The Tech Bubble

The Tech Bubble Substack, curated by a tech startup CTO, delves into indie hacking, startups, and technology, focusing on practical advice for leveraging boring technology, finding niches for indie businesses, building trust, and the significance of co-founders. It explores startup strategies, the value of failure, and common misconceptions.

Startup Foundations Technical Decision Making Indie Business Models Building Trust in Business Co-founder Dynamics Learning from Failure Startup Ecosystem Insights Business Model Evaluation

The hottest Substack posts of The Tech Bubble

And their main takeaways

Why the boring tech is the best for starting a startup

3 HN points • 25 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Startups Tech stack Development
  1. Consider using boring technologies for starting a startup as they are reliable and stable, having been tested by many companies.
  2. Stick with what you know when choosing a tech stack for an MVP to avoid inefficiencies from trying new tools.
  3. If you're not a developer, options for building a product include using no-code tools, paying for development, or partnering with a technical co-founder.

5 surprising indie businesses that somehow make good money

0 implied HN points • 18 Apr 24
💼 Business Revenue Models
  1. Indie businesses can generate decent revenue by simplifying and targeting specific niches, rather than chasing after complex ideas.
  2. There is a demand for tools that streamline processes, like creating short social media content or converting HTML into PDFs, saving users time and effort.
  3. Selling access to specialized databases can also be profitable in the B2B space, as compiling and organizing data can be time-consuming for businesses.

Indie review: blog2doc, converting blogs to Word documents

0 implied HN points • 22 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Review Business Model Recommendations Pricing
  1. Consider starting with identifying customer problems before developing a solution.
  2. Pivoting an idea to meet a more pressing need, like offering a complete backup service, can lead to more value and market demand.
  3. When structuring pricing for a service, consider the value it provides customers and whether it justifies a monthly fee or a pay-per-use model.

How to convince technical people to join as a co-founder?

0 implied HN points • 16 Apr 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Partnerships
  1. Finding a technical co-founder for a startup is challenging because technical expertise is rare and those who have it are often already employed.
  2. To convince technical people to join as a co-founder, don't just be an 'idea person', bring substantial value to the partnership through industry knowledge, validation, and commitment to the project.
  3. When bringing a technical co-founder onboard, respect their expertise and autonomy in technical decisions, ensuring they are joining because they believe in the idea and not just to experiment with new technologies.
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My first startup attempt

0 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Digital marketing Market research Tech Solutions
  1. When starting a business, focus on solving a real problem for clients instead of letting technology dictate the solution.
  2. Validate your business idea by engaging with potential customers and seeking their feedback early on to avoid wasting time and resources.
  3. Learn from early failures and pivot to new ideas based on real-world feedback to increase chances of success in future startup attempts.

How I failed with SpamLabs even before it even started

0 implied HN points • 04 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Startups Entrepreneurship Cybersecurity Artificial Intelligence Validation
  1. The initial idea behind SpamLabs was to offer an API for email address validation, but the lack of competition indicated a small market demand.
  2. The pivot to combat email unsolicited cold emailing faced challenges as traditional email validation methods did not work effectively.
  3. Exploring the problem space and validating ideas with potential users before investing heavily in coding can help prevent wasting time on unfeasible projects.

Common misconceptions about startups (and pony startups)

0 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Startups Investing Entrepreneurship Tech industry Company growth
  1. Startups don't have to be massive Silicon Valley unicorns - they can be more localized or target smaller markets.
  2. Differentiation doesn't always mean being completely unique - simplicity can often be a key selling point over big players with complex offerings.
  3. Not every startup needs to aim for unicorn status - it's okay to start small, grow gradually, and make a meaningful impact without chasing unrealistic expectations.

The challenges of the European startup scene

0 implied HN points • 01 Apr 24
💼 Business Startups Funding
  1. Population size and market fragmentation in Europe pose challenges for startups that want to scale beyond their borders.
  2. Cultural differences impact how risk, work, and investment in startups are perceived between Europe and the US.
  3. The US has more financial power and exit opportunities, making it easier for startups to get funding and achieve successful exits compared to Europe.

How I judge the potential of startup?

0 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
💼 Business Industry Analysis Business Models
  1. The industry a startup operates in is crucial because it determines market size, competition, barrier to entry, and potential profit margins.
  2. A startup's business model, including target customer base and monetization methods, plays a vital role in its future success and scalability.
  3. Having founders with relevant industry experience, complementary skills, and a strong investment commitment indicates a higher chance of a startup succeeding and growing.