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MAKE Book: The Indie Maker Handbook — Learn to build profitable startups the indie way
Learn to bootstrap profitable startups the indie way
💡 Get ideas from solving your problems
🛠Build with the tools you already know
🚀 How to launch
🌱 Grow organically without ads
💰 Monetize by asking users for money
🤖 Automate your entire business
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Replies
👋 Hi Product Hunters!
When I was reading Hacker News in 2013, I remember seeing @patio11's posts on building web apps (like Appointment Reminder) by himself, without funding. Back then, there weren't many others doing anything like that.
Back then, you were either big and VC-funded or you were a freelancer working for them.
Ever since Product Hunt launched 2014, there's been a rise of indie startups. It's never been more possible to build something on the internet, by yourself, without funding, charge money for it, and pay your bills. I'm the living proof of that.
Just as music has indie bands, the startup world now has indie startups.
This book is everything I learnt in the last few years about building indie startups. In the hope that it makes them more popular. Get ideas from problems you have in your life, build solutions for them, validate them by launching and seeing if you get users, monetize by asking your users for money, grow by building with your users, automate your business and if you like at some point exit and sell it!
🤡 How I wrote this book
I felt on a very meta level, I wanted to write this book with the theory described in this book.
Before even writing a single line on it I announced this book and opened it up for pre-orders:
The landing page was literally a Typeform telling that I wanted to write a book, but it didn't exist yet, and asking for $30 to support it.
The only thing people received after paying $30 immediately was an empty Workflowy list where they could write what the book should be about specifically. That gave me immediate feedback from customers what they wanted me to make. Just like a startup.
Thousands of people pre-ordered the book (quickly netting $50,000+ in revenue at $30 per pre-order) and there was thousands of items in the Workflowy list to write about. I went through it regularly and tried to re-order it to find patterns. I found I could divide up all questions people had in the different stages of startups. Ideas, building, launching, growing and monetizing. Everyone was at a different stage and needed different questions answered.
I then started writing the first chapter. I wanted to do this by "building in public" too. Or in this case, writing in public. I made a Google Docs text document and started writing.
But not before I started a live stream on Twitch of the writing process of course. I wanted to live stream most of the chapters. It helped me because, as you may know if you've ever written a book or thesis, the procrastination of writing can become incredible.
Every time I finished the draft of a chapter I sent it out to all the pre-order customers. And they could review it as a Google Doc again.
Only the final process of writing this book was done by myself. Collecting all the content, cleaning it up, rewriting it and making editorial decisions on what should be in it. But 90% of the process was out in the open.
And that's exactly what this book is about: launch early and build with your users.
📺Video
Here's a presentation I did last month about some of what's in the book:
🙂I hope you enjoy reading it and it'll help some of you get into building your own apps, web apps, products and startups!
The landing page was literally a Typeform telling that I wanted to write a book, but it didn't exist yet, and asking for $30 to support it.
The only thing people received after paying $30 immediately was an empty Workflowy list where they could write what the book should be about specifically. That gave me immediate feedback from customers what they wanted me to make. Just like a startup.
Thousands of people pre-ordered the book (quickly netting $50,000+ in revenue at $30 per pre-order) and there was thousands of items in the Workflowy list to write about. I went through it regularly and tried to re-order it to find patterns. I found I could divide up all questions people had in the different stages of startups. Ideas, building, launching, growing and monetizing. Everyone was at a different stage and needed different questions answered.
I then started writing the first chapter. I wanted to do this by "building in public" too. Or in this case, writing in public. I made a Google Docs text document and started writing.
But not before I started a live stream on Twitch of the writing process of course. I wanted to live stream most of the chapters. It helped me because, as you may know if you've ever written a book or thesis, the procrastination of writing can become incredible.
Every time I finished the draft of a chapter I sent it out to all the pre-order customers. And they could review it as a Google Doc again.
