What's New: Facebook's Gen Z rebrand creates new opportunities for indie hackers
(from the latest issue of the Indie Hackers newsletter)
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Here's what you'll find in this issue:
- Facebook is facing an existential threat: Younger people don't F with it. So they're branding in a way that indie hackers should capitalize on.
- Google and several other companies announced new AI models, two of which are production-ready. Here's what you can build on top of them.
- $5K MRR with an ecosystem of film courses. Martin Klekner is an animator who's building a cinematic world in the ancient Greek niche.
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Facebook's Gen Z rebrand creates new opportunities for indie hackers 💖
Only 33% of US teens between 13–17 are on Facebook. This is obviously an existential threat for any social media platform. So Facebook just got a huge design overhaul to be more attractive for Gen Z.
But it also announced a suite of new features at "Facebook IRL," a pop-up event in Austin, Texas. Things like tailored content tabs, SMS event invitations, and a dating matchmaking function
"Okay, but why should I care as an indie hacker?"
Great question. We gotchu. We combed through all the feature announcements and found the ones that indie hackers can capitalize on.
You’re invited to Intercom’s AI customer service summit 📣
This issue is sponsored by Intercom
Join us at Pioneer, Intercom’s first ever AI customer service summit.
We're bringing together visionary customer service leaders on Thursday, October 10th to explore the impact and opportunity of AI.
Oh... we’re also launching what will be the most advanced customer service AI agent by far: Fin 2.
Startups also get 100% off Intercom here.
Four new AI models were released last week 🤖
Between Meta, Google, Flux, and Nvidia, a slew of new AI models have been released in the past week.
Some make it cheaper to develop AI apps. Others allow you to create faster applications. Still others enable tasks that were previously impossible with older AI models.
A couple of these models have APIs, so you can start using them right away.
Here's a look at what got released and what it means for indie hackers.
In the news 📰
🧵 Threads is giving you more time to edit your posts.
🪄 Transforming audience engagement with generative AI.
💲 Link to your product here. Our most affordable ad.
💰 Research shows that people will pay a premium to complete a task sooner.
📱 Instagram shares best practices for extending your reach.
👓 Smart glasses are already doing some really scary things.
Martin Klekner is building an ancient Greek cinematic world 🏹
Animator and director Martin Klekner spent years honing his craft as cinematic director of Kingdom Come, a role-playing game.
Five years ago, he left it all behind to create his own animated world, Heroes of Bronze. He began launching courses and leveraging social media to fund his creative journey.
Now, he’s got his sights set on Hollywood.
Once he cracked the YouTube code, his following grew like crazy.
Channing's tweet pick 🐦
I'm not necessarily saying you shouldn't go to college.
But I am saying this dude's "hardcore strategy" is brilliant and I myself would probably follow it if you forced me to start over again from my early 20s. —@channingallen
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Special thanks to Jay Avery for editing this issue, to Gabriella Federico for the illustrations, and to Darko Gjorgjievski, Stephen Flanders, and Katie Hignett for contributing posts. —Channing
