In my time spent conducting user interviews for a variety of projects, one thing became universally clear: your users are easily confused.
Make your navigation, flows, and actions as simple and intuitive as possible. Don’t make people think too hard, and don’t expect they will.
#buildinpublic
Make your navigation, flows, and actions as simple and intuitive as possible. Don’t make people think too hard, and don’t expect they will.
#buildinpublic
December 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
In my time spent conducting user interviews for a variety of projects, one thing became universally clear: your users are easily confused.
Make your navigation, flows, and actions as simple and intuitive as possible. Don’t make people think too hard, and don’t expect they will.
#buildinpublic
Make your navigation, flows, and actions as simple and intuitive as possible. Don’t make people think too hard, and don’t expect they will.
#buildinpublic
Sometimes a little step away from the work is what it takes to uncover that idea or solution you’ve been trying to force.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
December 20, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Sometimes a little step away from the work is what it takes to uncover that idea or solution you’ve been trying to force.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
After building projects privately for the last decade, building in public itself feels like a "fail" at the start.
Easy to think I'm writing for no one, unsure of myself, unsure of the point.
Easy to think I'm writing for no one, unsure of myself, unsure of the point.
December 19, 2025 at 9:41 PM
After building projects privately for the last decade, building in public itself feels like a "fail" at the start.
Easy to think I'm writing for no one, unsure of myself, unsure of the point.
Easy to think I'm writing for no one, unsure of myself, unsure of the point.
Abandon your desire for instant gratification, everything you attempt will be better for it.
Need a cure? Hop on a skateboard and figure out how to do a kickflip. (wear a helmet)
Need a cure? Hop on a skateboard and figure out how to do a kickflip. (wear a helmet)
December 19, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Abandon your desire for instant gratification, everything you attempt will be better for it.
Need a cure? Hop on a skateboard and figure out how to do a kickflip. (wear a helmet)
Need a cure? Hop on a skateboard and figure out how to do a kickflip. (wear a helmet)
Every once in while I think I fool myself into thinking I'm building solutions for big teams and everybody else.
Not the case. I build stuff mostly for people like me: people who like to run lean, stay scrappy, and clean up.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
Not the case. I build stuff mostly for people like me: people who like to run lean, stay scrappy, and clean up.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
December 19, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Every once in while I think I fool myself into thinking I'm building solutions for big teams and everybody else.
Not the case. I build stuff mostly for people like me: people who like to run lean, stay scrappy, and clean up.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
Not the case. I build stuff mostly for people like me: people who like to run lean, stay scrappy, and clean up.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
Not everything you build lasts forever
Technology evolves, competitors come along, customers change, the rules/rates on rented land change, etc.
Keep that in mind and be prepared for the change. Build a list of customers that can move to a new project, exit while things are still good, etc.
Technology evolves, competitors come along, customers change, the rules/rates on rented land change, etc.
Keep that in mind and be prepared for the change. Build a list of customers that can move to a new project, exit while things are still good, etc.
December 19, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Not everything you build lasts forever
Technology evolves, competitors come along, customers change, the rules/rates on rented land change, etc.
Keep that in mind and be prepared for the change. Build a list of customers that can move to a new project, exit while things are still good, etc.
Technology evolves, competitors come along, customers change, the rules/rates on rented land change, etc.
Keep that in mind and be prepared for the change. Build a list of customers that can move to a new project, exit while things are still good, etc.
You don’t have to build unicorns, you know.
A good cow or two, some goats, llamas, or even a handful of chickens might get you what you want.
Heck, start with an ant farm if you have to.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
A good cow or two, some goats, llamas, or even a handful of chickens might get you what you want.
Heck, start with an ant farm if you have to.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
December 18, 2025 at 7:32 PM
You don’t have to build unicorns, you know.
A good cow or two, some goats, llamas, or even a handful of chickens might get you what you want.
Heck, start with an ant farm if you have to.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
A good cow or two, some goats, llamas, or even a handful of chickens might get you what you want.
Heck, start with an ant farm if you have to.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
2 secret ways to getting what you want:
1) Make it happen.
or
2) Find a wealthy old person you can cozy up to for their remaining years.
