SUMMARY

Josef and Timo, indie hackers, share on Starter Story how they validated and built Setter AI, an AI appointment setter for B2B sales, reaching $10K MRR without initial coding by using fake demos and deposits.

STATEMENTS

Josef and Timo met in a coworking space and partnered after burnout from unmonetized projects, adopting a strategy of getting paid before building.
Setter AI automates lead qualification and follow-up for high-ticket B2B sectors like solar, coaching, and finance, with subscriptions from $50 to $5,000 monthly.
They validated the idea using a fake landing page with a generated demo video, indexed via Google Search Console on an established domain.
The landing page targeted low-difficulty SEO keywords like "cold call automation," attracting traffic and leading to a $500 Stripe payment before product development.
Validation occurs only when buyers pay, as seen with a billion-dollar company booking a call, signaling strong demand.
Their playbook starts with drawing from job experiences for B2B pain points, followed by SEO-optimized landing pages, Calendarly links, deposit frameworks, and incubation time.
Growth relied on inbound SEO via free tools, comparison articles, and YouTube long-form content to build trust and close high-intent leads.
The business achieved $10K MRR last month from 38 high-value customers, with 90% margins after minimal costs like OpenAI API at $250 monthly.
Tech stack includes TypeScript, SvelteKit, PostgreSQL on Render/Supabase, Puppeteer for automation, and tools like Ahrefs for SEO and Cursor for coding.
Advice emphasizes charging early and high-ticket to create urgency, commitment, and easier sales to affluent clients.

IDEAS

Using a completely fake demo video generated with Eleven Labs on a landing page can quickly gauge real demand without coding.
Leveraging an existing domain and requesting immediate Google indexing via Search Console allows a new page to rank fast.
Targeting SEO keywords with search volume but zero difficulty, like "cold call automation," enables organic traffic to a minimal page.
Securing refundable deposits, such as $500, before building provides validation and funds while offering value like early access.
Drawing B2B ideas from personal job experiences uncovers authentic pain points that Reddit or forums often miss.
Building free tools, like sales script generators, and comparison content boosts SEO and attracts serious searchers.
YouTube long-form videos create high buyer intent and trust, serving as the second-largest search engine for leads.
Focusing on high-ticket B2B niches reduces churn and scales revenue with fewer customers.
Serverless stacks like SvelteKit with Supabase keep costs low at $150 monthly for scalable AI apps.
AI tools like Cursor accelerate coding, enabling non-technical founders to build complex features faster.

INSIGHTS

True validation demands financial commitment from buyers, transforming abstract interest into tangible proof of market need.
Pre-building deposits not only fund development but also align incentives, ensuring customer buy-in from the outset.
Job-derived insights reveal overlooked B2B inefficiencies, providing a competitive edge over purely speculative ideation.
Inbound SEO combined with educational content fosters organic growth, turning searchers into loyal, high-value clients.
High-ticket pricing simplifies operations by prioritizing quality over quantity, enhancing sustainability in SaaS models.
Leveraging AI for both product and process automation democratizes entrepreneurship, lowering barriers for solo founders.

QUOTES

"The only way to validate is when buyers swipe their credit card."
"I created a completely fake demo for this product because the product wasn't there yet."
"Nothing validates your idea more than someone swiping their credit card."
"Charge early on. Don't be afraid to charge because charging creates urgency and commitment."
"Sell to rich people, they pay better is what Homozi likes to say."

HABITS

Conduct SEO keyword research using tools like Ahrefs before launching any landing page to target viable traffic.
Request immediate page indexing in Google Search Console after creating content to accelerate visibility.
Schedule sales calls via Calendarly to humanize interactions and build trust with prospects.
Automate repetitive tasks with Zapier to maintain focus on core development and growth.
Use AI-assisted coding tools like Cursor daily to speed up building without deep expertise.
Produce long-form YouTube videos regularly to nurture high-intent leads and establish authority.

