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Show HN: Indiebackers – Back indie projects and earn rewards

70 points by fruktmix 3y ago

Hi Hackernews! My name is Sokrates and today I am launching indiebackers.dev I started working on Indiebackers once I realized that a lot of people (including myself) do all the heavy lifting, such as - A brand and logotype - Buy a domain - Make a landing page - Deploy a website - Coding if necessary All that jazz all to validate an idea? Existing platforms today focus primarily on launching. Indiebackers focus on the shaping of the idea until it's a MVP and ready to launch. Why would anyone want to become a early bird or adopter? What do indiehackers get from early birds and what do they get in return? By incentivize, by rewarding early adopters with benefits and perks for their help, both parties gain in their partnership. The process is easy: Submit your ideas to the community See what sticks - Get upvoted, or maybe it just was a silly idea? If you're lucky you might just get people signing up for your idea! If you're lucky, people sign up, then it's time to start working towards an MVP. Launch and reward your early adopters for their input during the development phase! Things to know! What is Indiebackers not? Crowdsourcing platform. Crowdsourcing are for projects that are dependent on monetary forms. The idea behind Indiebackers is that monetary forms are great but not the essential part for in the beginning of a indie products journey. Find out more! https://indiebackers.dev/faqs https://indiebackers.dev/faqs ProductHunt Launch! https://www.producthunt.com/posts/indiebackers https://www.producthunt.com/posts/indiebackers