Good luck!
1) Make it happen.
or
2) Find a wealthy old person you can cozy up to for their remaining years.
Good luck!
December 18, 2025 at 5:31 PM
2 secret ways to getting what you want:
1) Make it happen.
or
2) Find a wealthy old person you can cozy up to for their remaining years.
Good luck!
1) Make it happen.
or
2) Find a wealthy old person you can cozy up to for their remaining years.
Good luck!
If you're a solo maker or small team, think in reusable systems.
Once you're familiar with something, each time you use it, it gets easier.
That compounds pretty fast, and eliminates some of the psuedo-productivity that can creep into any project.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
Once you're familiar with something, each time you use it, it gets easier.
That compounds pretty fast, and eliminates some of the psuedo-productivity that can creep into any project.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
December 18, 2025 at 3:23 PM
If you're a solo maker or small team, think in reusable systems.
Once you're familiar with something, each time you use it, it gets easier.
That compounds pretty fast, and eliminates some of the psuedo-productivity that can creep into any project.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
Once you're familiar with something, each time you use it, it gets easier.
That compounds pretty fast, and eliminates some of the psuedo-productivity that can creep into any project.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
I've lost track of how many failures I've had since I started.
But stacking some months that exceed my old W-2's annual salary make the leaner times much easier to weather. And I've had some decent runs of lean times!
Ultimately, still enjoying it, and all certainly worth it. #buildinpublic
But stacking some months that exceed my old W-2's annual salary make the leaner times much easier to weather. And I've had some decent runs of lean times!
Ultimately, still enjoying it, and all certainly worth it. #buildinpublic
December 17, 2025 at 9:19 PM
I've lost track of how many failures I've had since I started.
But stacking some months that exceed my old W-2's annual salary make the leaner times much easier to weather. And I've had some decent runs of lean times!
Ultimately, still enjoying it, and all certainly worth it. #buildinpublic
But stacking some months that exceed my old W-2's annual salary make the leaner times much easier to weather. And I've had some decent runs of lean times!
Ultimately, still enjoying it, and all certainly worth it. #buildinpublic
People obsess about tech stacks. I'm a dad, I've got a toddler.
I personally don't want to be spending any time messing around in AWS.
Sometimes paying a little extra for simplicity and abstraction is the right call - especially at the beginning.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
I personally don't want to be spending any time messing around in AWS.
Sometimes paying a little extra for simplicity and abstraction is the right call - especially at the beginning.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
December 17, 2025 at 5:20 PM
People obsess about tech stacks. I'm a dad, I've got a toddler.
I personally don't want to be spending any time messing around in AWS.
Sometimes paying a little extra for simplicity and abstraction is the right call - especially at the beginning.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
I personally don't want to be spending any time messing around in AWS.
Sometimes paying a little extra for simplicity and abstraction is the right call - especially at the beginning.
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
When I first started building sites on WP, I'd find something that worked, copy the setup, tools, and strategy to a new instance and create a variation of the winner.
Same blueprint with a new spin. That approach can re-apply to almost anything.
When I first started building sites on WP, I'd find something that worked, copy the setup, tools, and strategy to a new instance and create a variation of the winner.
Same blueprint with a new spin. That approach can re-apply to almost anything.
December 17, 2025 at 2:26 PM
You don't have to reinvent the wheel.
When I first started building sites on WP, I'd find something that worked, copy the setup, tools, and strategy to a new instance and create a variation of the winner.
Same blueprint with a new spin. That approach can re-apply to almost anything.
When I first started building sites on WP, I'd find something that worked, copy the setup, tools, and strategy to a new instance and create a variation of the winner.
Same blueprint with a new spin. That approach can re-apply to almost anything.
SLAPPSHELL's main use-cases & licensing options:
- Small businesses: Get a single tier self-hosted or managed service.
- Developers/Freelancers: Pro tier self-hosted to ship white-label serviceCRM for your own clients.
- Reseller license to sell the boilerplate yourself.
youtu.be/pzgwg3LNCKs
- Small businesses: Get a single tier self-hosted or managed service.
- Developers/Freelancers: Pro tier self-hosted to ship white-label serviceCRM for your own clients.
