Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Thomas Sanlis, and I'm a 29yo French guy who works from home on internet projects. I also teach development a few days per month and sometimes take on a few freelancing gigs. I've always created projects on the Internet, ever since I was a kid. It started with a server and a community on Minecraft, then it quickly expanded.
A little over 5 years ago, during my studies, which included web development, design, and business, I launched a side project, which is now my main project: Uneed. Apart from work, I do a lot of cycling and badminton
What did it take/how did you get started?
To be honest, I never really planned on becoming an Indie Hacker or making money on the Internet .
I initially created Uneed as a way to test a new framework I was excited about, NuxtJS. At first, it was just a simple directory of frontend tools that I used for my projects, which I gradually built up over time.
It wasn't until a few years later, when I realized I could actually make money from this, that I really became interested in it and discovered the Indie Hacker community. I began with a personal project to improve my skills, and it organically evolved into something more. The key was being open to opportunities and willing to pivot when I saw the potential for growth .
What does the future look like for you and your business?
That's a big question! For me, the future is clear: I can't see myself doing anything other than being independent and launching projects on the Internet. As for Uneed, there are many factors to consider. The platform has gained a lot of traction lately, and I love that.
There are so many things I want to add or improve, and I'm working on them bit by bit. But managing a community/marketplace is a huge job, and the pressure can sometimes be difficult to handle.
I think that in the near future, I'll have to choose between delegating some work or selling the project to focus on something else. I'm leaning more towards the first option!
What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?
My answer might sound a bit strange, but what motivates me is neither money nor success. I want two things: the freedom to do what I want when I want, and not to be bored! I've often been bored in my life, including when I had a more "traditional" job as a full-time employee or freelancer. I need to juggle different things; I don't like doing just development, for example. I enjoy doing design, marketing, managing social media, SEO, writing... I love the variety of different things that my job allows me to do.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
Firstly, I advise you to think carefully and take a step back to understand the realities. We see many people on social media flaunting their success and enormous incomes, their freedom, the fact that they live in some paradise on the other side of the planet and are writing to you from a swimming pool... The reality is different.
It's an extremely demanding and very uncertain profession: - The boundary between your personal life and your work is non-existent. You're working all the time, you're thinking about your projects all the time, and it can be very complicated to organize moments to switch off. - There's no guarantee of success. Despite what you might be sold on the internet, succeeding in the indie hacking world is very difficult, and above all, very random.
You could develop the best product in the world, but you need to be able to sell it! And that often requires being in the right place at the right time. If despite all this you still want to take the plunge, I advise you to keep your job so as not to put too much pressure on yourself and to discover the profession. Only leave it when you have your first customers and know how to grow your product!
What has been the hardest part of your business journey?
Accepting that it was going to take me years, and that I had everything to learn. I had knowledge in development, but that's only a small part of indie hacking.
How have you managed burnout thus far?
That's an excellent question!! I think I've come very close to burnout on several occasions; it's a significant risk when you work for yourself. What helps me is keeping in mind that what matters isn't the time spent working on my project, but the time/efficiency ratio. If I'm not in good spirits, I'm not efficient, and working is pointless.
If I don't take care of my health or sleep, I'll become less and less productive. If I don't go out enough to see other people, I'll end up losing morale. And so on. It's about finding a balance, and it can take years! I'm glad I didn't give in to the digital nomad trend: I don't see how I could have found this balance without having a fixed place to work and habits to create.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
I'll be honest: I don't consume any business resources. No books, no podcasts, no articles, nothing. This probably makes me someone uncultured in this field, and I'm aware of that. But I truly believe that indie hacking is such a unique world that everything is still to be invented and the old rules don't apply. I find what I need by following other indie hackers on Twitter :)
The STATS
List the founders
Thomas Sanlis
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
It depends a lot. It can range from 10 to 50. On average, I think at least 30h
# of Employees?
0
When did you start?
2019
How much did it cost to launch?
$0
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
None
Annual revenue?
$50K for Uneed at this time.
Projected revenue?
I hope $70k this year with Uneed
What's the #1 thing you need right now?
Traffic