It's a gret summary of what you need to bootstrap an idea, but it lacked of sincerity since its inception.
We've been waiting and, in spite the end result is visually attractive, I feel slightly scammed. Early adopters payed a lot for an ebook which production lasted too long and is not printed. In the meanwhile, Pieter talked about how he was investing in cryptocurrency —with our investment on his book?
Besides, the community helped him write the book for free.
Moreover, It doesn't have bibliography nor sources from his biz school studies; it seems he withholds some tricks from himself (or his blog). Also, there is some media out there where he says almost the same things for free.
It's a great exercise of personal branding, but lacks of technical depth, following the rule that if you failed it is because you did not work enough. It would improve with more strategic principles rather than mere tactics.
If you'd like to get in touch with the feeling of successful bootstrapping, read "Things a Little Bird Told Me" by Twitter's founder Biz Stone (paperback, 20$). On how to structure a new business, "Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers" by Alexander Osterwalder (paperback 19$). On great design, I recommend you read "Da cosa nasce cosa" by Bruno Munari.
Pros:
Easy peasy tricks to build a digital product.
Cons:
We payed 30$ for an ebook, extended production time while harvesting pre-orders
Hi Guillem, sorry to hear this.
> Moreover, It doesn't have bibliography nor sources from his biz school studies; it seems he withholds some tricks from himself (or his blog). Also, there is some media out there where he says almost the same things for free.
I don't know what I've withheld. My business school studied were 2007 - 2012, that was way before I was in startups. A lot of the business school theory is interesting but not practical for startups. Therefore, I've focused on specific and actionable information that people can use, fast.
> It's a great exercise of personal branding, but lacks of technical depth, following the rule that if you failed it is because you did not work enough. It would improve with more strategic principles rather than mere tactics.
I think a lot business books are too strategic but not actionable. The readers leaves feeling they learnt a lot, but don't have much to apply. This book gives you direct ideas on what to do, when. Again, actionable.
I hope this clears it up a bit, why I wrote it in this way! Still, thanks for letting me know.
Report
super
Report
Thank you for mentioning that the book is targeted for digital-product startups, as opposed to startups in general. Software and web developers often forget that there are other types of startups out there.
👋 Hi Product Hunters!
When I was reading Hacker News in 2013, I remember seeing @patio11's posts on building web apps (like Appointment Reminder) by himself, without funding. Back then, there weren't many others doing anything like that.
Back then, you were either big and VC-funded or you were a freelancer working for them.
Ever since Product Hunt launched 2014, there's been a rise of indie startups. It's never been more possible to build something on the internet, by yourself, without funding, charge money for it, and pay your bills. I'm the living proof of that.
Just as music has indie bands, the startup world now has indie startups.
This book is everything I learnt in the last few years about building indie startups. In the hope that it makes them more popular. Get ideas from problems you have in your life, build solutions for them, validate them by launching and seeing if you get users, monetize by asking your users for money, grow by building with your users, automate your business and if you like at some point exit and sell it!
🤡 How I wrote this book
I felt on a very meta level, I wanted to write this book with the theory described in this book.
Before even writing a single line on it I announced this book and opened it up for pre-orders:
The landing page was literally a Typeform telling that I wanted to write a book, but it didn't exist yet, and asking for $30 to support it.
The only thing people received after paying $30 immediately was an empty Workflowy list where they could write what the book should be about specifically. That gave me immediate feedback from customers what they wanted me to make. Just like a startup.
Thousands of people pre-ordered the book (quickly netting $50,000+ in revenue at $30 per pre-order) and there was thousands of items in the Workflowy list to write about. I went through it regularly and tried to re-order it to find patterns. I found I could divide up all questions people had in the different stages of startups. Ideas, building, launching, growing and monetizing. Everyone was at a different stage and needed different questions answered.
I then started writing the first chapter. I wanted to do this by "building in public" too. Or in this case, writing in public. I made a Google Docs text document and started writing.