quickthrower2 3y ago
I like the idea and hope you are successful. I just feel that most people need to see and play with something to give good feedback, so just getting input too early seems a bit hypothetical. It might be useful for requirements gathering I guess, or collecting known pain points.
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Thanks, you raise interesting points, maybe it depends on the product in question? But as you say, collection known pain points is always useful. This is really a hit or miss project, sure will be glad if it amounts to something, but I would drag myself in the gravel if this doesn't lead anywhere.
tirpen 3y ago
This sounds like it will be a great place for less ethical hacker to find product ideas to steal outright and beat the people who came up with them to the market. Why would I as a developer post my ideas so openly on your page, just inviting competitors to copy me, before making an MVP? Sounds very high risk/mid reward to me.
- ratsimihah 3y ago
  Wouldn't the same apply to https://www.indiehackers.com https://www.indiehackers.com? Can't see this as a huge problem. At that stage the idea hasn't been validated yet so all the work is still there to do
  - fxtentacle 3y ago
    It does. I'm pretty sure that guy who was honest about the finances of his Ark server hosting business has since regretted it multiple times, because suddenly everyone was offering Ark servers.
  - motoxpro 3y ago
    I agree, but I would also say the difference is I can't see the traction on Indie Hackers (unless you tell me). This is more similar to me saying, I am I going to create a TikTok video where I do this cool dance and me ACTUALLY creating the TikTok video where I do a cool dance and it gets a million views. The first doesn't invite copycats so much while the second one does because the idea has been eternally validated and, in both the TikTok and software case, it looks easy to replicate.
- goatnometry 3y ago
  If you are starting a startup it doesn't make sense, but if you want a specific project to exist but you don't have the time or knowledge needed to create it, seems legit to publicly post the idea hoping that somebody will copy it, or at least give you the money to pay somebody else to do it.
- rmbyrro 3y ago
  The idea isn't worth anything by itself If you're worried about sharing your idea, you probably still didn't understand what makes a business successful.
pax 3y ago
Why would you launch it before getting at least a few ideas to browse? Now there's some buzz, I'm eager to find something too look at, there's no meat - if we exclude the only (recursive) submission.
- Chilinot 3y ago
  How are they going to get submissions if they dont launch it? I understand your point, but to get submissions, they need to get eyes on the platform.
  - motoxpro 3y ago
    I think this is a prime case for individual outreach. "Hey I saw you on Indie Hackers building X. I am building in public, too. I just finished a site that helps small projects raise funds and get feedback. Think producthunt for indie hackers. It's free to sign up and I am going to do a big marketing push in the next few weeks. Would love to have your project on there!"
    - rmbyrro 3y ago
      Exactly, and that's how ideas get off ground. I don't think Indie Backers can replace this process.
      - fruktmix 3y ago
        I totally agree, I don't think Indiebackers should replace that process, it's completely different. I'm terrible at networking but I hope this launch will get me out of my comfort zone.
- fruktmix 3y ago
  It's the old catch-22, you gotta start somewhere, I do admit I should have launched on perhaps other platforms before coming here so the hackernews community had more content to browse. Initially I only had my submission but it's already catching up, have a look, there is almost 10 ideas already.
nullandvoid 3y ago
It's a cool idea! I'm guessing you didn't expect to hit front-page, as unfortunately the bounce rate will be high right now will no content. Some feedback: - Personally I think The GIF's on https://indiebackers.dev/learn https://indiebackers.dev/learn make it look unprofessional. There's other ways to add some excitement to that page without just posting several generic meme's. - Your only project has typo on sub-heading "Pitch innovative ideas >togehter< with sweet deals in turn for collaboration."
- honzabe 3y ago
  I find it hard to process a text when there is a moving .gif next to it. I had to cover it with my hand to read it. That jumping "Learn more->" button also made reading the text above it weirdly difficult - and that is probably the most important text on the page. Please take this as a very "soft criticism" because this might be just some peculiarity of my perception.
  - eddd-ddde 3y ago
    This is exactly what the prefers reduced motion hint is for. I wished more sites honored it where appropriate.
    - Semaphor 3y ago
      Few do, sadly. And complaining about it on hn might even get you belittled and down voted. And gifs never get blocked by it, so i use an extra extension for that.
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Unfortunately not. But I am glad for the input I've received so far. Thanks for telling me. I thought the GIF's would add a laughter or create a funny or playful tone.
thih9 3y ago
Benefits such as lifetime free or discounted access are not enough to convince me to share my email. I would be convinced by something more specific: a roadmap with milestones, a clear mapping between the amount of help and received benefits, etc.
- rmbyrro 3y ago
  I think a disposable email address has arguably zero value and can be traded for anything.
kgdiem 3y ago
I love the idea. Have you heard of https://bountysource.com/ https://bountysource.com/? Not quite the same thing but might give you some ideas.
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Thanks! Haven't heard about it but will definitely check it out! I like the idea about bounties!: "Debugging Your team is getting crazy, losing time and money to get these bugs fixed ! Let the Bountysource community fix it. A bounty, a solution."
spencerchubb 3y ago
I submitted an idea that is admittedly a very early idea. I like the ethos of brainstorming ideas and seeing if it resonates without doing a bunch of work up front.
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Awesome! Was really hoping people would tune in and share their ideas, I got a few myself that I am also going to post. That's totally fine, all my ideas are super early and it's definitely a process until they take shape. Only thing I regret is that I didn't reach out to a bunch of people so indiebackers would have some browsable content before launching. Ah well, you live and learn!
tchock23 3y ago
Interesting concept, although I'd never engage with products that do "Discord meetings" as the primary way of collecting feedback.
rikketikm 3y ago
This is essentially a marketplace model, these are famously hard to do (believe me, I tried..), you basically need to cover new projects coming in AND generating traction for these projects. Nevertheless, I like the idea, good luck!
- fruktmix 3y ago
  I never thought about this that way. Maybe you're right. We'll see if this will get any traction if it's notoriously hard to do. Thanks for the support!
honzabe 3y ago
I like the idea. I am not a native English speaker, so please take the following with a grain of salt - IMO the copy might need improvement. When selling something, you want to build a mental slide on which the prospect slides effortlessly toward a clear image of your offer. Your text felt more like a rocky hillside - I had to concentrate and it was slow. Let me give you an example: In the realm of Indiebackers: MVP takes on a new meaning – it stands for Most Valuable Person, representing the early adopters who play a pivotal role in the development of products within our community. Indiebackers was conceived with the understanding that a significant number of startups face challenges because they overlook the importance of developing for and with the community. We believe in the idea that a full-scale launch shouldn't be a prerequisite for validating an innovative concept. In essence, Indiebackers is a collaborative platform meticulously crafted for users to share and explore groundbreaking ideas within the community. Users seize the opportunity to present a deal in exchange for support until the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Our platform is dedicated to facilitating the seamless exchange of ideas, nurturing community engagement, and providing unwavering support for the development of viable and impactful concepts. I think this text has an unusually high cognitive load. I had to read it a few times to get what you mean: Dear startups, here is the deal. Tell us about your ideas, and we tell you what we think of them before you spend a bunch of money implementing them. Sounds good? Reward us with some perks. - Did I even get it right? BTW, there's a funny scene in a Czech film most HN users wouldn't know - a dude translates a factual report into marketing speak by adding a lot of adjectives. Your copy reminds me of that scene - it's not just "support", but "unwavering support", not just "crafted" but "meticulously crafted" etc. - it sounds too 'marketingy'. Just my $0.02 Good luck!
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Your comment made me smile! I haven't written that text, I was too lazy. I most things on FAQ page but asked ChatGPT to write the learn page and minor parts on FAQ. I am going to ask it to write a simpler text because I am not native English speaker either and I totally agree with you on these points. It's quite stupid text hahaha
  - wcarss 3y ago
andy_ppp 3y ago
I will try to back some products on here I think, even just to give any developers I like moral support! Great idea and I hope it serves this need better than an Indiegogo or Crowdcube with a real focus on what people launching software need (i.e. you talk to your customers).
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Much obliged! I agree, I think this puzzle piece have been missing in the indiehacker community. Sure, it's great with Indiehackers, Betalist and Producthunt, but what about second breakf.. I mean when you only have an idea and need input and validation? Everyone don't feel like spending time thinking about a fancy domain name and then designing a landing page and then it's in the dumpster a week later. Also, solo-indiehacker projects don't go to crowdfunding platforms because (personally speaking) they are bootstrapped and that's the way it should be.
j4yav 3y ago
What is a github logotype link? I have no idea what to put into that field. I've tried everything I can think of with no luck. EDIT: I think it may just be that edit isn't saving, I can't change the state out of draft either. It would be nice if there was a support email or something on the site. EDIT2: Indeed, seems to be a bug. I was able to create a new one and it worked fine, but now it also seems there's no delete button to remove the original one I made.
- fruktmix 3y ago
  I patched the update error in production tonight and there is a feature to delete existing ones, thanks for helping out!
haberdasher 3y ago
Just a bug report: You get redirected to localhost on-cancel of Github sign-in. http://localhost:5173/auth/callback/github?error=access_denied&error_description=The+user+has+denied+your+application+access.&error_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.github.com%2Fapps%2Fmanaging-oauth-apps%2Ftroubleshooting-authorization-request-errors%2F%23access-denied http://localhost:5173/auth/callback/github?error=access_deni...
- fruktmix 3y ago
  Great catch, currently fixing bugs that are coming up right now, didn't know about that one!

