My guest today, Pieter Levels, claims that "Indie Hacking is dead." Yet, Pieter runs several indie AI startups (and a few traditional ones), totaling $250,000 in revenue every month. So, how can he be a successful indie hacker while dismissing the foundations of his work?
It turns out that Indie Hacking is very much alive. But it has changed significantly. And Pieter has been there from the early days.
Today, Pieter and I talk about what it means to be an Indie Hacker in the age of AI tools, platforms, and businesses. From dependency risk to preparing software businesses for a potential exit, we tackle a wide variety of topics that every Indie Hacker has to deal with. We also dive deep into Pieter's personal journey: from digital nomadism through thoughts of teaming up with fellow makers. You'll get the full picture of an entrepreneur who tells it the way he sees it — which, as you will find, has made the world of social media a very interesting place for him to work in.
With insights into the meme of bad coding, the Lindy Effect, the importance of social proof, and the generational divide regarding AI, this conversation with Pieter Levels is a must-listen for anyone interested in AI startups, indie hacking, and the future of digital entrepreneurship.
00:00:00 Indie Hacking and AI Startups Evolution 00:07:17 Dependency on Suppliers and Finding Alternatives 00:16:37 Prioritizing Speed in Entrepreneurship Execution 00:27:11 Future of AI With Positive Outlooks 00:40:11 AI Business Challenges and Potential 00:44:52 Future Work and Travel With AI 00:52:56 Twitter Changes and the Need to Adapt 00:57:50 Attention Economy and Communication Impact 01:01:39 Navigating Controversy and Authenticity on Twitter