But not before I started a live stream on Twitch of the writing process of course. I wanted to live stream most of the chapters. It helped me because, as you may know if you've ever written a book or thesis, the procrastination of writing can become incredible.
Every time I finished the draft of a chapter I sent it out to all the pre-order customers. And they could review it as a Google Doc again.
Only the final process of writing this book was done by myself. Collecting all the content, cleaning it up, rewriting it and making editorial decisions on what should be in it. But 90% of the process was out in the open.
And that's exactly what this book is about: launch early and build with your users.
📺Video
Here's a presentation I did last month about some of what's in the book:
🙂I hope you enjoy reading it and it'll help some of you get into building your own apps, web apps, products and startups!
I pre-ordered in 2015 and haven't received my copy yet. Seems like Levels just keeps taking pre-orders without delivering. Has anyone confirmed this has actually shipped yet? I haven't received any e-mails from him yet.
@levelsio That's not entirely true, since you hadn't sent them when I wrote my initial comment.
I feel like instead of putting us last on your launch checklist that you could've reached out to us a bit before now. Even a "Hey, I'm just putting the final touches on the book" e-mail - for many of us, the last we heard from you about our order was August 2016.
@nikstep Relaxed was two weeks ago when I asked for an order update and got no reply, after he posted book revenue figures for January. Rightfully annoyed is when I see him pushing new sales again when I still haven't received mine after 2.5 years.
Of course, now I know the book is coming, but I would've known that already if he'd e-mailed pre-order customers with an update prior to launching... my post here probably would've been "Woohoo! I've been waiting for this one for ages! So excited!" or something equally fan-gushy.
It's arrived now... so... woohoo!
Many if not most business books are written by authors, rather than actual entrepreneurs. This makes sense considering entrepreneurs are busy running their business :)
Despite Pieter being a true entrepreneur he still found the time somehow to write this book.
I would recommend any (wannabe) maker to just go out and build stuff rather than read books. I bet Pieter would say the same. However, if you feel stuck or need some motivation, then this is the book for you. Buy it. Read it. And get back to shipping.
Pros:
No-nonsense advice like Pieter is known for.
Cons:
You still actually need to go and do the work. Reading is not enough.
Haha yes, that’s why it took awhile. I don’t recommend writing a book while running and growing 3 businesses!
I agree books won’t make you succesful. And survivorship bias applies here.
This is the second time that the book has been featured on ProductHunt. The first time was back in 2015, when I pre-ordered. Yet to receive anything from Pieter indicating that the book is actually finished.
Sorry Ross, they're send out in a batch. You'll receive an email any minute now!
Report
I often wonder if there is a chicken-or-the-egg aspect of the type of example Pieter gives with the making of this book. To what degree do you need to already have a large audience to be able to pull off this sort of launch-with-nothing-and-build-it-in-public strategy?
@benjamin_wheeler Great point. I’m not in any condition to test this anymore, so my results might be skewed. I did start in this way though before I had any reach. Shipping early, building with users.
Report
@levelsio Thanks. Did most of the supporters of the books pre sale come through Product Hunt? Curious about how that audience found the book. The $50k presale is kind of mind blowing!
Report
The author popularised digital nomad term and wannabes flushed tropical countries. I backed this book and was very dissatisfied its quality.
Name of book reminded me books by 37signals, which was revolutions for me (except book about freelance, but that was made by them intentionally, to sell idea of remote work to conservatives). Buuuut I started to read - and discovered set of obvious and questionable selfdevelopment ideas with redudant technical details of how author edit texts or which frameworks he use.
I understand, that he writes from his own view, from view of techy gus, not enterpreneur. But also I understand, that book will help to very narrow audience of the book. I'd like to see first idea, system, then example. In other case you don'y get idea. And you don't understand, that there are a lot of similar or even advanced and simplier tools/ways.
This is an example of author texts: https://levels.io/how-i-build-my... . MVP ideas expanded today, it's not just one idea, there a lot of tricks, a lot of formats of MVP, it's a new field of knowledge. But author literally enumerate which apps and frameworks he uses.
