DEV Community: laimj

Introducing Firsto – A New Way to Launch and Discover Indie Products

laimj — Fri, 23 May 2025 05:52:15 +0000

Hello Dev Community,

I’m excited to introduce Firsto — a new platform built for makers, developers, and startup founders to launch their products and gain visibility in a more lasting and discoverable way.

Why Firsto?

If you’ve ever launched a product on traditional platforms, you’ve probably experienced how quickly your work can get buried after a single day. Many indie hackers struggle to get the attention their products deserve. Firsto is here to change that.

What Makes Firsto Different?

Every launch remains discoverable, not just for 24 hours.
You control your launch date, with flexible scheduling.
Products are categorized and tagged, making discovery easier even long after launch.
Designed for all types of projects: SaaS, developer tools, AI apps, Notion templates, and more.

Get Involved

Firsto has just opened to the public. You can:

Browse what’s trending: firsto.co/trending
Submit your own launch: firsto.co/submit

We’re just getting started, and we’d love for you to be a part of it. If you're building something, Firsto could be your product’s first home.

Thanks for reading,
Leo – Founder of Firsto

How I Built a Profitable Bluesky Tool Directory in 7 Days

laimj — Fri, 23 May 2025 05:47:27 +0000

In November, I registered my Bluesky account and was immediately impressed by its rapidly growing and vibrant community. With the platform’s user base soaring to 27 million, Bluesky has focused on stabilizing its services, leaving some key features (like bookmarks) yet to be implemented.

At the same time, I noticed an exciting trend: developers were actively creating tools to enhance the Bluesky experience, while users were on the hunt for the best solutions. However, there wasn’t a centralized hub for discovering or promoting these tools, and this inspired me to create bskyinfo—a comprehensive directory for the Bluesky community.

From Idea to Launch in Just 7 Days

Here’s how I turned the idea into reality in just one week:

Identifying the Opportunity

Bluesky’s rapidly expanding community created both a need and an opportunity for better organization of resources. Developers wanted their tools to gain visibility, while users wanted an easier way to find them.
Data Collection

I spent several days researching and cataloging Bluesky-related tools, ensuring they were high-quality and relevant.
Building the Platform

I focused on building a simple and effective website that’s easy to navigate. SEO was a priority from day one to make the site discoverable by developers and users alike.
Adding Value for Developers and Users

To support developers, I took the initiative to:
- Proactively list their tools on the platform.
- Write clear and SEO-optimized descriptions to improve their reach.
- Add short reviews to highlight what makes each tool stand out.
Launch and Immediate Results

On November 30th, the site went live. To my surprise, within five hours, we secured our first sale—a featured listing for a tool.

Achievements So Far

200+ Tools Cataloged: A growing resource for Bluesky users and developers.
First Sales Success: 4 paid feature listings within the first month.
Domain Rating (DR): 200: A promising foundation for future growth.

Plans for the Future

I’m committed to making bskyinfo.com even more valuable for the Bluesky community. Here’s what’s next:

Scaling SEO: Driving more traffic to the platform to help developers showcase their tools effectively.
Enhancing the User Experience: Introducing features like advanced filtering, categorization to make tool discovery seamless.
Supporting the Ecosystem: Continuing to help developers gain visibility and ensuring the community has access to the best tools available.

Lessons Learned

Focus on Solving a Real Problem: Addressing the gap between developers and users created a win-win solution.
Quick Execution Matters: From idea to launch in 7 days, speed was key to capitalizing on the opportunity.
Community Is Everything: By supporting developers and users alike, we’ve built something that benefits the entire ecosystem.

I’d love to hear your thoughts—what are your experiences building for growing platforms like Bluesky? Let’s discuss in the comments!