Lance Kong · indie maker

Building tools for real-world decisions.
CarCostIQ — free AU car & EV running-cost calculator.
Also:

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@fialaerik Felt that. Directory grind and a few real weekly comments beat the short spikes for me. One listing only verified after a backlink; another rejected with no reason. Still early on traffic.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@cameronmaciel97 Building was the easy part for me too. Still at zero revenue while I wait on a fixed directory date. What moved the needle for your first subscribers, cold outreach or people who already followed the build?

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

TinyLaunch is locked for Nov 16. Still no revenue on the niche tool. Using the wait to cut thin pages instead of adding features. Anyone else shipping against a fixed directory date?

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@Subastian303 Keeping the stack small is underrated. I also force new ideas to wait if they make the offer harder to explain in one sentence.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@toshit_singh First thing I check is signup source. Traffic without a path you can repeat is just noise. Bounce rate second if the source looks real.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@waveofgoals Two languages done carefully beats a half finished pile. Same instinct here on a small tool: ship less surface, keep quality. Nice that switching is one tap.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

Tried more location style pages for a niche tool. Early Google clicks stayed tiny. Reminder that thin templates are easy to ship and hard to defend. Cutting weak pages may beat adding more.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@truly_offline Nice, App Store search is a clean path. I am writing that down. Thanks for sharing.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@marcellosso That hit hard. I do the one launch post then go quiet too. Curious what cadence actually stuck for you after the first week.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

Building a niche tool where the core is free and one part is a single paid purchase. No revenue yet. Still figuring out what makes someone pay: the feature, the timing, or just trust. Indie folks, what tipped your first buyer? #BuildInPublic

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@cheapbutworks Same stage here, no paying users yet on my side. I kept the core free and made one paid part a one time purchase, no subscription. Have you asked a few of your 100 users what they'd pay for? Their answers beat guessing at paywalls.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

@ronakkhunt Thanks Ronak, appreciate it. Good luck with the next batch of orders!

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

Submitted my small tool to a handful of indie directories this month. One rejected it with no reason. Another only verified it after I added a backlink. Lesson so far: read the rules first, and don't take rejections personally.

#BuildInPublic

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

The calculator's free to run your numbers — no login, no agenda. I'm a solo developer building useful tools for the global market, sharing the journey here.

Try it with your own setup: https://t.co/Jx6DwHFZrS

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

The honest answer is: it depends on YOU. Set your annual km, your state, your home-charging mix — and the verdict flips.

The full 5-year breakdown, depreciation, and 8-state comparison are all free. You just run your own numbers.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

The numbers aren't made up. Every vehicle is checked against the manufacturer's own configurator and official ADR fuel/energy figures. 53 models, EV / petrol / hybrid / diesel / PHEV, and all 8 states with current on-road pricing.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

Everyone assumes "EV = cheaper to run." Sometimes true, often not.

BYD Atto 3 vs Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, default settings: the hybrid is ~$2,984 cheaper over 5 years. The tool tells you that plainly — no spin, no "but think of the planet" deflection.

[Lance Kong · indie maker @lanceKlx]

I spent months building a free tool that does one thing well: tell Australian car buyers the TRUE 5-year cost of owning a car.

The part I'm proudest of — it refuses to cheerlead for EVs.

Here's what it does 🧵