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Rupamjit Ghosh
Rupamjit Ghosh

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Validating a CLI to sync env vars - would you pay $79?

#cli #indiehackers #devtools #validation

The Problem Every Developer Faces

Setting up a new project? Here's the ritual:
Step 1: Open Vercel dashboard → Environment Variables → Copy-paste 15 vars one by one
Step 2: Open Railway dashboard → Variables → Copy-paste again
Step 3: Open Supabase dashboard → Settings → Repeat
Step 4: Realize you forgot DATABASE_URL
Step 5: Do it all over again
Time wasted: 30-45 minutes per project
Times per month: 3-5 projects
Annual waste: ~20-30 hours of pure copy-paste hell

The Solution (If Developers Actually Want It)

A CLI that syncs everything in one command:
Install

npm install -g env-sync
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One-time setup

env-sync init
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Connect your platforms

env-sync connect vercel
env-sync connect railway
env-sync connect supabase
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Sync all env vars everywhere
env-sync sync-all
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Output:
✓ Reading .env file (12 variables found)
✓ Synced 12 variables to Vercel (3.2s)
✓ Synced 12 variables to Railway (2.1s)
✓ Synced 12 variables to Supabase (1.8s)

All platforms synced in 7.1 seconds

How It Would Work

1. Local .env as Single Source of Truth

Your .env file stays local. The CLI reads it and pushes to platforms via their APIs.

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://...
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
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2. Platform API Integration

Uses official APIs:

  • Vercel: vercel.com/docs/rest-api/endpoints#create-env-var
  • Railway: railway.app/docs/cli
  • Supabase: supabase.com/docs/reference/cli

3. Selective Sync

Don't want to sync everything everywhere?
Sync only to Vercel
env-sync sync --platform vercel

Sync specific variables
env-sync sync --vars DATABASE_URL,API_KEY
Exclude sensitive vars
env-sync sync --exclude STRIPE_SECRET_KEY

4. Safety Features

  • Dry run mode: See what will change before syncing
  • Backup: Auto-backup existing vars before overwriting
  • Encryption: API keys stored encrypted locally
  • Git-ignore: Config file auto-added to .gitignore

Why I Haven't Built It Yet

I've built too many things nobody wanted.
This time I'm validating before writing code.

The 48-Hour Test

✅ Pre-orders live at $79 lifetime access (regular price: $149)
✅ Launch date: January 1, 2026
✅ Goal: 10 pre-orders in 48 hours

If 10 people pay → I build it and ship by Jan 1

If 0 people pay → I don't waste 3 weeks building

What I Need From You (Honest Feedback)

1. Do you have this pain or is it just my workflow?
2. Would you pay $79 lifetime for this?
3. What platforms should I support first?

  • Vercel ✓
  • Railway ✓
  • Supabase ✓
  • Render?
  • Fly.io?
  • Cloudflare?
  • AWS/GCP/Azure?

4. What am I missing?

  • Security concerns?
  • Deal-breaker features?
  • Alternative solutions you already use?

Landing Page

👉 Check it out here

The Validation Philosophy

Real validation = money, not email signups.
I switched from "join waitlist" to "pre-order now" after feedback from other indie hackers.
If developers won't pay $79 to save 20+ hours per year, this isn't worth building.

Your Turn

Brutal honesty > polite encouragement.
Tell me:

  • ✅ "I'd pay for this because..."
  • ❌ "I wouldn't pay because..."
  • 🤔 "I'd pay IF you added..."

Drop your thoughts in the comments 👇

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