70 points by fruktmix 3y ago

quickthrower2 3y ago

I like the idea and hope you are successful. I just feel that most people need to see and play with something to give good feedback, so just getting input too early seems a bit hypothetical. It might be useful for requirements gathering I guess, or collecting known pain points.

fruktmix 3y ago
Thanks, you raise interesting points, maybe it depends on the product in question? But as you say, collection known pain points is always useful. This is really a hit or miss project, sure will be glad if it amounts to something, but I would drag myself in the gravel if this doesn't lead anywhere.

tirpen 3y ago

This sounds like it will be a great place for less ethical hacker to find product ideas to steal outright and beat the people who came up with them to the market. Why would I as a developer post my ideas so openly on your page, just inviting competitors to copy me, before making an MVP? Sounds very high risk/mid reward to me.

ratsimihah 3y ago
Wouldn't the same apply to https://www.indiehackers.com https://www.indiehackers.com? Can't see this as a huge problem. At that stage the idea hasn't been validated yet so all the work is still there to do
- fxtentacle 3y ago
  It does. I'm pretty sure that guy who was honest about the finances of his Ark server hosting business has since regretted it multiple times, because suddenly everyone was offering Ark servers.
- motoxpro 3y ago
  I agree, but I would also say the difference is I can't see the traction on Indie Hackers (unless you tell me). This is more similar to me saying, I am I going to create a TikTok video where I do this cool dance and me ACTUALLY creating the TikTok video where I do a cool dance and it gets a million views. The first doesn't invite copycats so much while the second one does because the idea has been eternally validated and, in both the TikTok and software case, it looks easy to replicate.
goatnometry 3y ago
If you are starting a startup it doesn't make sense, but if you want a specific project to exist but you don't have the time or knowledge needed to create it, seems legit to publicly post the idea hoping that somebody will copy it, or at least give you the money to pay somebody else to do it.
rmbyrro 3y ago
The idea isn't worth anything by itself If you're worried about sharing your idea, you probably still didn't understand what makes a business successful.

pax 3y ago

Why would you launch it before getting at least a few ideas to browse? Now there's some buzz, I'm eager to find something too look at, there's no meat - if we exclude the only (recursive) submission.

Chilinot 3y ago
How are they going to get submissions if they dont launch it? I understand your point, but to get submissions, they need to get eyes on the platform.
- motoxpro 3y ago
  I think this is a prime case for individual outreach. "Hey I saw you on Indie Hackers building X. I am building in public, too. I just finished a site that helps small projects raise funds and get feedback. Think producthunt for indie hackers. It's free to sign up and I am going to do a big marketing push in the next few weeks. Would love to have your project on there!"
  - rmbyrro 3y ago
    Exactly, and that's how ideas get off ground. I don't think Indie Backers can replace this process.
    - fruktmix 3y ago
      I totally agree, I don't think Indiebackers should replace that process, it's completely different. I'm terrible at networking but I hope this launch will get me out of my comfort zone.
fruktmix 3y ago
It's the old catch-22, you gotta start somewhere, I do admit I should have launched on perhaps other platforms before coming here so the hackernews community had more content to browse. Initially I only had my submission but it's already catching up, have a look, there is almost 10 ideas already.

nullandvoid 3y ago

It's a cool idea! I'm guessing you didn't expect to hit front-page, as unfortunately the bounce rate will be high right now will no content. Some feedback: - Personally I think The GIF's on https://indiebackers.dev/learn https://indiebackers.dev/learn make it look unprofessional. There's other ways to add some excitement to that page without just posting several generic meme's. - Your only project has typo on sub-heading "Pitch innovative ideas >togehter< with sweet deals in turn for collaboration."

honzabe 3y ago
I find it hard to process a text when there is a moving .gif next to it. I had to cover it with my hand to read it. That jumping "Learn more->" button also made reading the text above it weirdly difficult - and that is probably the most important text on the page. Please take this as a very "soft criticism" because this might be just some peculiarity of my perception.
- eddd-ddde 3y ago
  This is exactly what the prefers reduced motion hint is for. I wished more sites honored it where appropriate.
  - Semaphor 3y ago
    Few do, sadly. And complaining about it on hn might even get you belittled and down voted. And gifs never get blocked by it, so i use an extra extension for that.
fruktmix 3y ago
Unfortunately not. But I am glad for the input I've received so far. Thanks for telling me. I thought the GIF's would add a laughter or create a funny or playful tone.

thih9 3y ago

Benefits such as lifetime free or discounted access are not enough to convince me to share my email. I would be convinced by something more specific: a roadmap with milestones, a clear mapping between the amount of help and received benefits, etc.

rmbyrro 3y ago
I think a disposable email address has arguably zero value and can be traded for anything.

kgdiem 3y ago

I love the idea. Have you heard of https://bountysource.com/ https://bountysource.com/? Not quite the same thing but might give you some ideas.

fruktmix 3y ago
Thanks! Haven't heard about it but will definitely check it out! I like the idea about bounties!: "Debugging Your team is getting crazy, losing time and money to get these bugs fixed ! Let the Bountysource community fix it. A bounty, a solution."

spencerchubb 3y ago

I submitted an idea that is admittedly a very early idea. I like the ethos of brainstorming ideas and seeing if it resonates without doing a bunch of work up front.

fruktmix 3y ago
Awesome! Was really hoping people would tune in and share their ideas, I got a few myself that I am also going to post. That's totally fine, all my ideas are super early and it's definitely a process until they take shape. Only thing I regret is that I didn't reach out to a bunch of people so indiebackers would have some browsable content before launching. Ah well, you live and learn!

