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MAKE: Bootstrapper’s Handbook, Building Startups The Indie Way
Learn to bootstrap profitable startups the 👨🎤indie way
💡 Get ideas from solving your problems
🛠Build with the tools you already know
🚀 Launch to Product Hunt and your niche
🌱 Grow organically without ads
💰 Monetize by asking users for money
🤖 Automate your entire business
Available on:
http://makebook.io/
💡 Get ideas from solving your problems
🛠Build with the tools you already know
🚀 Launch to Product Hunt and your niche
🌱 Grow organically without ads
💰 Monetize by asking users for money
🤖 Automate your entire business
Available on:
http://makebook.io/
198 pages, ebook
Published March 12, 2018
289 people are currently reading
1952 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
June 12, 2018
A great straightforward quick read for the person thinking of starting their own solo venture. The main idea behind the book is you need to come up with ideas, ship faster, validate your idea with as little money as possible, expect most ideas to fail, and when you do get some traction, look to turn it into a lifestyle business. Although you may benefit from the technical tools mentioned, what I found to be the most beneficial was how Pieter talked about the step step approach he took (in the first half of the book), as well as the mindset needed to make it work, which is really helpful for anyone that is looking for a successful strategy to test.
May 15, 2018
I am glad he mentioned Typeform which I had forgotten, so I integrated it into a small project. I was able to quickly test the potential of an idea.
Besides this, the book was written fast, nothing new under the sun: ship, ship, ship which is surely a good philosophy that works for Pieter (and should work for anyone who puts his ass on a chair on Friday nights instead of drinking beers at the bar) but content-wise it's meh.
Besides this, the book was written fast, nothing new under the sun: ship, ship, ship which is surely a good philosophy that works for Pieter (and should work for anyone who puts his ass on a chair on Friday nights instead of drinking beers at the bar) but content-wise it's meh.
Read
April 11, 2018this is like his ted talk, but you pay him money for it.
July 3, 2019
Despite being a big Pieter's fan for years where I read, seen and listened to blog posts, videos and podcasts. I found a few interesting things for myself, but the majority of the book’s content you probably already know if you are somewhat familiar with him.
Example: Pieter's 1h talk at Dojo Bali Turning Side Projects into Profitable Startups (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reLW...) covers 7 stages of creating a startup which were mentioned in the book too
💡 Idea
🛠 Build
🚀 Launch
🌱 Grow
💰 Monetize
🤖 Automate
🚪 Exit
I’d still say MAKE book is solid 4/5 ⭐️.
The only thing I would keep in mind is the book price. I bought it while it was on the pre-release/discounted price $20 (~£15), yet $30 (~£23) looks slight overprice to me.
Example: Pieter's 1h talk at Dojo Bali Turning Side Projects into Profitable Startups (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reLW...) covers 7 stages of creating a startup which were mentioned in the book too
💡 Idea
🛠 Build
🚀 Launch
🌱 Grow
💰 Monetize
🤖 Automate
🚪 Exit
I’d still say MAKE book is solid 4/5 ⭐️.
The only thing I would keep in mind is the book price. I bought it while it was on the pre-release/discounted price $20 (~£15), yet $30 (~£23) looks slight overprice to me.
July 21, 2019
The quality of this book is below a threshold for a book that is sold to people. Lots of typos, missing words or repeated paragraphs.
It seems the writer is solely driven to make money, any way he can. That he succeeds is good for him and could be seen as inspiring, but not to me. As a reader I don't feel respected of my time.
The ideas in this book are all over the place and could be way better described if the writer had spend some time editing or hiring an editor.
It seems the writer is solely driven to make money, any way he can. That he succeeds is good for him and could be seen as inspiring, but not to me. As a reader I don't feel respected of my time.
The ideas in this book are all over the place and could be way better described if the writer had spend some time editing or hiring an editor.
March 12, 2018
Pieter is inspiring as always.
April 30, 2018
This book is a for a very specific audience with very specific interests and life situation.
Living as a nomad for a couple of years and being in the tech/online industry as a jack of all trades creator (marketing, design, coding...), this book is a great sum up of what you need to go through to actually have an accomplishment.
However, if your life doesn’t fit that picture, this book can be quite frustrating. It does not provide nicely rounded view. I would say, if you are not a tech person, you can still pick up some important points, which I mostly agree with, but 75% of the book might not be of interest at all. It is just something to keep in mind.
Although this is a super niche book, in my opinion, I am giving it 4 stars. I believe of you are a tech person who wants to truly escape the old working day type, the advice in the book you get is the right one. I got to know Pieter in Bali when he was working on the initial versions of his nomadlist and I can honestly say, the way he does things is the only way to have a nicely balanced and happy life.
I have worked on a bunch of products, worked on my own online projects and I am mostly coming to the same conclusions he is. So, one star down for the super niche, but the rest is what the ideas really are worth.
Living as a nomad for a couple of years and being in the tech/online industry as a jack of all trades creator (marketing, design, coding...), this book is a great sum up of what you need to go through to actually have an accomplishment.
However, if your life doesn’t fit that picture, this book can be quite frustrating. It does not provide nicely rounded view. I would say, if you are not a tech person, you can still pick up some important points, which I mostly agree with, but 75% of the book might not be of interest at all. It is just something to keep in mind.
Although this is a super niche book, in my opinion, I am giving it 4 stars. I believe of you are a tech person who wants to truly escape the old working day type, the advice in the book you get is the right one. I got to know Pieter in Bali when he was working on the initial versions of his nomadlist and I can honestly say, the way he does things is the only way to have a nicely balanced and happy life.
I have worked on a bunch of products, worked on my own online projects and I am mostly coming to the same conclusions he is. So, one star down for the super niche, but the rest is what the ideas really are worth.
May 29, 2022
Krótka i zwięzła pozycja, która ciągle też się rozwija. Bardzo oryginalny projekt książki, która żyje i jest aktualizowana na bieżąco. Akurat czytałem ją równolegle z książką "Minimalistyczny przedsiębiorca" i widać tutaj podobne podejście autorów.
Myślą przewodnią tej książki jest to, że trzeba skupiać się na rozwiązywaniu problemów, dowozić rozwiązania szybko, sprawdzać ich poprawność za jak najmniejsze pieniądze, oczekiwać, że większość pomysłów zakończy się niepowodzeniem, a kiedy już się uda, dążyć do przekształcenia ich w biznes oparty na stylu życia.
Dodatkowo Pieter dzieli się narzędziami, których używa w swoich inicjatywach, co może pomóc na starcie. Książka jak najbardziej wpasowuje się w nowy trend no-code (szybkie odpalanie projektu) i automatyzacji (zatrudnianie botów zamiast ludzi).
Myślą przewodnią tej książki jest to, że trzeba skupiać się na rozwiązywaniu problemów, dowozić rozwiązania szybko, sprawdzać ich poprawność za jak najmniejsze pieniądze, oczekiwać, że większość pomysłów zakończy się niepowodzeniem, a kiedy już się uda, dążyć do przekształcenia ich w biznes oparty na stylu życia.
Dodatkowo Pieter dzieli się narzędziami, których używa w swoich inicjatywach, co może pomóc na starcie. Książka jak najbardziej wpasowuje się w nowy trend no-code (szybkie odpalanie projektu) i automatyzacji (zatrudnianie botów zamiast ludzi).
December 28, 2018
Fairly enjoyable read, but if you’re familiar with Pieter’s work and follow him on Twitter you will have absorbed most of the information already. Recommended for someone who wants to start their own solo software biz
Read
December 23, 2020I don't think it's fair to rate this book until I have put it into action.
What I will say is I really enjoyed it. Quick, actionable read.
I skimmed parts that I already knew but there are lots of great ideas in there which Pieter has proven to work.
I will be using this book in 2021 to launch my own startups quick.
What I will say is I really enjoyed it. Quick, actionable read.
I skimmed parts that I already knew but there are lots of great ideas in there which Pieter has proven to work.
I will be using this book in 2021 to launch my own startups quick.
May 19, 2022
Easy to read handbook about startup full cycle. I found it pretty useful and inspiring. The author shares his practical experience in a sincere and simple way w/o some unnecessary theoretical stuff and pathos but with great examples and quotes.
Totally recommend for all who are interested in startups.
Totally recommend for all who are interested in startups.
July 13, 2019
Great book, if you have a dream to have an Indie Startup this guy shares he experience saying what worked what didn't and what is the possibilities.
March 28, 2024
As a software engineer there is a tendency towards perfection. However, an entrepreneur can usually duck tape things and aren’t afraid to ask money for it. In my own personal journey I’ve struggled with the entrepreneur bit as the engineer side worries about things. But I see products all the time that don’t actually do what they said they would do get released and seemingly get rewarded with money.
This book isn’t a life changer, but it is a good perspective for an engineer who wants to be more business minded. Release fast and fail fast. And feedback will be brutal but deal with it.
This book isn’t a life changer, but it is a good perspective for an engineer who wants to be more business minded. Release fast and fail fast. And feedback will be brutal but deal with it.
February 10, 2024
The most practical book to get a sense of the whats and hows of 0 to 1 SaaS. A really good starting point for anyone who's thought of building an online business.
December 27, 2018
For me, Pieter Levels' book MAKE is a great example of how Startups should be created. Made with passion, not with VC money, with keeping cost on an as low level as possible. They should be series of many MVPs early published and quickly pivoted/validated.
MAKE is full of real-life examples, that shows how to start with a side project that solves our problems and turn them into a profitable company. It also gives us some idea, how NomadList was created.
For everyone, considering this book - watch this Pieter Levels presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reLW... If you will love it (I bet you will), then buy MAKE.
MAKE is full of real-life examples, that shows how to start with a side project that solves our problems and turn them into a profitable company. It also gives us some idea, how NomadList was created.
For everyone, considering this book - watch this Pieter Levels presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6reLW... If you will love it (I bet you will), then buy MAKE.
May 23, 2019
Book was meh overall, but had many grammatical errors that I just couldn't stand in a book with that price tag.
The content was ok-ish, it looked more like a series of blog post than a proper book to be honest.
Sometimes it looks like he writes some of his opinions as if they were facts.
You can definitely get something out of it, but 29$? how many proper books can you buy for that?
I'm in the process of trying to get a refund (after the 30 days have passed) and I couldn't find a functional email address to ask for it, ended up tweeting at him. Will update with the outcome.
update: he replied to my tweet, no money back as more than 30 days has passed.
The content was ok-ish, it looked more like a series of blog post than a proper book to be honest.
Sometimes it looks like he writes some of his opinions as if they were facts.
You can definitely get something out of it, but 29$? how many proper books can you buy for that?
I'm in the process of trying to get a refund (after the 30 days have passed) and I couldn't find a functional email address to ask for it, ended up tweeting at him. Will update with the outcome.
update: he replied to my tweet, no money back as more than 30 days has passed.
October 26, 2022
My biggest criticism for this book (and it is mentioned in the introduction) is that it suffers from survivorship bias, and actually the main impactful bit is mentioned in one paragraph. For example:
There's a whole section about launching your product. Where and how to do an outreach, to succeed. Great, but I can attest that it does not work, unless you already have buzz around your name. And this is exactly what the author mentions at the end of the section: "I had an online following for a few years before launch writing about the problem my product was solving."
That said, there is still some old and new valuable advice, that's worth listening to. Hence, 3 stars.
There's a whole section about launching your product. Where and how to do an outreach, to succeed. Great, but I can attest that it does not work, unless you already have buzz around your name. And this is exactly what the author mentions at the end of the section: "I had an online following for a few years before launch writing about the problem my product was solving."
