I created Perfect Wiki and reached $250k in annual revenue without investors

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

HN’s appetite and nostalgia

  • Many welcome this kind of “I built X to $250k ARR” story and miss when HN front page had more small, self-funded success posts and fewer AI/politics threads.
  • Some argue it’s not that such stories disappeared, but that AI and political topics crowd limited front-page real estate, and that success-story genres are heavily abused for hype elsewhere.

Indie hacking vs FAANG careers

  • Strong divide between those who value autonomy (no boss, no standups, location freedom) even at much lower income, and those who see high-paying big-tech jobs as stable, non-miserable careers.
  • Several describe quitting lucrative roles (including executive-level) for low-revenue side projects and say they’re happier despite financial sacrifice.
  • Others caution that many who chase indie dreams work harder, earn less, strain families, and never “hit,” so romanticizing quitting can be dangerous.
  • Consensus: different risk tolerances and life stages; “different strokes” applies.

Product, platform choice, and risk

  • Core insight praised: reading forums/complaints, spotting Teams’ built‑in wiki pain, and building a focused alternative inside an existing marketplace with search-driven discovery (“wiki” keyword).
  • Several note the risk of building atop a single platform (Teams): MS can change ranking, copy the idea, or degrade the app—yet for a 1–2 person SaaS, even a few good years can be life-changing.
  • Some stress the “bus factor” of a two‑person SaaS and want strong export/backup paths; others point out big vendors also kill products, so company size isn’t a guarantee.

Microsoft Teams and ecosystem

  • Huge subthread on how bad Teams is: unstable clients, broken calendar behavior, poor search, confusing multi-tenant UX, fragile extensions, and painful SDK/onboarding for app developers.
  • A minority say it “basically works” for meetings and chat and is acceptable if expectations are modest.
  • Multiple comments explain why it wins anyway: bundled “free” with Microsoft 365, strong integration, and enterprise buyers preferring one vendor.
  • Broader discussion of alternative app ecosystems (Slack, Roblox, Shopify, WordPress, Steam, etc.) as fertile but overlooked monetization channels.

Security, geopolitics, and Habr

  • Some are uneasy about a Russian-founded product and about publishing on Habr, arguing Russian companies indirectly fund the war and may face state pressure.
  • Others push back, calling broad boycotts “cancel culture,” noting Habr’s Cyprus registration, and questioning collective punishment versus targeted sanctions.
  • Debate remains unresolved; several readers choose to use archive links rather than visit Habr directly.

AI features and usability

  • The product’s AI-powered Q&A over docs is divisive: some see it as exactly what non-technical users want (“an oracle”); others find conversational bots slower and less reliable than direct search in a modest-sized wiki.