Report
One year as a solo dev building open-source data tools without funding
datastation.multiprocess.io
I like that he mentioned the support of his wife.
Step one of being a successful solo founder: Have a supportive wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/buddy/dog/imaginary friend/somebody by your side. Being a solo founder is really hard without a support system
Yes! Agree. There are also amazing founders communities like the one I'm in which provide an amazing support system of people in the same shoes as you. Highly recommend it! www.founderscafe.io created by @gay
Really inspiring article.
I'd love to understand better how you engage with the community and how you get people to join Discord and join discussions there. We're building our own community and that's the part that we found the hardest. Maybe one day we'll also get to the top of HackerNews :D
This is great. I also enjoy what he had to share about building community. Such an important part of being a solo-preneur of any kind. I wish I would've started much sooner.
"I probably wouldn't pick a tangent community like this in the future but it's a topic I'm interested in in the long run and it has attracted a fun group of people. Over 800 to date actually."
I was reading recently about how these types of communities can grow into a sellable asset and con really benefit your product's sale when it comes to that time.
He makes the point about building a community too - it seems everyone is aiming to not just create a viable product, but a profitable community too. I get it, I do - I think, especially initially it makes sense and it's a great marketing tactic. But my fear with focusing on a community is the limits it presents to scalability. If the product is itself an online community, fair enough. But if your product is an online product that users can use individually, completely free from anyone else's input...is there really much point beyond the early days in working to build a community?
I'm surprised VCs reached out if they didn't understand what problem his product was trying to solve. Surely they got in touch for a reason? Has anyone else experienced VCs reaching out just because they've seen your product appears to be popular on some online platforms and wants to find out more from you?
I agree, it sounds strange, especially given the fact it's becoming increasingly difficult in the current climate to get funding. But I read an article recently (https://irei.com/publications/article/vc-firms-facing-raft-nontraditional-competition/) that explained how VC firms are facing increased competition from nontraditional competitors. This is surely making them look for non-traditional investment opportunities. Not bad, I say - to think outside the box.