That said, there is still some old and new valuable advice, that's worth listening to. Hence, 3 stars.
March 12, 2019
great summary, although full of typos and grammar mistakes. there are links that don't even work (his older product placestowork still has a link, and the app is long dead).
Not sure why it's in a book format though, as he said he would continously update it - a book is a terrible format for that, as no one will re-read it, so missing out on that info.
Apart from this, I really liked it, easy to digest, there are a lot of practical tips. I also miss a community for this book. Would be great to talk about ideas with fellow makers who read the book.
Not sure why it's in a book format though, as he said he would continously update it - a book is a terrible format for that, as no one will re-read it, so missing out on that info.
Apart from this, I really liked it, easy to digest, there are a lot of practical tips. I also miss a community for this book. Would be great to talk about ideas with fellow makers who read the book.
February 11, 2024
Good reading for anyone who believe that you can build profitable business, especially for tech business (SaaS), with zero support from VCs.
I admire many solopreneurs that able to thrive with building useful products that is also profitable in bootstrap way.
I admire many solopreneurs that able to thrive with building useful products that is also profitable in bootstrap way.
July 12, 2023
"MAKE Book: The Indie Maker Handbook" is a comprehensive and insightful guide that takes readers through the entire journey of indie making. With a focus on practicality, this book provides valuable advice and actionable steps for aspiring indie makers.
The book is divided into eight chapters, each covering a crucial aspect of the indie making process. From generating ideas to successfully exiting a venture, the author provides clear and concise guidance that is easy to follow.
The first chapters emphasize the importance of originality and problem-solving, encouraging readers to draw inspiration from their own lives. The author cautions against building products without a genuine problem to solve, advocating for a customer-centric approach.
Subsequent chapters delve into building, launching, growing, and monetizing a product. The author stresses the significance of utilizing existing skills and tools, avoiding unnecessary learning curves, and embracing an iterative approach to product development and launch.
One notable aspect of this book is the emphasis on organic growth and ethical practices. The author emphasizes the importance of building a great product that genuinely meets the needs of its users, avoiding data selling and excessive advertising. The ethical dimension is highlighted as a competitive advantage in an industry that often falls short in this regard.
Furthermore, the book addresses automation, offering insights on when and how to automate tasks effectively. It also provides guidance on exit strategies, encouraging indie makers to let buyers come to them and negotiate from a position of strength.
The inclusion of homework exercises at the end of each chapter is a notable feature of the book. Readers are encouraged to actively engage with the material by applying it to their own projects, making this a practical handbook rather than mere theoretical discourse.
In conclusion, "MAKE Book: The Indie Maker Handbook" is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the indie making journey. It offers practical advice, emphasizes ethical practices, and provides actionable steps for success. Whether you're a novice or an experienced entrepreneur, this book is a worthwhile read that will inspire and guide you on your indie making path.
The book is divided into eight chapters, each covering a crucial aspect of the indie making process. From generating ideas to successfully exiting a venture, the author provides clear and concise guidance that is easy to follow.
The first chapters emphasize the importance of originality and problem-solving, encouraging readers to draw inspiration from their own lives. The author cautions against building products without a genuine problem to solve, advocating for a customer-centric approach.
Subsequent chapters delve into building, launching, growing, and monetizing a product. The author stresses the significance of utilizing existing skills and tools, avoiding unnecessary learning curves, and embracing an iterative approach to product development and launch.
One notable aspect of this book is the emphasis on organic growth and ethical practices. The author emphasizes the importance of building a great product that genuinely meets the needs of its users, avoiding data selling and excessive advertising. The ethical dimension is highlighted as a competitive advantage in an industry that often falls short in this regard.
Furthermore, the book addresses automation, offering insights on when and how to automate tasks effectively. It also provides guidance on exit strategies, encouraging indie makers to let buyers come to them and negotiate from a position of strength.
The inclusion of homework exercises at the end of each chapter is a notable feature of the book. Readers are encouraged to actively engage with the material by applying it to their own projects, making this a practical handbook rather than mere theoretical discourse.
