Most developers think selling boilerplates is just about the code. I learned it's actually about the relationship
Content Summary
Opinion Analysis
Mainstream opinion strongly supports the build-in-public and relationship-first approach, with the author and PeerPush both advocating transparency and community support. The dominant viewpoint is that open-sourcing parts of a product can actually increase paid conversions by building trust. However, there's a minor conflicting opinion from u/outdoorszy who calls the post "complete nonsense," suggesting skepticism about this approach. The humorous exchange about the exact customer count (313 vs 314) shows community engagement and light-heartedness. Overall, the discussion leans heavily toward valuing mentorship, community, and transparency over proprietary code.
SAAS TOOLS
| SaaS | URL | Category | Features/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndieKit Pro | Not provided | SaaS boilerplate / starter kit | Multi-tenant DB patterns, Stripe webhooks, background jobs, admin dashboard |
| PeerPush | https://peerpush.net | Community / transparency platform | Build-in-public ethos, mutual support |
USER NEEDS
Pain Points:
- Developers struggle to build SaaS products from scratch
- Lack of proven, production-ready patterns
- Isolation when building alone
- Uncertainty about best practices for multi-tenancy, payments, background jobs
Problems to Solve:
- How to architect scalable multi-tenant SaaS
- How to handle Stripe webhooks reliably
- How to implement background job queues
- How to build admin dashboards efficiently
Potential Solutions:
- Open-source key architectural patterns
- Provide ongoing mentorship and 1-on-1 calls
- Offer weekly updates to keep code current
- Build a community of founders solving similar problems
GROWTH FACTORS
Effective Strategies:
- Open-sourcing parts of the product to build trust and showcase quality
- Building in public to foster community support
- Giving away "just enough" to prove the solution works
- Focusing on relationships rather than just code
Marketing & Acquisition:
- Transparency and open-source contributions as marketing
- Community engagement through build-in-public approach
- Word-of-mouth from 313+ developers helped
Monetization & Product:
- Freemium model: free patterns + paid complete solution with updates and mentorship
- Value-based pricing: charge for ongoing updates, mentorship, and community
- Product-market fit achieved by solving real problems well
User Engagement:
- Weekly updates to keep users engaged
- 1-on-1 mentorship calls for personal connection
- Community of founders for peer support
- Open-source contributions to build goodwill