Most indiehackers don't fail because they can't code. They fail because they build too much.

You'll often see indie founders saying things like:

• "I spent 6 months building features no one asked for."

• "My mistake was polishing the product instead of validating the problem."

• "I kept adding features hoping it would magically attract users."

As solo devs, our biggest constraint isn't ideas, it's time, focus, and energy. Every extra feature increases cognitive load, maintenance cost, and the emotional burden of keeping the product alive.

This is exactly the trap described in the book Escaping the Build Trap. One of its core ideas is that teams often mistake output (features shipped) for outcomes (customer value created). Shipping more features feels productive, but it rarely moves the metric that matters: solving a real user problem in a way people are willing to pay for.

Key takeaways from Escape the Build Trap that strongly support single‑feature thinking:

• More features do not automatically create more value.

• Products should be built around customer problems, not roadmaps.

• Success comes from continuously validating that what you're building actually changes user behaviour.

Single‑feature products force this discipline by design. When you only allow yourself to solve one problem, you're pushed to ask harder questions earlier.

This post is a practical breakdown of why single‑feature products work, when they don't, and how you can build one intentionally.

What is a Single Feature Product?

A single‑feature product does one job extremely well for a clearly defined user.

Not:

• A mini version of a large SaaS

• A "phase 1" of a bigger roadmap

But:

• A focused solution to one painful, frequent problem

Examples:

• Sync2Sheets reported to be doing around $9K MRR as a micro-SaaS that syncs Notion databases with Google Sheets, solving a clear productivity pain for users who want spreadsheet and Notion workflows to talk to each other. Superframeworks

• Bank Statement Converter reported to be doing around $12K MRR is a focused tool featured on Indie Hackers with public sales numbers shared by the founder, it's a clearly monetized niche solution converting bank statements into usable formats for users. Asia Tomorrow

• Cleanvoice AI is a dedicated AI tool that automatically removes filler words, silence, and noise from podcast and audio recordings, it's a real single-feature-first product in the audio editing niche.

The scope is narrow by design and that's the advantage.

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Why Single Feature Products Work for Indiehackers

1. Faster Time to Market

Less surface area means:

• Fewer edge cases

• Simpler UX

• Shorter dev cycles

You can ship in days or weeks, not quarters.

Speed matters because:

• You get real user feedback early

• You validate demand before motivation fades

2. Clear Value Proposition

Single‑feature products are easy to explain:

"It helps you do X, without Y."

No demos. No onboarding tours.

If users don't "get it" in 5 seconds, the product is wrong not the landing page.

3. Easier Distribution

Focused products naturally fit:

• Chrome extensions

• Plugins

• Marketplace apps

They integrate into existing workflows instead of replacing them.

That means:

• Lower switching cost

• Less sales friction

• Faster adoption

4. Lower Maintenance Load

As a solo dev, maintenance is the silent killer.

Single‑feature products:

• Have fewer bugs

• Break less often

• Are easier to refactor

You spend more time learning and selling, less time firefighting.

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When Single Feature Products Fail

Let's be honest focus alone doesn't guarantee success.

They fail when:

1. The Problem is a "Nice to Have"

If users can easily ignore the problem, they won't pay.

Rule of thumb:

• If people already use hacks, scripts, or manual workarounds → good sign

• If they say "sounds cool" → bad sign

2. The Feature is Too Easily Copied

Some features are inevitable roadmap items for larger tools.

If:

• The feature is obvious

• The user already pays for a big SaaS

Then your window is short unless you:

• Niche down hard

• Own a specific workflow

3. You Secretly Want to Build a Platform

If you keep saying:

"Later we'll add..."

You're already drifting.

Single‑feature products work best when:

• The product is complete on day one

• Expansion happens via separate products, not feature creep

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How to Identify a Good Single Feature Idea

Let's walk through a real example of Sync2Sheets which is a single-feature product that syncs Notion databases to Google Sheets.

1. Start with a Very Specific User

Bad: "People who use Notion"

Good: "People who use Notion and rely on Google Sheets for analysis, reporting, or automation."

Sync2Sheets isn't for all Notion users. It's for users who hit a very specific friction:

• They love Notion for structure and collaboration

• But still need Sheets for formulas, pivots, scripts, or sharing with teams

That narrow overlap is the real market.

2. The Pain is Repetitive, Not Occasional

Single-feature products work best when the problem shows up weekly or daily.

Sync2Sheets weren't exporting data once. They were:

• Re-exporting CSVs every few days

• Copy-pasting data manually

• Rebuilding broken automations

The repetition made automation worth paying for.

3. There's an Existing Workaround (and It's Annoying)

If users already tolerate a workaround, that's demand in disguise.

Before paying, Sync2Sheets users were:

• Manually exporting Notion databases

• Using brittle scripts

• Relying on Zapier setups that broke often

The product didn't invent a new behaviour, it replaced an annoying one.

4. The Output Is Clear and Measurable

Great single-feature ideas produce something concrete.

For Sync2Sheets the output is obvious:

• A live Google Sheet that stays in sync

• Fewer manual updates

• Hours saved every month

Users can immediately answer: "Did this work?"

5. It Can Be Explained in One Sentence

If you can't explain it in one breath, it's too complex. For Sync2Sheets:

"It keeps your Notion databases automatically synced with Google Sheets."

No demos needed. No long onboarding.

6. It Fits Inside an Existing Ecosystem

Single-feature products thrive when they plug into tools people already use.

Sync2Sheets lives entirely inside two massive ecosystems:

• Notion

• Google Sheets

That means:

• Built-in distribution

• Clear buying intent

• Low switching cost

If you can walk through these six points with a real use case and the idea still feels small, obvious, and useful you're probably looking at a strong single-feature product.

If you struggle to make an idea pass even one of these steps, the scope is still too large.

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Pricing Single Feature Products

Don't underprice just because it's small.

Users don't pay for code size they pay for:

• Time and Money saved

• Friction removed

• Anxiety avoided

Common pricing models that work:

• Freemium with daily limits

• One‑time purchase

• Low monthly subscription

The key is usage‑based friction, not feature gating.

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A Mental Shift That Helps

Think in terms of products as tools, not startups.

Each product:

• Solves one problem

• Has one promise

• Stands alone

Over time, you don't build one big SaaS.

You build a portfolio of small, useful tools.

That's a much more realistic path for solo founders.

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Final Thought

If you're stuck in planning mode, ask yourself:

What is the smallest thing I can build that removes a real pain for someone?

Start there.

Single‑feature products aren't a limitation. They're leverage.