We are now a community of 212! Thank you❤️

This newsletter is free and I don’t use paid advertising. I completely rely on organic growth through users who like my content and share it.

So, if you like today’s edition, please take a moment to share this newsletter on social media or forward this email to someone you know.

If this email was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.

If you want to create a newsletter with Beehiiv, you can sign up here.

This Founder Wants You To Never Forget Your Gear

Today, I interviewed Mike, an ex-Marine, a manager, an indie hacker, and a person full of interesting ideas. Read on to learn how his most recent project is inspired by a trip to Yosemite that went wrong and more.

Who are you?

I am Mike, I used to be a Communications Officer in the United States Marine Corps. I studied programming in college and decided to get back into it when I got out of the Marine Corps. I code for fun on the side of my "normal" job.

What are some of your previous projects? What are you building now?

I currently am building Don't Forget The Spoon, an app designed to help hikers and backpackers plan for their outdoor adventures. I am also working on a weather app called Don't Forget The Weather.

What motivated you to be an indie hacker?

I decided to become an indie hacker because I like building communities and tools that can help people out. I usually start building because I want a specific niche tool that doesn't exist in the exact odd way that I personally would like it.

What's your regular job? How do you manage it with your indie hacking work?

My regular job is managing a global team in the Satellite Internet Industry. My wife and I don’t have any kids yet, so we have some more time than others after work. We also like to designate one day a week as "Productivity Night".

I try to break my task list for programming into the smallest chunks possible which allows me to get something done even if it is super small in an hour. So lots of little coding sessions.

Most of my big pushes get done on the weekends.

Tell me more about Don't Forget The Spoon.

Probably the best description of Don’t Forget The Spoon, you can read on our about us page here.

How is it different from its competitors?

Don't Forget the Spoon is different from its competitors in a couple of ways:

• Mobile first. Most of my competitors are web-based first.

• Targeting all backpackers and hikers not just ultralight hikers. Our app can help lighten your load, but our main focus is to make sure adventurers have the right gear and don’t forget anything.

• We are the only one in our niche to track the calories of food packed.

• We are also the only ones in our niche to scan your pack for gear you may be missing.

What would your ideal professional journey look like for the next 5 years?

As I reflect on where I want my future to go, it’s interesting to look at the past. Before starting my apps, I built a blog where I write about my adventures because I really love photography, landscapes to be more specific.

I am always trying to develop more as a photographer, and it's that blog that I built for years that gave me an audience to successfully start my outdoor-related apps.

If my app business ever took off I would love to focus more time on photography, and building more tools for outdoor adventurers.

Anything else that you want to share with the world (might not be tech-related)?

When I am not at my 9-5 or coding my apps, or on my own outdoor adventure, I also work with an Outdoor Leadership Company studying leadership and guiding outdoor adventures.

Did you like today’s newsletter? Feel free to reply to this mail.

This newsletter is free but you can support me here.

I’d be happy to connect on Medium, LinkedIn and X.