Indie Hacker Special! I speak to Piyush Patel, the founder of AmplifyX Labs and a prominent voice in the micro-SaaS and indie hacking space. From bootstrapping projects to building in public and exploring AI-powered tools, Piyush shares invaluable insights into his personal journey, product development strategies, getting your first customers and the future of micro-SaaS. This episode is packed with actionable advice for aspiring indie hackers, developers, and entrepreneurs who want to build and scale meaningful projects without funding. He also shares how numerology and astrology influence both his personal and business decisions, and reveals the surprising story of how he used Bumble to gain new customers!

in this conversation we talk:

• Why most people don’t know what indie hacking is, and how the small but vibrant community in India is shaping the space.
• Piyush's step-by-step ideation process for identifying and validating product ideas.
• Building Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and finding your first customers without breaking the bank.
• Common mistakes to avoid when developing and scaling a micro-SaaS product.
• The key strategies Piyush uses to scale his projects while staying bootstrapped.
• Why he prioritizes “selling before building” and “distribution before product” as the foundation for success.
• Navigating tough calls, feature prioritization, and knowing when to pivot or shut down a project.
• His thoughts on the rise of "AI for X" products and how indie developers can leverage AI to innovate.
• Opportunities and threats AI presents for the indie hacking community.
• Learning from failure and building emotional resilience as a bootstrapped founder.
• Tips for indie developers to build their personal brand on YouTube and social media.
• How to prioritize marketing efforts across channels like SEO, Meta, TikTok, and email marketing.
• Why networking is crucial for indie developers and Piyush’s advice for making meaningful connections.
• How public speaking has helped him grow personally and professionally, with tips for beginners.
• Where Piyush sees the micro-SaaS industry heading in the next 5–10 years.
• Advice for aspiring indie hackers: Qualities you need, mistakes to avoid, and how to stay motivated.
• What he would do differently if he had to start over from scratch.

and much more!

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsuppiyush/

https://bento.me/whatsuppiyush

https://x.com/WhatsUpPiyush

Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel

https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2

Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! Share this episode with your friends.

Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes

https://www.indianstartupshow.com/

Music by Punch Deck.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV

Chicken and hot sauce are a match made in heaven! In this episode, II’m joined by Mikhel Rajani, co-founder of Naagin Sauce, India’s first and favourite hot sauce brand. Mikhel and his team spotted a gap in the market about five years ago and have since transformed Naagin Sauce into a household name, now partnering with KFC India and reaching both domestic and international customers.

We dive deep into the story of building Naagin Sauce and what it takes to pioneer a brand in an untapped market. Here's what we cover:

• Why India didn’t have a hot sauce brand before Naagin and how they championed Indian Ghost Chillies.
• The challenges of being first movers in the market—and how they overcame the heat, both figuratively and literally.
• Creating and testing recipes that balanced nostalgia and innovation.
• Mikhel’s insights from 15 years in the F&B industry: branding, marketing, and growing a team from 3 to 50 employees.
• His hiring philosophy: "Loyalty over certificates."
• Overcoming the challenges of Covid, raising funding, and why every business idea should be stress-tested by smarter people who can punch holes in it.

We also touch on fascinating behind-the-scenes stories:

• The quirky inspiration for the brand name, involving cricket and the iconic "Naagin dance."
• Mikhel’s preference for low-key launches instead of flashy events.
• His incredible marketing innovations, including the world’s first pizza delivery by drone in 2012, which was featured on BBC and CNBC.

Mikhel also shares valuable advice for founders:

• Why India is not for beginners, and how to handle 100 rejections without taking them personally.
• How his management style has evolved over the years and why documenting mistakes is crucial for growth.
• Practical tips on working with co-founders and maintaining healthy partnerships.

Finally, Mikhel’s closing advice for first-time founders:
“Don’t accept defeat. There will always be someone willing to help you on your journey.”

Links

https://www.naaginsauce.com/

Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel

https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2

Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! Share this episode with your friends.

Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes

https://www.indianstartupshow.com/

Music by Punch Deck.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV

The world is getting fatter! In this episode, we dive deep into fitness and nutrition with Adarsh Gopalakrishnan, founder of Move101 in Chennai. Move101 is a unique strength and conditioning gym tailored for regular folks with little to no training background, and it also offers online coaching.

Adarsh’s journey into fitness began in an unexpected way: he started working out to impress a girl who liked the biceps of a popular MTV VJ. He had no biceps and he wanted biceps and he started lifting weight and he got biceps! Thirteen years later, he’s trained hundreds of clients both in-person and online.

Here’s what you can expect in this episode:

• Adarsh’s Journey: Being an unconventional, anti-institutional kid who dropped out of school.
• Right Place, Right Time: Catching the CrossFit wave in 2008–2010 and building a unique, community-driven gym.
• Word-of-Mouth Success: Why Adarsh spends zero on Google or Facebook ads and still has an 80% client retention rate—higher than most big box gyms.
• The Protein Problem in India: Why Indians often lack protein in their diets, the supply chain issues around whey protein, and what alternatives you can eat.
• Fitness in a Post-COVID World: How the pandemic actually boosted his business and his thoughts on the global obesity crisis.
• Social Media Pressure: The unrealistic expectations to look “jacked” and the common mistakes people make in strength training (like too much volume and variety, and poor goal setting).
• Adarsh shares insights on improving your communication skills
• Training Myths & Realistic Goals: Why you don’t have to train like a beast, loving single-leg squats, and why a six-pack is hard. But a four-pack is good enough!
• The Problem with Corporate Wellness Programs: Why Adarsh isn’t a fan and his thoughts on the most effective exercises.
• Navigating Diet Fads and Fitness Trends: Adarsh’s advice on avoiding the hype around the latest diet crazes, fitness gadgets, and weight-loss drugs.
• The Indian Fitness Market Today: His views on why he’s not interested in scaling his business and how his philosophy on fitness has evolved over the years.

And for a fun finish: we talk about how to handle those family gatherings where well-meaning aunties offer Pepsi and jalebi when you’re trying to stay on track!

Links

https://www.move101.net/

Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel

https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2

Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review! Share this episode with your friends.

Listen and Subscribe to More Episodes

https://www.indianstartupshow.com/

Music by Punch Deck.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV