Code and Conquer - The Indie Hacker Podcast #028 Quitting the Traditional Path to 30k MRR with Ali Salah
Nov 15, 2024
Ali Salah, founder of Instatus, shares his journey of bootstrapping the company to nearly $30k MRR. He discusses the importance of financial planning and overcoming skepticism from peers while highlighting the advantages of being based in Egypt. Ali dives into hiring practices, choosing full-time staff over freelancers and how he navigated U.S. C Corp complexities. He emphasizes the role of SEO in driving traffic and offers strategic insights for aspiring indie hackers on patience and starting small for long-term success.
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Planning and Starting
- Secure at least three years of financial runway before starting.
- Begin with small projects to develop launching and building skills.
Instatus Pivot
- Ali Salah's Instatus initially targeted startup founders but pivoted to larger companies.
- This change involved a better domain, homepage, and flat-rate pricing.
Early Struggles and Family Pressure
- Ali Salah lived with his parents in Egypt, which lowered living expenses during his initial three years of no income.
- He faced pressure from family and friends to get a traditional job.