- Reseller license to sell the boilerplate yourself.
youtu.be/pzgwg3LNCKs
Exploring the Use-Cases & Licensing Options for SLAPPSHELL Products
YouTube video by Ethan Orenstein // SlappShell
youtu.be
December 16, 2025 at 11:48 PM
SLAPPSHELL's main use-cases & licensing options:
- Small businesses: Get a single tier self-hosted or managed service.
- Developers/Freelancers: Pro tier self-hosted to ship white-label serviceCRM for your own clients.
- Reseller license to sell the boilerplate yourself.
youtu.be/pzgwg3LNCKs
- Small businesses: Get a single tier self-hosted or managed service.
- Developers/Freelancers: Pro tier self-hosted to ship white-label serviceCRM for your own clients.
- Reseller license to sell the boilerplate yourself.
youtu.be/pzgwg3LNCKs
When I started, I quit my job, cashed out my 401K, and jumped into an idea with basically no market research or validation.
Probably not the smartest approach, and that idea totally sucked.
But there's something valuable in just jumping in and starting the damn thing.
#buildinpublic
Probably not the smartest approach, and that idea totally sucked.
But there's something valuable in just jumping in and starting the damn thing.
#buildinpublic
December 16, 2025 at 9:51 PM
When I started, I quit my job, cashed out my 401K, and jumped into an idea with basically no market research or validation.
Probably not the smartest approach, and that idea totally sucked.
But there's something valuable in just jumping in and starting the damn thing.
#buildinpublic
Probably not the smartest approach, and that idea totally sucked.
But there's something valuable in just jumping in and starting the damn thing.
#buildinpublic
Staying curious has been the most valuable thing for me so far.
Open your mind and welcome new experiences.
Ask someone who knows. Hire someone. Partner with someone. Use what you need to.
You don't have to figure it out all at once or have the answers in order to start.
#buildinpublic
Open your mind and welcome new experiences.
Ask someone who knows. Hire someone. Partner with someone. Use what you need to.
You don't have to figure it out all at once or have the answers in order to start.
#buildinpublic
December 16, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Staying curious has been the most valuable thing for me so far.
Open your mind and welcome new experiences.
Ask someone who knows. Hire someone. Partner with someone. Use what you need to.
You don't have to figure it out all at once or have the answers in order to start.
#buildinpublic
Open your mind and welcome new experiences.
Ask someone who knows. Hire someone. Partner with someone. Use what you need to.
You don't have to figure it out all at once or have the answers in order to start.
#buildinpublic
Holidays are a busy time for one business I run that involves selling artwork on Etsy.
In the descriptions I include when to order by to receive before Xmas.
And every year, I get the same messages:
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
In the descriptions I include when to order by to receive before Xmas.
And every year, I get the same messages:
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
December 15, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Holidays are a busy time for one business I run that involves selling artwork on Etsy.
In the descriptions I include when to order by to receive before Xmas.
And every year, I get the same messages:
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
In the descriptions I include when to order by to receive before Xmas.
And every year, I get the same messages:
#buildinpublic #indiehackers
I almost quit at the beginning of 2025.
At that point, my losing streak was almost legal drinking age.
Then, I had one more idea I wanted to try (the initial test idea for SLAPPSHELL) and had my best single month in a very long time.
At that point, my losing streak was almost legal drinking age.
Then, I had one more idea I wanted to try (the initial test idea for SLAPPSHELL) and had my best single month in a very long time.
December 15, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I almost quit at the beginning of 2025.
At that point, my losing streak was almost legal drinking age.
Then, I had one more idea I wanted to try (the initial test idea for SLAPPSHELL) and had my best single month in a very long time.
At that point, my losing streak was almost legal drinking age.
Then, I had one more idea I wanted to try (the initial test idea for SLAPPSHELL) and had my best single month in a very long time.
The "iterate and adjust" stage is where you'll experience your setbacks and failures.
That's not a bad thing though.
That's where most of the valuable learning happens.
That's not a bad thing though.
That's where most of the valuable learning happens.
December 15, 2025 at 2:26 PM
The "iterate and adjust" stage is where you'll experience your setbacks and failures.