In conclusion, "MAKE Book: The Indie Maker Handbook" is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the indie making journey. It offers practical advice, emphasizes ethical practices, and provides actionable steps for success. Whether you're a novice or an experienced entrepreneur, this book is a worthwhile read that will inspire and guide you on your indie making path.
April 5, 2025
Title: MAKE: Bootstrapper’s handbook
Author: Pieter Levels
Format: E-Book
Language: English
Pages: 194
Published: 2018
Read and review: 2025
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐ (3)
MAKE: The Bootstrappers Handbook by Pieter Levels is a guide to building and launching your own digital product—specifically in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS). Unlike selling creative assets like e-books, printables, or offering educational content such as online courses, this book focuses on the technical and entrepreneurial side of creating a product where programming, deployment, and growth are key. It’s about coding, launching, and scaling a software business on your own.
Although the book does focus nor go deep into the technical details of programming., In the book Pieter himself also says and emphasizes that you don’t need to be a coding expert to get started. He encourages learning the necessary languages as you build, highlighting that the best way to learn is by actually creating something. This mindset—learning by doing—is one that resonates with myself and many developers.
And as I mentioned the mindset above - I think that is what this book shines on - the mindset of trusting yourself, being agile, being willing to learn alongside as new problems occur - alongside with many other entrepreneurial ways of looking at things taught in the book.
What I also appreciate is that Pieter Levels has actually walked the walk—he's sharing insights and lessons gained through real experience. I sometimes find myself gravitating toward books like this, which blend both the philosophical mindset and the practical “doing” aspect, rather than purely academic approaches. Though academic books have their place on my bookshelves also.
In the style of Daft Punk's - Technologic : think it - build it - launch it - grow it - monetize - automate - exit
Author: Pieter Levels
Format: E-Book
Language: English
Pages: 194
Published: 2018
Read and review: 2025
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐ (3)
MAKE: The Bootstrappers Handbook by Pieter Levels is a guide to building and launching your own digital product—specifically in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS). Unlike selling creative assets like e-books, printables, or offering educational content such as online courses, this book focuses on the technical and entrepreneurial side of creating a product where programming, deployment, and growth are key. It’s about coding, launching, and scaling a software business on your own.
Although the book does focus nor go deep into the technical details of programming., In the book Pieter himself also says and emphasizes that you don’t need to be a coding expert to get started. He encourages learning the necessary languages as you build, highlighting that the best way to learn is by actually creating something. This mindset—learning by doing—is one that resonates with myself and many developers.
And as I mentioned the mindset above - I think that is what this book shines on - the mindset of trusting yourself, being agile, being willing to learn alongside as new problems occur - alongside with many other entrepreneurial ways of looking at things taught in the book.
What I also appreciate is that Pieter Levels has actually walked the walk—he's sharing insights and lessons gained through real experience. I sometimes find myself gravitating toward books like this, which blend both the philosophical mindset and the practical “doing” aspect, rather than purely academic approaches. Though academic books have their place on my bookshelves also.
In the style of Daft Punk's - Technologic : think it - build it - launch it - grow it - monetize - automate - exit
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2025
Make is a book by [levels](https://twitter.com/levelsio). It's divided into 7 chapters, and is around 200 pages.
### **Foreword**
launch early and build with/for users
### **2 Idea**
- solve your own problems
- start with a micro niche
### **3 Build**
- doesn’t matter what language you use to build; just ship stuff
- SQLite
- Typeform → Zapier → Mailchimp → Twilio
### **4 Launch**
### **5 Grow**
- organic growth (free, direct feedback)
- fake users bad 🙅♂️
- growth can be divided in 2
- reaching out to people who don’t know about your product i.e. new users
- returning users
- building in public
- why does it work? people like to be part of the success/failure story
- transparency
- make sharing easy e.g. open graph
- launch an API - good strategy to grow is to launch an API
- possibly more brand awareness
- use API key to prevent abuse
### **6 Monetize**
- monetization is validation
- limit features to paid users
- ads - native ads
- sponsorships
- communities are attractive biz models because by default they’re niche
- used off the shelf tools like Discourse/Slack for NomadList
### **7 Automate**
- avoid hiring, build robots
- php scripts
- cronitor
### **Summary**
Overall, I really like this book. It reminds me a bit of [4 hour work week](https://www.bookkss.com/review/17), which mentions automating when possible.
