Bloombeaver
Client management platform for freelancers and agencies
Building an MVP within a short timeframe is a challenge, especially as a solo founder, and the early days of Bloombeaver reflect this journey. In just a month, I pieced together the foundation using PostgreSQL, Go, SvelteKit, and Tailwind. This MVP wasn't perfect, but it kickstarted Bloombeaver's vision of simplifying the lives of digital creators.
Since I had the most experience with SvelteKit and Tailwind, they serve as the backbone for the front end, offering a reactive and clean user interface. The backend consists of an API written in Go and a couple of Supabase Edge Functions. They are connecting to a PostgreSQL database, providing a robust service behind the scenes. GitHub Actions also play a vital role as they automate deployments and allow swift iterations.
Utilizing the following services with generous free tiers was instrumental in making this MVP feasible:
- Supabase is used for its managed PostgreSQL database, serverless functions, and authentication.
- Cloudflare handles the hosting of the client-side application and domain management.
- Fly.io provides container hosting and is used to serve the API.
- Resend became my go-to choice for verifying user domains and sending emails because of its great API design.
Admittedly, the initial MVP had its limitations and imperfections. However, it laid the groundwork for Bloombeaver's evolution. Over this short period since the first beta release, I've listened to user feedback, continuously improving the product's features, usability, and ergonomics.
Since the early days, Bloombeaver has transformed significantly. Iteration after iteration, I've implemented enhancements and refinements based on invaluable user insights. There is still a long road ahead of the product and I have an inexhaustible list of features that will further streamline the users' client management experience.
While the journey began with an imperfect MVP - as it should be - Bloombeaver continues to evolve, propelled by the lessons learned, the feedback received, and the commitment to crafting a platform that simplifies the lives of freelancers and agencies.
3 Comments
They say if the MVP isn't ugly, then you've built too much!
What's your plan for getting more users?
Well, the platform is built to ease cold outreach, so it's only natural that I'm using it to find prospects for Bloombeaver as well. It's such a power play to be an active user of your own app.
On a side note:
Take a look at the rivalry between AWS and Google Cloud. Amazon uses AWS internally, but it's rumored that Google wasn't building on top of GCP, and well, look at their market share. According to this article, AWS was at 32% and GCP had 11% market share in Q2 of 2023. Obviously, there's a lot more to why AWS is the market leader, but using your own product can't hurt.
End of side note
I'm also planning to provide more value in the form of articles, maybe even start a blog to get more organic outreach. Freelancing and dealing with clients is not easy, so there's a lot that can be done on that front.
Do you have suggestions on what I should try? Or maybe some ways that worked for you in the past?
Yea, completely agree with you on dogfooding your own product. I'm also doing the same with mine.
A blog/organic SEO is never a bad thing to start doing as it takes awhile to gain traction. Just gotta do good keyword research, and go from there.
The main reason I was asking about users though is because I'm also figuring out how to promote my project. It's hard!
You basically need to go to where your customers are and if the problem is painful enough for them, they'll see it and latch on. But you need to have both of those elements- visibility + pain point. And unfortunately, it's hard to know which one needs more work at the beginning!