An indie hacker makes $10K MRR with a $20 server. No Kubernetes, no microservices. Stop over-engineering and start making money!
Scrolling through Hacker News, a title slapped me right in the face: running multiple $10K MRR startups on a $20/month tech stack. While most VC-backed startups are burning through AWS credits faster than a Chrome tab eats RAM, this madman is running an empire on a budget tighter than a junior dev's wallet.
So, indie hacker Steve Hanov dropped a bomb about his tech stack. Forget Kubernetes, throw microservices out the window, and ignore every buzzword pushed by tech influencers. He runs strictly on "boring technology".
We are talking about a monolithic architecture dumped on a cheap server. You don't need a massive cloud infrastructure to make real money. If you want to replicate this, just grab a Free $300 to test VPS on Vultr and deploy your ugly, highly profitable monolith. It runs flawlessly, requires zero devops magic at 3 AM, and prints $10,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue.
Naturally, a post like this triggers the entire dev ecosystem. With over 500 upvotes, the comments were a goldmine.
Here is the ultimate takeaway to keep your sanity: Users do not give a damn about your tech stack. They don’t care if you use serverless functions or an old laptop duct-taped to a router. They only care if your app solves their problem.
Stop over-engineering your side projects. Build the monolith. Launch the damn thing. Make money. Over-engineering is the silent killer of Indie Hackers. Once you are making enough money to wipe your tears with $100 bills, then you can hire someone to migrate it to microservices.
Sauce:
