🎢 The Small Side Project That Suddenly Started Growing — What I’m Learning as a Solo Dev
A few weeks ago, I started building a simple screen recorder Chrome extension as a side project.
Nothing fancy.
No grand vision.
Just a clean, fast tool I wished existed — something without logins, watermarks, or “Upgrade to Pro” lurking behind every click.
I honestly expected it to sit quietly in the corner of the internet.
Turns out… the internet had other plans.
⛯ A Habit of “Just One More Fix”
As developers, we all know this trap:
“Let me just fix this tiny thing before bed.”
Fast-forward 3 hours and you’ve:
• rewritten a function
• fixed a weird UI glitch
• added an entirely new feature you didn’t plan
• convinced yourself it was all necessary
That’s exactly how this project grew.
Every evening I’d open it just to “adjust one thing,” and somehow it kept turning into meaningful progress.
✯ A Little Recognition Along the Way
I was pleasantly surprised to get the Featured Badge on the Chrome Web Store!
It felt like a tiny victory dance — a reminder that even small projects can get noticed.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧 Then The First Users Showed Up 𖤣𖥧𖡼
One day it had 19 users.
Two days later: 59.
Tiny by any big-startup standards.
Huge for a solo developer with zero marketing.
What surprised me most wasn’t the growth — it was the feeling that people I’d never met were actually using something I built in silence.
It makes you want to build better.
Cleaner.
More thoughtfully.
𖣠 The Details People Don’t Notice… Until They Do
This is the part I enjoy the most.
Polishing:
• the recording flow
• the little animations
• the timing
• the “it just works” feeling
Users rarely mention these details, but they’re the difference between “meh” and “oh nice.”
I realised I’m basically building the tool I wish someone else had built before me — which is honestly the best motivation to keep going.
𖡎 What I’m Trying to Understand Next
I’m experimenting, learning in public, and trying to figure out:
• how a simple utility finds its audience
• what “delight” looks like in a no-signup product
• and how Indie Hackers builders grow something without turning every post into a pitch
If you’ve been on this path, I’d love your insights.
✧ If You’re Curious to Try It
You’re welcome to check out the project I’ve been quietly iterating on:
Showesome Screen Recorder — free, no limits, no signups, no watermarks.
Super lightweight.
Built for creators, developers, support teams… basically anyone who records often and hates friction.
No pressure — I’m mostly sharing the story.
But if you do try it, I’d love any feedback. It helps me shape the next steps.
✮⋆˙ Thanks IH
This community makes it feel normal to share the wins, the struggles, and the tiny victories. It’s fun building alongside all of you.
There’s something special about projects that start with zero grand vision—just a builder scratching their own itch. Those are the products that end up feeling genuinely ‘clean’ because every decision is rooted in real use, not marketing. The way Showesome keeps growing through quiet iteration says a lot: people can feel when something is fast, frictionless, and thoughtfully polished. The tiny details you’re obsessing over are exactly why users stick. It’s refreshing to see a tool that doesn’t try to upsell you every three clicks. Keep building the thing you wish existed—clearly others were wishing for it too
Thanks so much — really appreciate you taking the time to write this. As a solo dev, it means a lot to hear that the direction and feel of the project resonates. Comments like this are a huge motivation boost. 🙌
This is such a refreshing story, Alma. 🙌
No hype, no “10x growth hacks,” just honest building, tiny improvements, and real users showing up because the product deserves them.
I love how you focused on the small details — the flow, the smoothness, the “it just works” feeling. Those invisible touches are exactly what separate forgettable tools from ones people keep coming back to.
Also… getting featured on the Chrome Web Store as a solo dev with zero marketing? That’s huge. 🎉
It’s proof that craftsmanship still wins.
Thanks so much for this — it really means a lot. I’m just trying to build something I’m proud of, step by step, so hearing this kind of support is incredibly motivating. As a solo dev it’s easy to get lost in the work, and messages like yours really remind me why I’m doing it. Truly appreciate you taking the time to write it. 🙌
no worries ! God bless!
Love seeing small projects like this — congrats on shipping! I’m exploring simple daily-use tools right now, so this is inspiring. Curious what part of the build took the most iteration for you?
Thanks! Really appreciate it 🙌
The part that took the most iteration was definitely the recording flow.
