I am done. I give up

I tried everything - building an audience, making sure my product actually solved a problem, getting paying customers, and writing high-quality content and contributing to the community. But no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to get anywhere. My efforts were fruitless and I'm tired of trying. I barely had 20 followers, my substack and product blogs didn't get any signups, and while I did get a few upvotes (8) on Product Hunt once, I never had a paid customer. It was as if the world was against me and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make any progress. I remember trying to interact and hype up my fellow indiehackers on Twitter, regularly engaging with their content, but no one ever paid any attention to me or followed me back. It was like I didn't even exist in the world of entrepreneurship. And even when I did get some attention, it was short-lived and never led to anything substantial.

But it's not just the lack of success that's getting me down. It's also the constant stream of digital nomad influencers on Twitter who sell extremely distorted, rosy, and often times false dreams to indie entrepreneurs like myself. They make it seem like building a successful startup is easy and anyone can do it with the right mindset and a few key tips. But the reality is that it's not that simple. It's fucking hard and it takes more than just a positive attitude to make it.

I know I'm not alone in feeling this way. There are so many other indie entrepreneurs out there who are struggling and feeling like they'll never make it. If you're one of them, I want you to know that you're not alone. It's okay to feel defeated and to want to give up. But please don't give up. Keep pushing forward and don't let the failures define you. There's always a chance for success, no matter how small it may seem.

But for me, I can't take it anymore. I've hit rock bottom and I have nothing left to give. To all the indie hackers, hacker news, and Reddit readers out there, please don't be fooled by the false promises of digital nomad influencers. Building a startup is hard work and it takes time. It's not as easy as they make it seem and it's not for everyone. Don't let your dreams consume you like they did for me, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AT ALL COST! Don't make the same mistakes I did and realize that entrepreneurship may not be the path for you. It's okay to admit defeat and move on to something else.

Otherwise, yes, this was my experience too: in our noisy world dominated by huge corporations, indie hackers stand little chance to get their message out and pick some interest.

Here's some advice: if you want to make money selling a software product, sell to people who are able and willing to spend money on it.

I want to be rich and famous and loved by the world... I want a private jet... I want to be successful and admired by many... I want a big house... I want to be recognised as the best amongst my peers... I want a nice car... I want to get promotion and a pay rise... I want a house... I want to keep this job... I want to rent somewhere better... I want a job I don't hate... I want to afford to have the heating on...

Unfortunately, as you point out, the internet makes your own perceived 'failure' seen like an outlier, rather than the norm that it actually is. It's infuriating when you've worked hard at something --like a product or a written piece or some art-- and got no interest at all. And you look at YouTube and see some vaccuous fuckwitt with a million views for a video of them opening a box.

I know. I've 'Been there. Done that. Bought the T-shirt ' so many times I could open a T-shirt shop... which, naturally, wouldn't get any customers.

I'm guessing you're pretty young, as you're taking this failure to become the next Elon Musk pretty personally. You also need to learn to separate you as a person from your crazy schemes and, when they come crashing down round your ears, just shrug and move on.

As I've got older, I've come to terms with the fact I'm never going to amount to anything, if my yardstick for success is internet likes or upvotes. But I'm a decent person and, in the real world, my family and friends think I'm a good bloke. So fuck all that fake internet popularity shite.