Indie Hacker Launch Checklist

A bootstrapped indie hacker's complete launch playbook - from idea validation without building to hitting $1k MRR.

work, productivity, coding

by Morris

Validate the Idea Without Building Anything

Prove people want this before writing a line of code. Most failed products skip this step.

Write down the exact problem in one sentence
Build a fake door landing page in under 4 hours
Send 50 targeted people to the landing page before building
Interview 5 people who signed up
Check if anyone is already paying for a solution
Define your go/no-go criteria before you start
Make the go/no-go call and document your reasoning

Build in Public From Day One

Share your journey openly. Building in public creates an audience before you have a product.

Post a launch announcement on Twitter/X and Indie Hackers before you ship
Set up a public roadmap or changelog page
Post weekly progress updates with real numbers
Share failures and setbacks publicly
Engage with other builders in public - comment, repost, collaborate
Post your first milestone post on Indie Hackers when you hit $1 MRR

Choose Your Revenue Model

Pick one model and commit to it. Changing mid-launch destroys trust and pricing psychology.

Decide between subscription, one-time payment, or usage-based pricing
Research what competitors charge and where your users currently spend
Consider a lifetime deal (LTD) strategy for launch - understand the tradeoffs
Set your pricing tiers (2-3 tiers maximum)
Decide on a free tier or free trial (not both)

Set Up Payments

Get money plumbing in place before you need it. Do not delay payment setup.

Choose a payment processor: Stripe, Gumroad, or Lemon Squeezy
Create and verify your payment processor account
Set up your product(s) and pricing plans in the payment processor
Add a working payment link to your landing page
Set up webhook handling for payment events
Configure dunning (failed payment recovery)
Do a full end-to-end test purchase with your own card

Get Your First 10 Paying Customers

The first 10 are the hardest. Do things that do not scale. Direct human contact beats automation here.

Reach out personally to everyone on your waitlist
DM 50 people who match your ICP on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, or in communities
Post in niche communities with a direct call to action
Offer to do a free setup or onboarding call for the first 10 customers
Ask every free trial user why they did NOT convert
Celebrate and publicly thank your first 10 paying customers

AppSumo and Lifetime Deal Strategy

LTDs can inject cash and users fast - but they come with permanent obligations. Plan carefully.

Decide if an LTD fits your business model
Calculate your LTD pricing to break even by month 12
Cap your LTD sales to protect your server and support costs
Run your own LTD before applying to AppSumo
If applying to AppSumo, ensure your product is stable and support is ready
Communicate the LTD-to-subscription upgrade path clearly

Indie Hackers Community Strategy

Indie Hackers is the best community for bootstrapped builders. Engage authentically and often.

Create a complete Indie Hackers profile with your product listed
Post a milestone post every time you hit a new revenue milestone
Participate in weekly threads ("What are you working on?" etc.)
Ask for feedback on your landing page, pricing, or copy in the forums
Interview other founders for your blog or newsletter

Niche Community and Subreddit Strategy

Niche communities convert better than broad ones. A post in the right subreddit beats a Product Hunt launch.

Map out the top 5 subreddits where your ICP is active
Read the rules of each subreddit before posting
Build karma in each subreddit by commenting helpfully for 1-2 weeks first
Post to r/SideProject on launch day
Find 3 niche communities outside Reddit (Discord, Slack, forums)
Post in communities with a value-first format (share a lesson, not just a link)

Product Hunt Launch

A Product Hunt launch is a concentrated burst of visibility. Prepare for it like a sprint.

Create your Product Hunt account and build a posting history before your launch
Find a hunter with an existing audience (optional but helpful)
Prepare your Product Hunt listing assets
Schedule the launch for 12:01 AM PST on a Tuesday or Wednesday
Email your waitlist and DM your supporters on launch day
Be online for the full launch day to respond to every comment
Set realistic expectations - Product Hunt is a day of traffic, not a business

Revenue Milestones: $1 to $1k MRR

Each milestone requires a different mindset and strategy. Know what stage you are in.

$1 MRR - Prove someone will pay for this
$100 MRR - Find the repeatable acquisition pattern
$500 MRR - Reduce churn before adding more users
$1k MRR - Systematize what is working
Post a milestone post on Indie Hackers at each stage with specific tactics
Set a monthly goal 20-30% above current MRR and track it weekly
Reinvest your first $500 of revenue back into marketing or tooling