tchock23 3y ago

Interesting concept, although I'd never engage with products that do "Discord meetings" as the primary way of collecting feedback.

rikketikm 3y ago

This is essentially a marketplace model, these are famously hard to do (believe me, I tried..), you basically need to cover new projects coming in AND generating traction for these projects. Nevertheless, I like the idea, good luck!

fruktmix 3y ago
I never thought about this that way. Maybe you're right. We'll see if this will get any traction if it's notoriously hard to do. Thanks for the support!

honzabe 3y ago

I like the idea. I am not a native English speaker, so please take the following with a grain of salt - IMO the copy might need improvement. When selling something, you want to build a mental slide on which the prospect slides effortlessly toward a clear image of your offer. Your text felt more like a rocky hillside - I had to concentrate and it was slow. Let me give you an example: In the realm of Indiebackers: MVP takes on a new meaning – it stands for Most Valuable Person, representing the early adopters who play a pivotal role in the development of products within our community. Indiebackers was conceived with the understanding that a significant number of startups face challenges because they overlook the importance of developing for and with the community. We believe in the idea that a full-scale launch shouldn't be a prerequisite for validating an innovative concept. In essence, Indiebackers is a collaborative platform meticulously crafted for users to share and explore groundbreaking ideas within the community. Users seize the opportunity to present a deal in exchange for support until the development of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Our platform is dedicated to facilitating the seamless exchange of ideas, nurturing community engagement, and providing unwavering support for the development of viable and impactful concepts. I think this text has an unusually high cognitive load. I had to read it a few times to get what you mean: Dear startups, here is the deal. Tell us about your ideas, and we tell you what we think of them before you spend a bunch of money implementing them. Sounds good? Reward us with some perks. - Did I even get it right? BTW, there's a funny scene in a Czech film most HN users wouldn't know - a dude translates a factual report into marketing speak by adding a lot of adjectives. Your copy reminds me of that scene - it's not just "support", but "unwavering support", not just "crafted" but "meticulously crafted" etc. - it sounds too 'marketingy'. Just my $0.02 Good luck!

fruktmix 3y ago
Your comment made me smile! I haven't written that text, I was too lazy. I most things on FAQ page but asked ChatGPT to write the learn page and minor parts on FAQ. I am going to ask it to write a simpler text because I am not native English speaker either and I totally agree with you on these points. It's quite stupid text hahaha
- wcarss 3y ago

andy_ppp 3y ago

I will try to back some products on here I think, even just to give any developers I like moral support! Great idea and I hope it serves this need better than an Indiegogo or Crowdcube with a real focus on what people launching software need (i.e. you talk to your customers).

fruktmix 3y ago
Much obliged! I agree, I think this puzzle piece have been missing in the indiehacker community. Sure, it's great with Indiehackers, Betalist and Producthunt, but what about second breakf.. I mean when you only have an idea and need input and validation? Everyone don't feel like spending time thinking about a fancy domain name and then designing a landing page and then it's in the dumpster a week later. Also, solo-indiehacker projects don't go to crowdfunding platforms because (personally speaking) they are bootstrapped and that's the way it should be.

j4yav 3y ago

What is a github logotype link? I have no idea what to put into that field. I've tried everything I can think of with no luck. EDIT: I think it may just be that edit isn't saving, I can't change the state out of draft either. It would be nice if there was a support email or something on the site. EDIT2: Indeed, seems to be a bug. I was able to create a new one and it worked fine, but now it also seems there's no delete button to remove the original one I made.

fruktmix 3y ago
I patched the update error in production tonight and there is a feature to delete existing ones, thanks for helping out!

haberdasher 3y ago

Just a bug report: You get redirected to localhost on-cancel of Github sign-in. http://localhost:5173/auth/callback/github?error=access_denied&error_description=The+user+has+denied+your+application+access.&error_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.github.com%2Fapps%2Fmanaging-oauth-apps%2Ftroubleshooting-authorization-request-errors%2F%23access-denied http://localhost:5173/auth/callback/github?error=access_deni...

fruktmix 3y ago
Great catch, currently fixing bugs that are coming up right now, didn't know about that one!