That's not a bad thing though.
That's where most of the valuable learning happens.
That's not a bad thing though.
That's where most of the valuable learning happens.
Your customers don't care about your tech stack.
Should you?
Here's what I actually use to launch & run projects super fast for ~$80/month (and you can start for free):
Should you?
Here's what I actually use to launch & run projects super fast for ~$80/month (and you can start for free):
December 14, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Your customers don't care about your tech stack.
Should you?
Here's what I actually use to launch & run projects super fast for ~$80/month (and you can start for free):
Should you?
Here's what I actually use to launch & run projects super fast for ~$80/month (and you can start for free):
I just launched a whole bunch of use case landing pages for serviceCRM.
If you're building solo, landing page templatization and SEO automation is a major asset.
Way back when I would spend hours to days doing that manually - page by page - with excel & Wordpress.
#buildinpublic
If you're building solo, landing page templatization and SEO automation is a major asset.
Way back when I would spend hours to days doing that manually - page by page - with excel & Wordpress.
#buildinpublic
December 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM
I just launched a whole bunch of use case landing pages for serviceCRM.
If you're building solo, landing page templatization and SEO automation is a major asset.
Way back when I would spend hours to days doing that manually - page by page - with excel & Wordpress.
#buildinpublic
If you're building solo, landing page templatization and SEO automation is a major asset.
Way back when I would spend hours to days doing that manually - page by page - with excel & Wordpress.
#buildinpublic
I was using the first iteration of serviceCRM myself to capture and manage my own leads before I started shaping it up for other businesses to use.
To celebrate the launch week, I'm looking for some folks who'd like to get up and running with the platform for free!
Reach out for details!
To celebrate the launch week, I'm looking for some folks who'd like to get up and running with the platform for free!
Reach out for details!
December 12, 2025 at 5:38 PM
I was using the first iteration of serviceCRM myself to capture and manage my own leads before I started shaping it up for other businesses to use.
To celebrate the launch week, I'm looking for some folks who'd like to get up and running with the platform for free!
Reach out for details!
To celebrate the launch week, I'm looking for some folks who'd like to get up and running with the platform for free!
Reach out for details!
Pretty solid launch day on @ProductHunt so far.
I think serviceCRM is tied for last!
Check it out here: www.producthunt.com/products/ser...
I think serviceCRM is tied for last!
Check it out here: www.producthunt.com/products/ser...
serviceCRM by SlappShell: Launch a site + CRM and capture leads within the same day. | Product Hunt
Eliminate multiple tools and stop wasting time. In minutes you can launch a complete business platform with a site, CRM, payments, scheduling, SEO, conversion tracking, and email automation all built ...
www.producthunt.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Pretty solid launch day on @ProductHunt so far.
I think serviceCRM is tied for last!
Check it out here: www.producthunt.com/products/ser...
I think serviceCRM is tied for last!
Check it out here: www.producthunt.com/products/ser...
Some people asked me about the article template I'm using.
I built myself a template/system to help make that fast & easy for me so I can focus on the core of the broader project.
Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RT7...
What's your system?
I built myself a template/system to help make that fast & easy for me so I can focus on the core of the broader project.
Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RT7...
What's your system?
How It's Made: THE SLAPPY WEEKLY Article Template
YouTube video by Ethan Orenstein // SlappShell
www.youtube.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Some people asked me about the article template I'm using.
I built myself a template/system to help make that fast & easy for me so I can focus on the core of the broader project.
Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RT7...
What's your system?
I built myself a template/system to help make that fast & easy for me so I can focus on the core of the broader project.
Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RT7...
What's your system?
10 years ago I started a project stitching together beer koozies from old wetsuits in a 100-yr old basement.
Now I build "money printers"
This is how I got here, and how you can build your own:
Now I build "money printers"
This is how I got here, and how you can build your own:
December 8, 2025 at 8:26 PM
10 years ago I started a project stitching together beer koozies from old wetsuits in a 100-yr old basement.
Now I build "money printers"
This is how I got here, and how you can build your own:
Now I build "money printers"
This is how I got here, and how you can build your own: