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3 Comments

Indie Hackers should start a services directory

Here is my idea.
A task-based marketplace for simple services that IndieHackers could offer with any time capacity they have to help out other IndieHackers.

For some background, I recently went full time and I'm solo, but I'm not yet making great money with my products, so my goal is to build as much runway as possible so that I never have to get a normal job (I'm sure some of you can relate). But my time is best spent doing what I'm good at and I value expertise elsewhere.

I have a lack of experience in many areas and I'm looking for complementary services to help me do the things I don't excel at. When people think of marketing they might not realize it's perhaps a dozen different things to set up; LinkedIn pages, one-page product ads, TikTok vids, logos, blog posts, partner decks, app store listings, and social media accounts.

I don't want to hire an agency, I want to see someone else's and say I'll pay you $500 to do mine too. and know I'm working with people in this community. I don't want a partner or cofounder and I can't afford anything too expensive.

Marketing is just one example. How about someone to consult for 30 minutes on something they've just done, that you need to do? I'd pay to save the time of having to figure things out myself.

I can also offer specific technical skills and some not-so-common things myself; how to publish apps on the Microsoft Teams app store (it's no joke and it's huge), how to set up Stripe for your app (not hard for devs but not trivial), how to use PostHog analytics (it's awesome, you should), How to work with Microsoft Graph and Azure, I also built React apps like a billion other people.

Why not just use Fiverr or Upwork?
Mostly because of the random nature of the people and the generic bullshit people seem to offer. Outside the top-tier people that have portfolios, it's a gamble. With Indiehackers we could see, and understand, their work.

What do you think?
Have something you need?
Do you have anything to offer?

on May 26, 2023
  1. 2

    Hey @csallen & @channingallen - what do you guys think?

  2. 1

    I really like this idea! This is something that would perfectly fit here on indiehackers.
    Adding a marketplace where @csallen and @courtlandallen would take a cut (10%? 20%?) would be a great addon to this website.

  3. 1

    Had a related idea as you previously, thought of an indie service exchange. People could swap fixed qty of their entry level tier with others for a fixed amount of time. Not a 1 to 1 but everyone puts something in and can only get out the same.

    I think a skills / knowledge sharing would sit nicely alongside that. On twitter the other day someone was asking for our sourced proof reading from native English speakers for their landing pages.