From Corporate Web Developer to Full-Time Indie Hacker — Sebastian Röhl, HabitKit

On the podcast: Quitting a job to build your own apps, returning to that job after failing to gain traction, and the inflection point that allowed our guest to finally quit for good.

Key Takeaways:

💡If your first side project doesn’t take off, try again — Reviving a lackluster launch can be tempting, but it might indicate a lack of demand. Instead, start fresh with a new idea and watch for early signs of product-market fit.

💰Invest more in your product once you have “pull” and a channel — Achieving early product-market fit and having a reliable acquisition channel allows you to focus on enhancing your product and experimenting with monetization strategies.

🔞Avoid relying solely on one acquisition channel — While a dependable early channel like ASO is crucial, it comes with risks outside your control. Diversify by investing in owned or paid channels to adapt to changes more effectively.

🧑‍💻Building in public offers numerous advantages — Developing your app publicly immerses you in a supportive community of indie developers, providing motivation, inspiration, and valuable feedback. However, it can also attract copycat competitors.

📈"Test higher prices" should be at the top of your to-do list — Raising your app’s price may seem risky, but many indie developers are overly cautious. A/B testing can help you safely explore the impact of different price points without significant customer backlash.

About Guest

👨‍💻 Independent app developer and creator of HabitKit and Liftbear.

💡Sebastian began his career as a corporate web developer and became a full-time indie app developer after his habit-tracking app HabitKit took off.

👋 LinkedIn

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Episode Highlights

[1:04] Web versus mobile: What motivated Sebastian to switch from web to mobile app development.

[4:17] Free solo: Having a corporate day job might not let you stretch your creative muscles as much as building your own concepts.

[6:43] Drive: If you’re going to build an indie app or venture-backed startup, make sure it’s something you need to do.

[12:13] Risky business: The riskiness of leaving a full-time job to pursue an indie venture is different for everyone, depending on life stage, finances, and family obligations.

[16:39] Just ship it: Your first idea might not be great, but getting started will lead to new, better ideas.

[24:04] If at first you don’t succeed: Sometimes it’s better to give up on an idea that isn’t working so you can focus on one with better product-market fit.

[28:38] Doing the (side) hustle: Making the decision to keep your day job or fully commit to your side gig can be tough.

[34:45] Changing the channel: The app stores are a black box — it’s a good idea to invest in additional acquisition channels in case of algorithm changes.

[38:26] Building in public: Having a following on social media can be a great source of support and user loyalty outside of the app stores.

[45:00] Raising prices: Don’t be afraid to experiment with higher prices — many apps are leaving money on the table.