Built IndieHQ in 4 weeks to escape QuickBooks chaos - 10 users tracking £13K+ (nurse turned dev)
From ICU nurse to indie hacker in 8 months 🏥→💻
Hey IH! I'm a full-time ICU nurse who got fed up with QuickBooks charging me £144/year while missing payments and forcing bank integrations I didn't trust.
The problem: I wanted simple invoicing that felt professional without sharing my entire financial history with third parties or paying enterprise prices for features I'd never use.
What I built: IndieHQ - privacy-first business management for freelancers who want control over their data.
Tech stack: Next.js + Tailwind + Supabase (keeping it simple)
Traction so far: • 10 active users tracking £13K+ revenue • 4/5 stars on Trustpilot • Built and launched in 4 weeks • 0 MRR (focusing on product-market fit first)
Biggest challenge: Finding time to market while working alternate weeks in the NHS. Current growth is 100% word-of-mouth from colleagues and friends.
What's working: Manual payment tracking (no forced bank connections), multi-currency support, and UK-specific features like mileage rates.
Next milestone: 50 users who love the product, then we'll talk revenue.
Key insight: Sometimes being a beginner is an advantage - I built exactly what I needed without over-engineering.
Try it: indiehq.org
Would love feedback from other healthcare workers, indie hackers or anyone building side projects while working full-time!
What tools do you use for freelance admin?
#buildinpublic #healthcare #freelance
Hey! I just want to say your story hit me hard.
I’m a 50-year-old former Chinese teacher, now trying to build a Chinese LLM API relay service for overseas devs who can't sign up or pay. I’m a complete tech beginner.
"Being a beginner is an advantage" — this line alone gave me so much confidence. I've been doubting myself for months, thinking I'm too old and too new to tech.
Your pivot from ICU nurse to builder in 8 months is exactly the proof I needed. Will follow your journey from now on. Cheers from a fellow late-bloomer.