Only the final process of writing this book was done by myself. Collecting all the content, cleaning it up, rewriting it and making editorial decisions on what should be in it. But 90% of the process was out in the open.
And that's exactly what this book is about: launch early and build with your users.
📺Video
Here's a presentation I did last month about some of what's in the book:
🙂I hope you enjoy reading it and it'll help some of you get into building your own apps, web apps, products and startups!
From researching to starting, growing and monetizing a product or service - it's all here in basic, practical terms.
Pros:Great, hands-on advice, practical information.
Cons:----
This is the second time that the book has been featured on ProductHunt. The first time was back in 2015, when I pre-ordered. Yet to receive anything from Pieter indicating that the book is actually finished.
Pros:Sounds like a great book!
Cons:Ordered in 2015, have not received my copy yet
@levelsio Sending the e-mail was last on the launch list you tweeted. Prioritising new sales over existing customers is not cool.
@rossdcurrie You're right I should prioritize pre-order customers. My apologies. Everyone has their copy now.
@levelsio Still don't have my copy in the Inbox, preordered last month. So far, the draft was awesome, a lot of good info. Congrats for the lunch.
I pre-ordered in 2015 and haven't received my copy yet. Seems like Levels just keeps taking pre-orders without delivering. Has anyone confirmed this has actually shipped yet? I haven't received any e-mails from him yet.
@rossdcurrie Sorry Ross, they're sent out in a batch. Should be in your inbox now. Let me know if you got it.
@levelsio That's not entirely true, since you hadn't sent them when I wrote my initial comment.
I feel like instead of putting us last on your launch checklist that you could've reached out to us a bit before now. Even a "Hey, I'm just putting the final touches on the book" e-mail - for many of us, the last we heard from you about our order was August 2016.
@nikstep Relaxed was two weeks ago when I asked for an order update and got no reply, after he posted book revenue figures for January. Rightfully annoyed is when I see him pushing new sales again when I still haven't received mine after 2.5 years.
Of course, now I know the book is coming, but I would've known that already if he'd e-mailed pre-order customers with an update prior to launching... my post here probably would've been "Woohoo! I've been waiting for this one for ages! So excited!" or something equally fan-gushy.
It's arrived now... so... woohoo!
@rossdcurrie It was a pre-order with no commitment to delivery date. You have made your point, he has said sorry. Time to relax.
You released it finally! Great step-by-step manual for all shippers without any marketing bullshit. Piet has focus on value of the product and profit and I kinda like it! 😎
I can see the showcase content of this book being an extension of your talk at Dojo Bali. For those who haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend it.
Link – https://youtu.be/6reLWfFNer0
@levelsio Haven't gotten mine. Pre ordered Jan 3. Where should we email to confirm we haven't gotten lost?
The world has Wikipedia, the indie entrepreneurs now have MAKE! Congrats on finally publishing it!
The entire process of building the crowdsourced book is incredible in itself, and Pieter adds on top the obfuscation thing that's never been seen anywhere 😄
This book goes straight in my top books for indies along with Getting Real, Rework, 4HWW, Start Small, Stay Small, Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality
Followed the creation of this book (and everything Pieter creates) on Twitter for a while now, and I've looked forward to this launch a lot. Just purchased the book and I'm sure this will be a great read! 📖💸
Awesome! Love the pay as you read feature. Looking forward to reading it
Congrats on finally publishing it. All Pietz’ knowledge distilled in one handy book. 👌
Vision Directory
Many if not most business books are written by authors, rather than actual entrepreneurs. This makes sense considering entrepreneurs are busy running their business :)
Despite Pieter being a true entrepreneur he still found the time somehow to write this book.
I would recommend any (wannabe) maker to just go out and build stuff rather than read books. I bet Pieter would say the same. However, if you feel stuck or need some motivation, then this is the book for you. Buy it. Read it. And get back to shipping.
Pros:No-nonsense advice like Pieter is known for.
Cons:You still actually need to go and do the work. Reading is not enough.