I Wrote the TenK Manifesto While Crossing a Volcano in New Zealand

I’ve been watching too many indie devs fall into the same trap. We chase shiny ideas. Launch, abandon, repeat. Another side project buried in the graveyard.

I’ve done it myself. More times than I can count.

Every week, I see the same questions: “How do I find users?” “How do I stay consistent?” “When should I pivot?”

And deep down, it’s always the same pain — we lack rhythm, not talent.

That’s why I built Indie10k — to help indie founders reach $10k MRR by showing up daily and compounding small wins. But lately, I’ve realized: an app is just an app. We also need principles — something bigger than features or dashboards.

We need a movement.

Just like how Agile ended the Waterfall era for software teams, I want to end the graveyard loop for indie hackers.

So during my trip to Tongariro, New Zealand, surrounded by snow and silence, I drafted the first version of The TenK Manifesto — a declaration for indie founders who believe success isn’t luck, it’s reps.

📜 The TenK Manifesto

We are uncovering better ways of reaching $10k MRR as indie founders by showing up daily, compounding small wins, and helping others do the same.

Through this work we have come to value:

Consistent practice over perfect strategy

Small, shippable reps over grand unstarted plans

Momentum through streaks over bursts of unsustainable effort

Direct customer conversations over secondhand advice

Evidence from action over assumptions from theory

Sharing progress openly over building alone in silence

While there is value in the items on the right, we value the items on the left more.

👋 Author: Ju Lin, Founder of Indie10k © 2025 — This declaration may be freely copied in full with this notice.

✍️ Sign the Manifesto

Add your name and product here → https://indie10k.com/manifesto

Let’s make this a public signal that indie success isn’t magic — it’s reps. I’m sharing this here first because I believe this community gets it. Let’s end the graveyard era — together.