A comprehensive, opinionated guide for solo entrepreneurs who want to build, launch, and grow a product in public — using AWS as their foundation.
Building in public is one of the most effective strategies for solo founders. You get feedback early, build an audience while you build your product, and create accountability that keeps you shipping.
But the advice out there is scattered. Should you use Vercel or go all-in on AWS? Which launch platform matters most? How do you balance building with marketing when you're one person?
This guide answers those questions with clear, opinionated recommendations. It's built for developers who want to own their infrastructure, keep costs low, and move fast — without getting lost in decision paralysis.
It also includes a "template" that is battle proof - see examples.
- Solo developers turning an idea into a product
- Technical founders who want to own their stack (not rent it)
- Builders who believe in learning and shipping in the open
- People who want AWS-level control without enterprise-level complexity
- Ship fast, iterate faster. A launched MVP beats a perfect prototype every time.
- Own your infrastructure. AWS gives you control, portability, and pricing that scales with you — not against you.
- Build the audience before the product. Your build-in-public journey IS the marketing.
- Stay lean. Every dollar and hour counts when you're solo. Default to free tiers and simple architectures.
- Open source your knowledge. Share what you learn. The community gives back more than you put in.
| # | Guide | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Getting Started | First steps, mindset, and how to go from idea to action |
| 2 | AWS Foundation | Opinionated AWS setup — accounts, services, and architecture for solo builders |
| 3 | Tools for Building | Dev tools, frameworks, CI/CD, and services that keep you productive |
| 4 | Tools for Marketing | Email, analytics, SEO, and growth tools for solo founders |
| 5 | Launch Platforms | Where to launch, when to launch, and how to maximize each platform |
| 6 | Content & Audience | Building in public content strategy — what to share, where, and how often |
| 7 | Costs & Budgeting | Realistic cost breakdown and how to stay under $50/month early on |
| 8 | Resources | Communities, newsletters, books, and people to follow |
If you want the short version — here's what we recommend for a solo builder shipping a SaaS product:
| Layer | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | AWS SErverless (Lambda, CloudFront, S3) | Pay-per-use, scales to zero, no idle costs |
| Database | DynamoDB | Serverless, no connection management, scales infinitely |
| Auth | Amazon Cognito | Integrated with AWS, generous free tier |
| Frontend (Web/Landing) | Angular | Fast-loading pages, SEO-friendly, deploy to CloudFront |
| Frontend (App) | Flutter (Web, Android, iOS) | Single codebase, native performance, full cross-platform |
| Backend | TypeScript on Lambda | One language across the backend, fast cold starts |
| API | AWS AppSync (GraphQL) or API Gateway (REST) | Managed, scalable, real-time capable |
| IaC | AWS CDK (TypeScript) | Type-safe infrastructure, same language as your backend |
| CI/CD | GitHub Actions | Free for public repos, simple YAML config |
| Amazon SES | Transactional + marketing emails at the lowest cost | |
| Analytics & Observability | Dash0 | Full observability, OpenTelemetry-native |
| Payments | Stripe, mobile stores | Industry standard, great docs, easy integration |
- Start with Getting Started if you're still forming your idea
- Jump to AWS Foundation if you're ready to set up infrastructure
- Browse Tools for Building when picking your stack
- Read Launch Platforms when you're 2-4 weeks from shipping
Each document is self-contained. Read them in order for the full journey, or jump to what's relevant now.
This is an open-source, living document. If you've built in public and have opinions, we want them.
- Open an issue to suggest a tool, platform, or strategy
- Submit a PR to add or update content
- Share your build-in-public story — we'll link to it
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE for details.
Built in public, obviously. Follow the journey and contribute your own lessons learned.