask around whenever I feel triggered by a new idea.
Think in-depth. Always think of variations for one feature and decide which to include in the product.

Here’s my summary of the book: http://bit.ly/this-is-marketing-summary

② The Happiness Project

If This is Marketing changes my product mindset, The Happiness Project changes my mental life.

Unlike other books about happiness (like The Little Book of Hygge), this book is more on the practical side. It doesn’t actually tell me what to do, but it just tells me why I-should-consider-it. After reading its thorough analysis of mindfulness and a positive attitude, I realize the importance of meditation and bullet journaling all by myself. I happily adopt those practices and only after a month I feel like I’m in total control of my current project and become a lot calmer when a bug appears.

#Favorite_quote:

“A man may be young, handsome, wealthy, and esteemed; if we wish to judge his happiness, we ask whether he is cheerful.”

Here’s my summary of the book: http://bit.ly/the-happiness-project-summary

③ Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups

This book is so under-recommended when it comes to a must-read for indie developers. When I was working all alone, I, too, had no sense of what a “business” should look like.

But when opportunities came (acquisition offer, investment) I realized I couldn’t stay in the dark any longer.

I was recommended this book by my co-founder (a non-tech guy) and I can’t express my gratitude. The book explains in very simple terms startup-related topics like funding rounds, angel investors to internal meetings and how to deal with other co-founders.

Here’s my summary of the book: http://bit.ly/angel-how-to-invest-summary

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In combo, the 3 books improve my mindset, business knowledge, and mental clarity. I wish I had spent more time reading before I started coding 5 years ago.

If you have already started reading, what’s the book that changes you as an indie hacker?