20. April 2021
How I start multiple profitable businesses with less than $50.
Here is a list of 30 resources I used to build all my products (and made $8K with it) so you can do the same!
Landing page
All my landing pages are made with carrd. It’s super easy to use and the default designs are WAY better than everything I can do by myself! Their PRO plan is ridiculously cheap $19/YEAR!
Bonus point: It’s made by an IndieHacker → @ajlkn
Database
For all data storage I use Airtable. The free plan is enough for most use cases. It comes with Unlimited bases and 1,200 records per base, more than enough to test a product.
Their API is also super handy!
Payment
I use several payment processors for my project. They’re all free with a certain amount of fees on your revenue.
My top 3:
NB: Gumroad has a pro plan at $10/m with smaller fees and some extra functionnalities like email marketing.
Online Chat
For online chat, I’m a big fan of Crisp (for 5 years now). Their Free plan is enough for all my products and it comes with all the features I need.
Bonus point: It’s made by an IndieHacker → @baptistejamin
Design
Nothing super fancy here.
Canva: Use it for almost all my visuals and logos. It’s free, it comes with tons of examples. Highly recommend it for an MVP
Figma: If you need to create some mockups, it’s the perfect tool!
Hosting
All the small scripts, the standalone pages for my job board are hosted with Netlify. This service is incredible to host static pages.
When I need to host some app I go with Heroku. For $6/m you got a basic server, a database, and a continuous integration!
Automation
Zapier is my go-to for automation. Their free plan is pretty limited and their pro plans are super expensive. Most of the time, the free plan is enough for me (and the Airtable automation)
If not, have a look at Integromat or n8n (free and opensource!).
Tracking
Of course, you can use Google analytics. It’s one of the most complete tools and incredibly free! If you want something more privacy-focused have a look at Plausible or Fathom They’re both made with indiehackers and totally worth their price!
If you need to see what your users do on your website, have a look at Hotjar or Fullstory. They both have a free plan and comes with incredible features!
Mailing
I always Mailchimp for all my newsletter and audience management. Because I’m used to. It’s free until you reach 2000 contacts, which is more than enough to start!
For my transactional emails, I’m using Mailjet. Nothing super fancy but it just works and it’s free.
Naming and domain name
When I look for a new name I use:
- Namy
- Namelix
- Namechk All my domain names are registered with OVH. It comes with a free plan where I have a free email address + small hosting! Plus I love how @olesovhcom is growing it!
Notes, documentation, wiki
All my documentation, notes are made with Notion. I love this tool - and since they removed the block limit the free plan is awesome!
If I need to make some of these pages public I’d go with Potion!
Forms and feedback
Most of my forms are made with Airtable. Just because it’s integrated into a tool I already use and with all the features I need.
I need to test Tally tho, they just added an Airtable integration!
Bonus - Product-market-fit engine
Talking about feedback, have a look at how @superhuman build his PMF engine with Coda and → https://coda.io/@rahulvohra/superhuman-product-market-fit-engine
What are your go-to services to kick start your busiuness any recommendation? Let me know!