YS

Building my first SaaS from 0 → 1 | Indie Hacker learning in public | Turning ideas into products | Follow along the journey 🚀| Shipping MVP too

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

AI won't replace researchers.

It will replace researchers who refuse to use AI.

The ones who learn to combine deep thinking + AI tools will publish more, reach more, and matter more.

PaperDrop is my small bet on this.

Am I wrong?

#AITools #FutureOfResearch #PaperDrop #ArtificialIntelligence #AcademicTwitter #IndieHacker

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

You spent 3 years on your research paper.
You spent 0 minutes telling anyone about it.

PaperDrop turns your PDF into a Twitter thread,
LinkedIn post & key insights — in 10 seconds.

Free for researchers 👇
https://t.co/BClO7tWHKq

#AcademicTwitter #PhDLife #SciComm

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

I launched my first SaaS (https://t.co/njGDbMeG4j) and nobody showed up.

No launch day spike. No viral moment. No HN front page.

Just me refreshing the dashboard at 2am.

If you've been there — what actually got you your first 10 users?

I need real answers, not advice.

#BuildInPublic #IndieHacker #SaaSFounder #Bootstrapped #StartupLife #ZeroToOne

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Be honest.

When you find a great research paper, what do you actually do?

A) Read the abstract, feel smart, close the tab
B) Save it to "read later" and never open it again
C) Skim it and understand maybe 40%
D) Actually read it fully

D is statistically the rarest answer.

#ResearchTwitter #AcademicTwitter #PaperDrop #Learning #SciComm #StudentLife

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Twitter/X is underrated for researchers.

You can reach more people with one good thread than with 10 citations.

But nobody teaches academics how to write for social media.

Do you agree — or is this disrespectful to the research community?

try https://t.co/njGDbMe8eL

#AcademicTwitter #SciComm #ResearchTwitter #PaperDrop #ContentCreation #AITools

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

I shipped PaperDrop ( https://t.co/njGDbMeG4j ) with:
→ 0 paid ads
→ 0 investor money
→ 0 team members

Just me, Claude, and too much coffee.

What's the hardest part of building solo for you?

(Genuine question — I read every reply)

#BuildInPublic #IndieHacker #SoloFounder #Bootstrapped #MakerLife #SaaS

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Unpopular opinion:

Most researchers don't deserve their obscurity.

They spend 3 years on a paper that 12 people read.

Not because the work is bad. Because they never learned to communicate online.

PaperDrop ( https://t.co/njGDbMeG4j ) exists to fix that.

Change my mind.

#PaperDrop #AcademicTwitter #ResearchTwitter #AITools #SciComm #IndieHacker

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

1 month ago I had 0 users, 0 revenue, and 0 clue.

Today I'm at 30 followers, 2 live products, and still figuring it out.

Most people would quit. I'm just getting started.

What was the moment YOU almost quit but didn't?

I'll go first 👇

#BuildInPublic #IndieHacker #StartupJourney #SoloFounder #Entrepreneur #ZeroToOne

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Why do solo founders fail at marketing?

A) No time
B) No skills
C) No consistency
D) No money

I'm building to solve A, B, and C.

What's your answer?

#IndieHacker #SoloFounder #BuildInPublic #StartupLife #IndieHacking #Marketing

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Building in public is humbling. (https://t.co/njGDbMeG4j )

I expected: users, feedback, traction.
I got: 3 signups, 1 bug report, and a weird DM.

But those 3 signups? Worth more than 300 lurkers.

Who else is building something right now?

Drop your product below — I'll give you real feedback. 👇

#BuildInPublic #IndieHacker #MakerLife #SoloFounder #StartupCommunity #ShowHN

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Building in public is humbling. (https://t.co/njGDbMeG4j )

I expected: users, feedback, traction.
I got: 3 signups, 1 bug report, and a weird DM.

But those 3 signups? Worth more than 300 lurkers.

Who else is building something right now?

Drop your product below — I'll give you real feedback. 👇

#BuildInPublic #IndieHacker #MakerLife #SoloFounder #StartupCommunity #ShowHN

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Hot take:

Reading research papers is broken.

You spend 40 mins on a paper. Understand 30%. Share nothing.

We built PaperDrop (https://t.co/njGDbMeG4j), so your 40-minute turn becomes a Twitter thread 1000 people actually read.

Do you think AI summarizing papers is cheating — or just smart?

(Drop your answer below 👇)

#PaperDrop #IndieHacker #BuildInPublic #AITools #ResearchTwitter #SaaS

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

@GoldilocksOrbit Distribution > Product > Timing > Luck.
Great products die without distribution, but great distribution can't save a bad product forever. Timing amplifies outcomes, and luck is the multiplier nobody controls. 😀

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Rank these from most important to least for a solo founder:

→ Product quality
→ Distribution / marketing
→ Timing
→ Luck

Comment your order. Curious if this community agrees 👇

#SoloFounder #StartupLife #BuildInPublic #IndieHackers

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Learning to code in 2026 as a founder is a mistake.

You should spend that time learning to write, tell stories, and build in public.

No-code tools exist. Audiences don't build themselves.

Agree or hard disagree? Tell me 👇

#SoloFounder #NoCode #BuildInPublic #IndieHackers #MarketingTips

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

If you had to pick ONE:

A) A killer product that nobody uses

B) An average product with 10,000 daily users

Which do you choose — and why?

#SoloFounder #Startups #BuildInPublic #ProductMarketFit

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

What actually killed your last side project?

Be honest.

Was it the product? Or was it that nobody ever heard of it?

I'll start: mine was 90% distribution, 10% product.

Drop your number below 👇

#SoloFounder #BuildInPublic #IndieHackers #ShipIt

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Hot take:

90% of solo founders don't fail because of bad product.

They fail because they can't get the word out.

Marketing is the moat, not code.

Agree or disagree? 👇

#SoloFounder #IndieHackers #BuildInPublic

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

@founderhannah Thanks, Hannah! Building from a problem I deal with every day. Excited to see whether an AI-powered CMO can actually help solo founders stay consistent with marketing.

[YS @YS_CodeToRich]

Day 1 of building ShadowCMO.

The problem: I can build. I cannot market.
Most founders I know are the same.

So I'm building an AI that acts as a full CMO.
It learns your product. Writes in your voice. Posts on autopilot.

Let's see where this goes.

#BuildInPublic #SoloFounder