Why Is Everyone Trying to Replicate Starter Story?
Have you noticed the influx of "success story" posts on IndieHackers lately? It seems like every other post is trying to replicate what Starter Story did - sharing the journeys of founders who've made it big or are in the process of making it big :)
Look, I get it. I get it. Inspirational stories can be motivating. But at this point, they are becoming an overdose. Almost everyone is leading with revenue numbers and traffic stats, sometimes to the point where some posts come across as clickbait.
There's nothing inherently bad about these stories. But the novelty has worn off. To really provide value, the authors should share practical insights like:
- A step-by-step guide on executing a similar idea.
- Examples of effective landing page copy if someone intends to test out the idea.
- Strategies for validating the idea before diving in.
- If the story was about how they cracked a particular distribution channel or marketing channel, they should elaborate on it by sharing more examples (connecting the dots, drawing more dots).
- Concise, actionable lessons learned (with real-world examples).
Instead of just recounting their success, these posts could offer tangible advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to follow in their footsteps.
You mean replicate what Indie Hackers did, right? ;)
Yep.
I'm curious. Why did you stop doing those interviews?
We're still doing them, though many are behind a paywall because we're a private company.
I didn't even know this existed!
+1 I also didn't know. Will check it out.
You raised a valid point here! But again there's a way to strike balance between inspiration and actionable advice
I think this is a golden only to the people who are in the similar process.
And success stories are quick excitement and anticipation, and it triggers emotions quick, so It's easier to find a viewer/reader unfortunately.
Im trying to focus more on the last point you mentioned there with my posts. I have a gallery of real-world B2B marketing examples at The Growth Archive and I like to repurpose it here.
Also recently came across Adfolio which analyzes real-world ads that were successful.
I don't think it started happening recently. I feel like it's always been here.
It's, in reality, noticeable how success story posts have turned out to be more ordinary lately, mirroring the format popularized by using Starter Story. While these stories can be inspiring, I appreciate the sentiment that they're starting to experience repetition. Supplying practical insights and actionable recommendations would indeed elevate these posts past mere success narratives. Providing step-by-step guides, examples of effective strategies, and concise training would add tremendous value to aspiring entrepreneurs. Let's hope to see more of that kind of content in the future!
I couldn't agree more!
As soon as I see posts in the format of: "How we made <very substantial amount of money> in only <very short time>"... I can't help but feel skeptical.
Sure, some people may crack the code for their niche, and I wish many indie hackers are able to do so. However, knowing from experience as a startup founder and investor, there are no shortcuts. It almost always takes a lot of either time/work or money, often both, to find product market fit and finding that hockey stick growth curve.
Not having the intention to ruin some well deserved parties, but for most of these posts when also lacking tangible advice as you mentioned.. they are either leaving out parts of the story, or using the post to just generate traffic for their public profile, product or service.
Yesterday, I posted the story https://www.indiehackers.com/post/how-we-built-an-ai-startup-while-trying-to-overcome-our-language-barriers-to-sell-globally-4ef499da8b.
I try to provide practical tools, but you should understand that no one will share a step-by-step guide on 'how you can build my business.' 😆 because this is a business. That's a point. I can't share our developer stack or something, but I can share which instruments we used to solve the same problem before we created our own solution.
I had a quick look at your article. It was very helpful. This is what I meant—no one expects authors to share trade secrets, playbooks, SOPs, etc.
But many of the articles I referred to are just business profiles—someone talking about a business, and that's it. In a few I read, they weren't even founder interviews. That's what's becoming an overdose.
🤝
I totally agree with you, this is why I started building the amabits. Inspiration and motivation have a good dopamine impact, but sometimes we need some simple, real answers.
I don't mind them if they have numbers. This forum wouldn't be left with much to discuss anyway if those posts stop coming.
I'm not sure about it. I don't want IH to become an "article submission" site. Rather, a forum in the true sense of words.