Starting small: my new outdoor newsletter

Hey there! I'm so excited -- it's my first Indie Hackers launch!

I'm launching Outdoor Status, an outdoor newsletter to keep track of backpacking permit deadlines. If you've backpacked before, you probably know that permit applications open a long time in advance and fill out quickly. Hopefully, the newsletter helps others like me stay on top of that stuff!

I cannot say enough how grateful I am for this community! I think my story is the perfect Indie Hackers story. Last year, I've built and launched 4 ideas. I've put a lot of care into each of them, crafting the best experience and using that latest tech. But each launch has been a huge flop. And I felt depressed each time.

As of last week, I was working relentlessly on yet another idea: a web scraper to find canceled hiking permits. On Monday, I stumbled upon @csallen's interview on the Acquired podcast. Courtland's story was oddly similar to mine. And something he said resonated with me: "Only work on products you can launch in a few weeks" (I'm paraphrasing). I had heard this piece of advice many times already, but something clicked this time. So yeah, I stopped what I did, and in the last 2 days I've set up a website and a Mailchimp account.

I think this newsletter is going to get me closer to the outdoor community and understand what the real problem is. Eventually, it might be the springboard for something bigger. But in the meantime, I must start small!