Intro

Hey makers!

The indie maker economy is on the rise. 

As indie projects become more and more successful, this economy will create job opportunities specifically geared towards people with an indie maker mindset.

It's time to create a dedicated indie gigs platform.

🔥 Problem

The Jobs group on Indie Hackers is booming. This economy is already creating job opportunities, but we are missing a dedicated place to match supply and demand.

🧯 Solution

Build an indie maker gigs board with vetted indie projects and indie makers.

👍 What are the benefits?

• Both sides of the market are vetted: filtering out BS.
• Profiles with 'indie resumes': links to projects, indie skills, references. 
• Filtering options to narrow down what you are looking for. 
• Email notifications to get opportunities right in your mailbox.
  

🤑 Are people currently spending money on this?

Yes, there are job boards (unicornfactory.nz) and talent matching services (toptal.com) charging money from at least one side of the marketplace.

💵 Possible Monetization Streams

There are a few monetization models that could work here: 

• Charge for posting a gig
• Charge for access to profiles
• Charge for access to gigs
• Close it off and charge everyone for access 

I don't know which monetization would work best. Each approach has its pros and cons. You have to think about how you'll get supply and demand on the site in the first days. People won't pay if you have no gigs and no people looking for gigs.

✅ What do I need to validate?

• Is there a need for a vetted gigs board? Or are people fine with the Jobs group on IH and using Fiverr/Upwork etc.?
• What is the right monetization model?
  

🧰 How I'd validate?

Step 1

• Start by creating a form for people to create their profiles. Test if anyone is putting the effort to fill it out. Try charging $1 or $2 for submitting the form. This can give you some data into the willingness of people to pay for access to indie gig opportunities.
• Post the form on IH validation and jobs groups. 

Step 2

• If you gather some interest move to step 2. Load the profiles onto a website and put them behind a paywall.
• Post the website on IH and add a 'Post a gig' button.
• Charge a fee for posting the gig. This will tell you if people are willing to pay for access to profiles.

🤔 How will I get first 10 customers?

Utilize existing channels for looking for gig opportunities. Besides the Jobs group in IH, go look for gig forums in the nocode, design, and writers community.

📈 Will it be sustainable?

I think the indie makers economy is going to keep growing and will need people to support it. If you can work out the supply/demand mechanics and figure out a monetization model that will work for everyone, you might be onto something!

👉 My Score

• Usefulness: 💪💪💪 (High)
• Complexity: 👩‍💻 (Easy)
• Excitement: 🔥🔥🔥 (High)

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