Is it matter? A bit, but customer doesn't care, which tools you used. He is doing target action or not, this is the marketing.
Conclusion: if you're know a lot of marketing theory but can't start to make - this book can help you with tools or show you that it's quite easy to build a product nowadays. If you prefer to learn the base, the abstract system which will lasts for years and don't care about tools which changes all the time - better to find another book.
Pros:
Can motivate casual ppl to start their own biz
Cons:
Nowadays a very subjective view of IT-guy, not enterpreneur
It's a gret summary of what you need to bootstrap an idea, but it lacked of sincerity since its inception.
We've been waiting and, in spite the end result is visually attractive, I feel slightly scammed. Early adopters payed a lot for an ebook which production lasted too long and is not printed. In the meanwhile, Pieter talked about how he was investing in cryptocurrency —with our investment on his book?
Besides, the community helped him write the book for free.
Moreover, It doesn't have bibliography nor sources from his biz school studies; it seems he withholds some tricks from himself (or his blog). Also, there is some media out there where he says almost the same things for free.
It's a great exercise of personal branding, but lacks of technical depth, following the rule that if you failed it is because you did not work enough. It would improve with more strategic principles rather than mere tactics.
If you'd like to get in touch with the feeling of successful bootstrapping, read "Things a Little Bird Told Me" by Twitter's founder Biz Stone (paperback, 20$). On how to structure a new business, "Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers" by Alexander Osterwalder (paperback 19$). On great design, I recommend you read "Da cosa nasce cosa" by Bruno Munari.
Pros:Easy peasy tricks to build a digital product.
Cons:We payed 30$ for an ebook, extended production time while harvesting pre-orders
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
Makerbook
Cursor
Brutal Teardowns
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
Brutal Teardowns
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
Brutal Teardowns
Vision Directory
Many if not most business books are written by authors, rather than actual entrepreneurs. This makes sense considering entrepreneurs are busy running their business :)
Despite Pieter being a true entrepreneur he still found the time somehow to write this book.
I would recommend any (wannabe) maker to just go out and build stuff rather than read books. I bet Pieter would say the same. However, if you feel stuck or need some motivation, then this is the book for you. Buy it. Read it. And get back to shipping.
Pros:No-nonsense advice like Pieter is known for.
Cons:You still actually need to go and do the work. Reading is not enough.
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
Viz
Brutal Teardowns
This is the second time that the book has been featured on ProductHunt. The first time was back in 2015, when I pre-ordered. Yet to receive anything from Pieter indicating that the book is actually finished.
Pros:Sounds like a great book!
Cons:Ordered in 2015, have not received my copy yet
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
eu/acc: European Accelerationism
The author popularised digital nomad term and wannabes flushed tropical countries. I backed this book and was very dissatisfied its quality.
Name of book reminded me books by 37signals, which was revolutions for me (except book about freelance, but that was made by them intentionally, to sell idea of remote work to conservatives). Buuuut I started to read - and discovered set of obvious and questionable selfdevelopment ideas with redudant technical details of how author edit texts or which frameworks he use.
I understand, that he writes from his own view, from view of techy gus, not enterpreneur. But also I understand, that book will help to very narrow audience of the book. I'd like to see first idea, system, then example. In other case you don'y get idea. And you don't understand, that there are a lot of similar or even advanced and simplier tools/ways.
This is an example of author texts: https://levels.io/how-i-build-my... . MVP ideas expanded today, it's not just one idea, there a lot of tricks, a lot of formats of MVP, it's a new field of knowledge. But author literally enumerate which apps and frameworks he uses.
Is it matter? A bit, but customer doesn't care, which tools you used. He is doing target action or not, this is the marketing.
Conclusion: if you're know a lot of marketing theory but can't start to make - this book can help you with tools or show you that it's quite easy to build a product nowadays. If you prefer to learn the base, the abstract system which will lasts for years and don't care about tools which changes all the time - better to find another book.
Pros:Can motivate casual ppl to start their own biz
Cons:Nowadays a very subjective view of IT-guy, not enterpreneur