Backstory

Arvid Kahl, a German indie hacker, co-founded FeedbackPanda, a SaaS for online ESL teachers, with his partner Danielle Simpson. After scaling it to $55k-$60k MRR, they sold it in 2019 for a life-changing sum. Arvid now mentors aspiring entrepreneurs through his newsletter, The Bootstrapped Founder, podcast, and books, focusing on sustainable growth and audience building. His 166k X followers reflect his influence, built through transparent, actionable content.

The Journey

Arvid and Danielle built FeedbackPanda to solve a teacher pain point, growing it via word-of-mouth in online communities. Post-sale, Arvid pivoted to mentoring, advocating deliberate, market-driven development over rapid shipping. His podcast and X posts, including an interview with Pieter Levels, explore AI, SaaS, and community-driven growth, making him a trusted guide for indie hackers.

Timeline

  • Founded: 2017
  • Exited: 2019
  • Team Size: 2 founders
  • Industry: EdTech

Products & Ventures

FeedbackPanda

A sold SaaS for teacher feedback management

The Bootstrapped Founder

Blog, newsletter, and books (Zero to Sold, The Embedded Entrepreneur) for indie founders

Visit Product →

Podscan

A podcast monitoring and analysis tool

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Find Your Following

A Twitter course for audience growth

Key Insights from X

"Indie hacking isn't dead, but it's different. Build an audience first, then solve their problems. AI makes it easier to ship, but harder to stand out. Focus on niche markets and own your distribution"

Oct 25, 2023 View Tweet →

"I regularly get asked by founders what tech stack I recommend. My answer? 'The one you used for your last project.' When you start a new business, it's the worst time to choose new and unfamiliar technology"

Apr 5, 2021 View Tweet →

Key Strategies

  • 🎯 Audience-first approach
  • 🎯 Deliberate, market-driven development
  • 🎯 Community-driven growth
  • 🎯 Knowledge sharing through content
  • 🎯 Sustainable business practices

Challenges & Lessons

  • ⚠️ Finding initial customers
  • ⚠️ Scaling customer support
  • ⚠️ Managing technical debt
  • ⚠️ Transitioning from product to education