Glossary
What is an indie hacker?
An indie hacker builds and runs an online business alone or with a very small team, usually without investors, aiming for revenue and freedom rather than hypergrowth.
The short definition
An indie hacker makes money from something they built themselves on the internet: a SaaS tool, an app, a template, a newsletter, a small store. Three traits usually come together:
- Independent. One person or a handful, with no boss and often no cofounder.
- Self-funded. Paid for out of savings, a job or the product's own revenue, rather than venture capital. See bootstrapping.
- Revenue first. The goal is a business that pays its makers, not a big exit.
"Hacker" is meant in the old sense: someone who builds things quickly and cleverly, not someone who breaks into systems.
Where the term comes from
The phrase took off with Indie Hackers, a community and interview site that Courtland Allen started in 2016, where founders shared how their businesses made money, often with real revenue numbers. Stripe acquired it in April 2017, as TechCrunch reported at the time. The site's habit of open numbers shaped the culture: indie hackers tend to talk about MRR, share revenue and build in public.
Indie hacker vs startup founder vs solopreneur
- A startup founder in the venture sense raises money to grow fast, and a small but profitable business would count as a miss.
- An indie hacker is happy with a small, profitable business, and often runs several. Many build a micro SaaS.
- A solopreneur is any one-person business, including services such as consulting or design, where an indie hacker usually sells a product.
The lines blur, and plenty of people are a bit of each. A solo founder can be any of the three.
How indie hackers show their work
Because they often run several products, indie hackers need one place that lists all of them, with what each is and whether it is still alive. Revenue is part of the culture, so many share it, and the trusted way is a number read from the payment provider rather than a screenshot.
That is what makerhandle is for: every product on one page with its status and, if you want, verified revenue. See makerhandle for indie hackers and the indie hacker portfolio guide.
Questions
What does indie hacker mean?
Someone who builds and runs an online business alone or with a tiny team, usually self-funded, aiming for revenue and independence rather than fast, funded growth.
Is an indie hacker a real hacker?
No. "Hacker" here means a builder who makes things quickly, not someone who breaks into computer systems.
Do indie hackers raise money?
Usually not. Most are bootstrapped, paying for the business from savings, a job or its own revenue.
Where did the term come from?
It spread with Indie Hackers, a community and interview site Courtland Allen started in 2016, which Stripe acquired in 2017.
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