### **Foreword**
launch early and build with/for users
### **2 Idea**
- solve your own problems
- start with a micro niche
### **3 Build**
- doesn’t matter what language you use to build; just ship stuff
- SQLite
- Typeform → Zapier → Mailchimp → Twilio
### **4 Launch**
### **5 Grow**
- organic growth (free, direct feedback)
- fake users bad 🙅♂️
- growth can be divided in 2
- reaching out to people who don’t know about your product i.e. new users
- returning users
- building in public
- why does it work? people like to be part of the success/failure story
- transparency
- make sharing easy e.g. open graph
- launch an API - good strategy to grow is to launch an API
- possibly more brand awareness
- use API key to prevent abuse
### **6 Monetize**
- monetization is validation
- limit features to paid users
- ads - native ads
- sponsorships
- communities are attractive biz models because by default they’re niche
- used off the shelf tools like Discourse/Slack for NomadList
### **7 Automate**
- avoid hiring, build robots
- php scripts
- cronitor
### **Summary**
Overall, I really like this book. It reminds me a bit of [4 hour work week](https://www.bookkss.com/review/17), which mentions automating when possible.
November 12, 2024
Creo que es un buen libro sobre lo que implica el camino hacia una startup, especialmente como dice su título "Indie". El autor resalta la creación del MVP, el producto base para lograr un objetivo de ventas. Resalta mucho el trabajo individual, lo que cada uno puede hacer sin invertir tanto dinero o tener que levantar capital. Reafirma la necesidad de utilizar de lo que se dispone, si manejas un lenguaje de programación específico pues nútrete de eso, pondera la generación del producto por encima del proceso educativo que el emprendedor puede tener. Prioriza la creación y lanzamiento, y si fracasas, volver a intentarlo hasta lograrlo. Se lee fácil y aunque tiene un poco de tips técnicos, nombres de lenguajes de programación o el uso de ciertos software, no peca en exceso. Una lectura para todos aquellos que quieran construir sus productos, sobre todo digitales.
April 7, 2023
Yes, the book may have been written hastily or in a scrappy manner. However, I still find it inspiring and very practical, just like his products.
Pieter does an excellent job covering most of the things you need to consider when starting a fully bootstrapped indie startup with a focus on selling a digital product. He discusses both philosophical and practical aspects of nearly everything you can think of regarding a bootstrapped startup, including ideas, payments, onboarding, and more.
The only point I disagree with Pieter on is that I believe it's possible to create an indie startup out of problems that aren't only yours. I find that view quite limiting, and all the businesses I've created weren't based solely on my own problems. However, aside from that, the book is excellent!
Pieter does an excellent job covering most of the things you need to consider when starting a fully bootstrapped indie startup with a focus on selling a digital product. He discusses both philosophical and practical aspects of nearly everything you can think of regarding a bootstrapped startup, including ideas, payments, onboarding, and more.
The only point I disagree with Pieter on is that I believe it's possible to create an indie startup out of problems that aren't only yours. I find that view quite limiting, and all the businesses I've created weren't based solely on my own problems. However, aside from that, the book is excellent!
November 27, 2023
"MAKE: Bootstrapper's Handbook" by Pieter Levels is a compelling and practical guide for aspiring entrepreneurs. The book's straightforward approach to building a business—from Idea to Exit—is both inspiring and actionable. Levels' clear roadmap demystifies the entrepreneurial process, making it accessible and achievable.
