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dgrigg commented on Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?    · Posted by u/mdoliwa
thepredestrian · 9 years ago
I've always wondered - what kind of tech stack is required to run a service like this? Would you classify it as a webapp?
dgrigg · 9 years ago
I would classify it more as a widget or add-on in that it's use lies in being added to an existing website (much like Google Analytics). The entire admin/dashboard area for managing sites, adding users, integrations etc is like a typical webapp though. The stack is a pretty vanilla LEMP stack on the backend, with some extra bits for handling queues. The trickiest piece is the widget that gets embedded on sites, it needs to be bullet proof across browsers and devices since it's used for feedback and testing. It needs to work on pretty much everything that people visit websites with.
dgrigg commented on Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?    · Posted by u/mdoliwa
csallen · 9 years ago
Hey Derrick! Glad to have Pageproofer on the site :D
dgrigg · 9 years ago
thanks, it was great to take the time to work through the interview process. Great to review where PageProofer has come from and think about where it's going.
dgrigg commented on Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?    · Posted by u/mdoliwa
csallen · 9 years ago
Back in August I launched https://IndieHackers.com, a site where the founders of profitable online businesses share their stories and revenue transparently. I actually got the idea after reading lots of threads like this one on HN :D

Indie Hackers is my full-time job now. Is it "successful"? I think so! I've done over 90 interviews, and they've been read over one million times in the past 5 months, largely by you guys! I also made $2239 in December and hope to grow revenue another 50% in January. (As I do every month, I just blogged about that here: https://IndieHackers.com/blog)

I'm working on a podcast as well that I'm really excited about, as I've found it's a bit easier to get famous founders to agree to that format and to speak transparently about behind the scenes details.

dgrigg · 9 years ago
IndieHackers is a brilliant idea. Being able to learn from other people's successes and failures and seeing that most startups are not unicorns is a great help.
dgrigg commented on Ask HN: Successful one-person online businesses?    · Posted by u/mdoliwa
dgrigg · 9 years ago
I have been running https://pageproofer.com for 3 years. It allows web designers and developers to easily leave feedback and track issues directly on websites (like digital sticky notes). It has been profitable from year 1 and continues to grow month over month.

The growth is slow and steady but not at a point where I'm doing it full time. I don't think 'successful' needs to be determined as 'majority of owners income'. For me it's a lucrative side project that requires little attention day to day. It doesn't need to provide the majority of my income since it doesn't take the majority of my time.

dgrigg commented on At the age of 38, am I too late to change career to front end dev work?    · Posted by u/suaveybloke
ccatarino · 9 years ago
No.
dgrigg · 9 years ago
I mentored a retiree a few years ago who wanted to get back into web development after taking an early retirement. He was bright, eager to learn and recognized that at almost 60 he had soft skills that would be valuable when mixed with development skills. You're never too old.
dgrigg commented on How does one get started freelancing coming from a 9-5 job?    · Posted by u/lastofus
dgrigg · 12 years ago
Approach web dev companies about doing freelance work. Most are always looking for good help.

u/dgrigg

KarmaCake day10March 18, 2014View Original