FACTS

Setter AI reached exactly $10K in monthly revenue last month from 38 high-value B2B customers.
The app's margins exceed 90% without ads, dropping to 80% with occasional freelancer hires.
OpenAI API costs $250 monthly, the highest expense for their AI-driven operations.
They secured a $500 payment in February 2024 from a billion-dollar revenue company via the fake landing page.
The business has 2,000 total signups but focuses on premium clients to minimize churn.

REFERENCES

Ahrefs for SEO keyword research and analysis.
Eleven Labs for generating fake demo videos.
Mobin as a design inspiration tool for UI and flows from real apps.
Lovable as an example of web app builders, inspiring mobile app opportunities.

HOW TO APPLY

Identify B2B pain points from past job experiences, focusing on processes business owners face daily to ensure relevance.
Research keywords using free or paid SEO tools like Ahrefs, selecting those with search volume and low competition for your landing page headline.
Build a simple landing page on an established domain with a fake demo, minimal text, and a Calendarly booking link for calls.
During sales calls, offer a 100% refundable deposit like $500 for early access, emphasizing urgency such as limited launch spots to close high-ticket deals.
Incubate the idea by monitoring organic traffic and payments over weeks, using inbound content like free tools and videos to scale validated demand.

ONE-SENTENCE TAKEAWAY

Validate SaaS ideas by securing payments via fake demos and deposits before coding to avoid building dead products.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Prioritize high-ticket B2B niches to achieve sustainable revenue with minimal customer volume.
Double down on SEO and YouTube for inbound growth, as they convert high-intent searchers effectively.
Use refundable deposits to fund and validate ideas, creating commitment without full product delivery.
Integrate serverless tech stacks early to keep costs under $200 monthly while scaling AI features.
Charge from day one to instill urgency and filter serious buyers in your startup journey.

MEMO

In the bustling world of indie hacking, Josef and Timo stand out as unlikely success stories. Burned out from fruitless projects that yielded zero customers, the duo met at a Bangkok coworking space and vowed to change their approach. Their creation, Setter AI, an intelligent tool that automates lead qualification for high-stakes B2B industries like solar energy and financial services, now generates $10,000 in monthly recurring revenue. What sets their journey apart is the audacious decision to validate demand before writing a single line of code—a strategy that turned skepticism into swift profitability.

The validation began with cunning simplicity: a bare-bones landing page masquerading as a fully functional product. Josef, a former freelancer turned indie developer, crafted a fake demo using Eleven Labs' voice technology, embedding it on a page optimized for "cold call automation"—a keyword with untapped search potential. Hosted on an existing domain to bypass new-site penalties, the page was rushed into Google's index via Search Console. Within months, this digital sleight of hand attracted a billion-dollar company, leading to a $500 deposit that screamed market fit. "The only way to validate is when buyers swipe their credit card," Josef insists, underscoring a philosophy that prioritizes cold, hard cash over assumptions.

Their playbook, distilled from hard-won lessons, offers a blueprint for aspiring founders. Start with real-world insights from past jobs to pinpoint genuine B2B pains—far superior to scouring Reddit threads. Erect a landing page, hook it to a scheduling tool like Calendarly, and pitch refundable deposits during calls, framing them as exclusive launch perks. Incubate patiently through SEO, as organic traffic yields committed buyers. Timo, drawing from his Bangkok base, emphasizes high-ticket pricing: subscriptions from $50 to $5,000 ensure fewer but more loyal clients, slashing churn in a sea of fleeting signups.

Growth followed the same lean ethos, leaning heavily on inbound channels. Free tools like sales script generators and comparative articles propelled their site to Google's top spot within a week of launch. YouTube emerged as an underdog powerhouse, with long-form videos building trust and intent—viewers often booked calls after watching. Technologically, a serverless stack of SvelteKit, PostgreSQL, and OpenAI kept costs razor-thin at 90% margins, even as operations scaled. Amid acquisition whispers and five YC applications, the pair advises charging early: it forges commitment, sifts serious players, and sells best to those who can afford it.

For solo builders eyeing 2025's AI boom, Josef and Timo's tale is a clarion call: glue workflows for non-technical users or pioneer mobile app builders akin to web darlings like Lovable. In an era where ideas outpace execution, their method—demand first, build second—rewires the startup grind into a calculated sprint toward flourishing independence.