If you are an entrepreneur looking to connect with like-minded professionals, Indie Hackers can be a platform to investigate. The website has been creating a buzz in the online community since its debut in 2016 and a subsequent acquisition by finite technology company Stripe.
The interactive community sees a growing number of startup owners participating in interviews, podcasts, and the website’s forum.
How does it all work and why should you consider joining?
Read on to learn more about freelance hackers and why you might want to join.
Indie Hackers is an online community geared towards helping independent entrepreneurs stay profitable. It’s a place where founders of profitable startups and owners of successful side projects can share their stories.
At the same time, aspiring entrepreneurs have the opportunity to learn from shared experiences. Emphasis is placed on “independent” entrepreneurs, which are business owners who earn income from customers rather than being paid through an employer.
In addition, the website provides a forum environment where so-called “independent hackers” can share knowledge, explore ideas, and offer support.
Indie Hackers was founded by Courtland Allen in August 2016. Allen’s brother Channing joined the company shortly after it was acquired by Stripe in April 2017.
Stripe is an advanced technology platform that helps small businesses collect payments for their products and services. The move was unexpected and a bit of a surprise to many, as Indie Hackers was only a few months old. However, the website has seen exponential growth since it was acquired.
To date, more than 20,000 independent hackers have joined the community, many of whom are working on new digital products and services and/or partnering with others.
There are not many requirements to join Indie Hackers. Once you are an independent entrepreneur running a successful business or sideline, you can become part of the community.
To join for free, simply click “sign up” on the website, choose a username and create an account with your email and password. You can also use your Twitter or Facebook account to join the platform.
Membership in Indie Hackers gives you access to certain privileges right away. These include:
The opportunity to connect with freelance hackers who have added their businesses online.
The ability to discuss your own business ideas and assets and receive feedback from other users.
Top breaking news published on the website highlighting interesting stories about entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial industry.
Newsletters featuring stories from other entrepreneurs on the platform.
The website offers established and novice entrepreneurs a number of ways to make use of its best features.
Successful entrepreneurs are encouraged to tell their stories transparently and insightfully. Interviews are typical Q&A and typically follow the format of each founder providing details about themselves and their company, as well as revenue achievements and other relevant information. As users of Indie Hackers, interviewees can also link to their website, which is a way to promote their business. Readers can vote on interviews, which is similar to leaving a like on other platforms.
I was lucky enough to have been featured in an Indie Hackers interview, which focused on my experience creating the Blog Guide Newsletter:
Interview with indie hackers
Indie Hackers also makes it possible for impactful online entrepreneurs to share their stories through podcasts. These podcasts are held and published once a week, featuring raw, authentic conversations with business owners who have a success story to tell. Like interviews, podcast participants have the opportunity to not only talk about their business journey and impart advice, but also share business details, including website addresses and social media handles. Podcasts can also receive votes and comments from viewers.
The Meetups community is one of many vibrant groups that facilitate networking among entrepreneurs at Indie Hackers. Their goal is to help community members find other freelance hackers in their area who share a mutual intent to learn from each other and maybe even work together. Meetings can be arranged to take place at specific physical addresses in popular cities around the world. However, with the breakdown of COVID-19, remote meetings on the platform are now encouraged.
To host a meetup, you can set up an event using any event hosting website or platform and post it to Indie Hackers. Users will be able to see the title of the event, as well as the date and the host’s Indie Hackers profile.
Freelance Hacker Meetups
When you join Indie Hackers, you can be part of various groups related to your personal goals and preferences.
Group members can participate in the vibrant Indie Hackers forum. A hotbed of user-generated content, the forum sees many users asking questions and getting answers. Everything from questions about web design and social media to product documentation and SEO is discussed on the site’s forum. Similar to many Q&A platforms and forums, Indie Hackers users can upvote answers and leave comments that can also be upvoted. Naturally, the content that receives the most votes tends to rise to the top, allowing users to find the best answers first.
These are little tips, tricks and tricks that can be read in 30 seconds or less. They are posted daily by other independent hackers and can also be voted on and commented on. Information shared as part of growth is intended to help others implement growth tactics that can help your business prosper.
Indie Hackers provides an online space for micro-entrepreneurs, solo entrepreneurs, and people with side projects who want to learn, network, and grow their businesses. Its range of features and products make it an ideal platform for budding entrepreneurs looking to listen to like-minded minds, share their own stories, and find content and people they can relate to.
Should you join Indie Hackers?
If you are a business founder looking to share your journey and help others or have ambitions to own your own business, this may be the perfect platform for you.
– Casey Botticello
