Indie hacker limiters you should unlearn

Being an “indie hacker” is a label. But as with most labels, there’s pitfalls of over-identifying with it, and the limiting beliefs/narratives that we unconsciously allow to live rent free in our heads.

One of the most common limiters is “I’m a builder”. Most say that as self-defence on why they hate or struggle with marketing, why they build and don’t share or distribute. But truth is, you can say to yourself “I’m a builder” but still get good enough at marketing to be dangerous.

Both can be true, not either/or.

It’s a fine difference between affirming what’s your core versus letting it become an excuse that limits you. Beliefs are like tools. And like every tool, first we shape our tools, then they shape us. The catch is to be self aware enough to stay as a master of the tool, not slave.

Other indie hacker limiters to be mindful of, and it’s possible alternative perspectives:

• I hate receiving cold emails, so I don’t send them (there’s ethical, less slimey ways to send them that’s valuable and engaging)
• Ads are annoying, so I don’t use ads (Ads aren’t annoying if they’re what you’re looking for)
• MRR is the one true revenue, all else doesn’t count (Most businesses in the world are built on one-time payments)
• Focus only on one thing (Plenty of folks who did well juggling multiple projects)
• Do only multiple small bets (Plenty of folks who did well doing just one project)
• Build and they’ll come (Thinking pure technical prowess is sufficient is a form of naive and elist narcissism)
• VCs are evil (I’ve seen startups like Carrd take do a hybrid, non-equity type of VC that doesn’t affect how the founders run things and it’s like the best of both worlds)
• Solo founder means working entirely alone (Who cares what solo means as long as it works for you?)
• It’s faster if I do it myself than to delegate or outsource (Delegating or outsourcing takes more upfront effort setting up but pays for itself downstream)

What other limters are there?