As a fan of Levels' work, I appreciated his direct and actionable advice. Despite some grammatical errors, the content's quality and the motivational push it provides far outweigh these minor issues. This book has shifted my perspective from endless learning to taking action, a valuable transformation for anyone stuck in the planning phase.
In summary, this handbook is an essential read for anyone ready to move from idea to action in their entrepreneurial journey.
As a fan of Levels' work, I appreciated his direct and actionable advice. Despite some grammatical errors, the content's quality and the motivational push it provides far outweigh these minor issues. This book has shifted my perspective from endless learning to taking action, a valuable transformation for anyone stuck in the planning phase.
In summary, this handbook is an essential read for anyone ready to move from idea to action in their entrepreneurial journey.
December 22, 2020
Well written and consistently updated! The most interesting way I've seen to distribute a book.
Content wise it is accessible to non-tech folks but has plenty for the tech oriented.
I think a lot of people try too hard and skip easy ways to automate their own existences. The chapter on automation seems so obvious, but nowadays with static hosting people don't often own their own servers to run scripts on. A few simple cronjobs could cache data to save the owner time, increase load times, reduce calls to external API providers, and compile shareable social media.
Content wise it is accessible to non-tech folks but has plenty for the tech oriented.
I think a lot of people try too hard and skip easy ways to automate their own existences. The chapter on automation seems so obvious, but nowadays with static hosting people don't often own their own servers to run scripts on. A few simple cronjobs could cache data to save the owner time, increase load times, reduce calls to external API providers, and compile shareable social media.
June 20, 2022
Very honest, down to earth, no bullshit set of ideas about bootstrapped entrepreneurship. And, I can not stress this enough, it comes from a guy that actually did it. Not some wana be bullshit salesman that is doing a pyramid scheme.
For me, it is kind of like a 4 minute mile.
But don't expect a magic spell. It will be a ton of hard work and a ton of things that you may not like. But at least, you will kind of know what to be prepared for.
Mr Levels, you are the gateway drug.
You were the final push. I wander if it will be off the cliff, or into a lovely flight. Only time will tell.
For me, it is kind of like a 4 minute mile.
But don't expect a magic spell. It will be a ton of hard work and a ton of things that you may not like. But at least, you will kind of know what to be prepared for.
Mr Levels, you are the gateway drug.
You were the final push. I wander if it will be off the cliff, or into a lovely flight. Only time will tell.
October 31, 2024
My feelings of the book are mixed: there are useful chapters with information that no one writes about. But there are also absolutely useless ones.
In addition, the book is poorly written - I suspect that Levels did not hire an editor because there are typos, repetitions, and spreading the thought of three paragraphs as if trying to find the right words
Overall, I gave a rating of 3/5
For me it’s a default 5/5, minus a ball for a bad syllable, minus another for the fact that Peter's advice is poorly scalable and will not suit everyone
In addition, the book is poorly written - I suspect that Levels did not hire an editor because there are typos, repetitions, and spreading the thought of three paragraphs as if trying to find the right words
Overall, I gave a rating of 3/5
For me it’s a default 5/5, minus a ball for a bad syllable, minus another for the fact that Peter's advice is poorly scalable and will not suit everyone
June 28, 2020
Make is a book that was written by a guy who doesn't believe in writing books. And he says so himself. Pieter Levels is a developer who became well known by the website Nomad List, a thing that became a business and that led to other businesses.
The book is nice, a light read, emphasizing the lean startup model, with most value add on the Launch part where he describes in detail how to approach websites like Product Hunt / Reddit and others.
The book is nice, a light read, emphasizing the lean startup model, with most value add on the Launch part where he describes in detail how to approach websites like Product Hunt / Reddit and others.
December 9, 2022
A quick read, the real value of which(for me personally) lies in the number of tools introduced in the text. Given the author's expertise, his inclination towards web apps is quiet obvious and hence the provided advice should be taken with a grain of salt. However, the author has provided clarity regarding the indie maker's thought process, methodology and details of their tech stack which is very valuable to the readers.
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