Technically it worked early on, but making it feel smooth took forever —
• handling the permissions dance
• deciding when to show/hide UI
• avoiding janky transitions
• making sure nothing “flashed” on screen at the wrong moment
• and keeping it all fast inside a Chrome extension sandbox
It’s funny how 80% of the work ends up being tiny details you don’t notice unless they’re wrong.
What kind of tools are you exploring?
Love that you have found something you enjoy working on AND it's growing!
Any plans to grow it into something more, or will you leave it as-is?
Thanks! 😊 I’m constantly tweaking things — next update even has some new focus mode options coming. I’m taking it one small improvement at a time, but yeah, I’m not stopping anytime soon.
The growth makes total sense — you built a recorder that actually respects users. Keep building, people notice.
Thanks! I’m just trying not to annoy people with logins and pop-ups 😂 Glad it shows!
This resonates a lot. Growth usually shows up in the cracks between those late-night “one small fix” sessions. The polish you mentioned is what sets tools apart in crowded spaces. I’m curious what signal told you the project was worth doubling down on instead of leaving it as a weekend experiment.
Thanks — appreciate it! 😊
I doubled down early because the first rough version already solved my own recording frustrations instantly. It felt lighter and faster than anything I’d tried, and that was enough signal for me that others might want the same. The polish came naturally after that. 🙌
Love this, Alma : the quiet momentum is really special.
I went through something similar: spent 3 months on an AI job-search assistant, but without users it just never got traction and I had to kill it.
Now I’m fully focused on tiny apps, one small, fun tool at a time, and seeing even a handful of users come back feels way more real than months of building in the void.
The little details you polish quietly are exactly what make a tiny app feel alive. 😊
Thanks! Really appreciate you sharing this. Same here — shipping small, focused tools has taught me more than any “big” project ever did. Even a handful of returning users feels like the first real validation. Thanks for the encouragement. 😊
My pleasure !⚡
I started building recently, I started out wanting to rush through it find the finish line. But somewhere along the way I woke up a side of me that was dormant for 2 decades. Im suddenly loving the process and learning so much not only about building but myself. I can relate to this and I congratulate u on your siccess
Thanks a lot! 🙌
Totally get what you mean — this project woke up that old spark for me too. Congrats on finding your groove again!
Alma, this is such a refreshing read a reminder that some of the best products come from builders scratching their own itch rather than chasing trends. What really stands out here is how your “just one more tweak” habit turned into real momentum. That’s the energy most indie projects never get to because they’re over-planned before they’re ever shipped.
From a Reddit marketing perspective, your story already does something many founders struggle with: it builds trust before you even mention the product. People connect with the journey, not the pitch and you’ve nailed that balance.
If you’re curious, I can share a few ways to keep growing Showesome organically on Reddit without it ever feeling like self-promo. Tools like yours tend to perform extremely well when framed around workflow improvements, behind-the-scenes building, and genuine progress updates.
Either way, love seeing this evolve keep going.
Thanks a ton! 🙌 Love the perspective — building trust through the journey is exactly what I’m aiming for. Would definitely be curious to hear your Reddit growth ideas. Super motivating to keep iterating and sharing progress!
Absolutely! I appreciate your energy — that mindset of building trust through steady, authentic engagement is exactly how brands win on Reddit. I’d be glad to walk you through a few growth angles, from subreddit positioning to post timing and credibility-focused interaction strategies.
If you’d like to continue the conversation more smoothly, you can reach me on Telegram at @annyfrosh4 or Email at "[email protected]"
Looking forward to helping you grow your presence!
One of possible next steps could be creating full-loaded desktop app. And using organic SEO traffic from Chrome store as the bridge and promotion channel.
Not annoying, but just simple muted link in “Also I’ve created…” style on the bottom of ext.
Good call! A desktop app is definitely on my growth roadmap. For now I’m trying to scale the extension first and use the Chrome Store to build a bit of organic traffic. A muted link at the bottom could be a smart move once I get there. Thanks for the idea!
Product’s website looks so beautiful! Was it made with something like custom-styled shadcn?
Thanks! 🙌 Not using shadcn — it’s all custom, built with Next.js and custom styling. Really glad it came across well!