Day 452 - Customers > patrons - https://golifelog.com/posts/customers-greater-patrons-1648426587271
Yes it’s sweet to support an indie hacker, out of no other intention than to support his work. It’s like being a patron for an artist.
But something about the patronage approach for indie hackers always bothered me.
It means that someone bought your product without necessarily seeing value in your product. They just wanted to support you, the person, the maker.
Though I appreciate it, I find that adds noise. The signal that I’m seeking from the market isn’t how many people support me, but how many people find my product useful and valuable in helping them solve a tiny problem in their lives.
Customers > patrons
So the best way to support me is by buying my product because it solves your problem. Buy because you need it, because you will actually use it, not (solely) because you want to support me.
If it doesn’t solve a problem you have, don’t buy it.
If you want to support me, you can always do so in other ways - retweet my tweet, talk about my work to your friends, buy me a coffee, DM me how you enjoy your content. All that is sincerely appreciated.
It might sound foolish turning away free money, no matter how fleeting, even if it’s out of patronage support than actual utility. But that’s just how I roll. I’m purist that way, a pragmatist that way.
I take a practical sort of pride in my craft, and there’s no better praise that affirms my craft than a paying customer who uses my product every day.
But something about the patronage approach for indie hackers always bothered me.
It means that someone bought your product without necessarily seeing value in your product. They just wanted to support you, the person, the maker.
Though I appreciate it, I find that adds noise. The signal that I’m seeking from the market isn’t how many people support me, but how many people find my product useful and valuable in helping them solve a tiny problem in their lives.
Customers > patrons
So the best way to support me is by buying my product because it solves your problem. Buy because you need it, because you will actually use it, not (solely) because you want to support me.
If it doesn’t solve a problem you have, don’t buy it.
If you want to support me, you can always do so in other ways - retweet my tweet, talk about my work to your friends, buy me a coffee, DM me how you enjoy your content. All that is sincerely appreciated.
It might sound foolish turning away free money, no matter how fleeting, even if it’s out of patronage support than actual utility. But that’s just how I roll. I’m purist that way, a pragmatist that way.
I take a practical sort of pride in my craft, and there’s no better praise that affirms my craft than a paying customer who uses my product every day.