Indie, Not Alone
When I first started as an indie dev, I had a romanticized idea of what it meant to go solo. I imagined long, productive days, free from meetings and office politics, building something entirely on my own. But after the honeymoon period, reality set in: being indie can be a capital-G grind, and at times, incredibly lonely.
When I started Foodnoms five and a half years ago, I didn't know anyone in the Apple developer community. I fully embraced "heads-down mode" and raced to build the 1.0 version of the app. For a long time, I maintained this mindset, excited to carve out my own indie career.
In hindsight, I had an unhealthy idea of what being “indie” meant. I thought it required handling everything alone—juggling every role, solving every problem, and never relying on others. But the truth is, you don’t have to do it all yourself. There’s a lot of middle ground between working solo and hiring full-time employees.
Working with Freelancers
In the past few weeks, I’ve collaborated with five separate freelancers—quite a contrast to my earlier approach! This shift didn’t happen overnight. Over time, I started working with more individuals, and I’ve realized I’m happier and more productive as a result.
If I could go back, I’d be more strategic and less afraid to hire help. Once you know what you're looking for and where to find it, bringing in great people becomes much easier. While the best hires often come from your network (which might be small when you’re just starting out), there are still excellent resources available:
- Toptal: Good for high quality, medium/long-term gigs
- Upwork: Good for short-term projects, smaller budgets
- Fiverr: Good for one-off projects
- Upcounsel: Good for legal help
Not every hire will work out—and that’s okay! Here’s what I’ve learned about building strong partnerships:
- Assess the risks before bringing someone on board.
- Get tax and legal advice when necessary.
- Avoid rigid contracts. I prefer hourly rates or fixed costs for one-off projects to keep things flexible.
- Set clear expectations from the start. Have open discussions about goals, potential termination, and mutual expectations.
- Be an engaged client. Communicate regularly, provide feedback early, and treat your freelancers as partners, not just service providers.
If you can't afford to pay people right now, that’s understandable, especially early on. But I encourage you to make it a goal—hiring strategically is part of being a good business owner.
Peers and Mentors
Being indie doesn’t just mean hiring help—it also means finding peers and mentors. The easiest way to do this is by networking.
For me, networking started online: Twitter, then Mastodon, then Threads, and now mostly Bluesky. The key is to be yourself, share what you're working on, and engage with others. Social networking isn’t just about broadcasting—it’s about connection. Ask questions, contribute to discussions, and help others when you can.
I also highly encourage indies to attend conferences. My favorite is Deep Dish Swift, and I’ve also built meaningful connections at WWDC events. If you’re an introvert like me, these gatherings can be exhausting, but they’re invaluable for meeting like-minded people and strengthening relationships.
Some of my peers have naturally become mentors. I consider anyone farther along my path who I regularly talk to as a mentor in some capacity. My closest mentors have been through the same struggles I face today, and their insights have saved me significant time and frustration.
A Third Place
One often-overlooked aspect of avoiding loneliness as an indie is your work environment. Have you heard of third places? They’re the social environments beyond home (first place) and work (second place) where people connect and unwind. The problem for indie devs is that when you work from home, your second place disappears—you’re left with just one.
I highly recommend working outside your home occasionally. The simplest option is a coffee shop for a few hours.
For the past several months, I’ve been working out of WeWork offices, and it’s been a game-changer. I’m not socializing much, but the structured environment makes me ten times more productive. If you work best at home, that’s fine! But if you’re struggling with focus or loneliness, consider alternatives.
AI Chatbots
Some of you might roll your eyes at this one, but I have to mention it. ChatGPT has been a game-changer for my productivity. At this point, it functionally acts as a coworker of mine.
Whenever I get stuck with a decision, an email, or a hard problem—ChatGPT is often my first stop. Instead of grinding my gears for hours, sometimes even weeks, ChatGPT can act as a pseudo-advisor, cofounder, peer, or even therapist.
That said, you have to moderate your relationship with AI chatbots. I view mine more as a fancy rubber ducky. It isn’t truly "intelligent," but it forces me to crystallize my thoughts, put them into words, and then lets me read an interpretation. Beyond just the raw content of its responses, it helps me process problems in a way I couldn’t without a real-life cofounder or employee.
Pay It Forward
Perhaps the best part of being "Indie, Not Alone" is the ability to pay it forward. Once you’ve gained experience, become the mentor you wish you had. Share your journey, blog, post on socials, and help others navigate the path. And, when you can, pay people for their expertise. Investing in others makes it easier for the next wave of indie devs to succeed.