Collaborate with Successful Indie Dev (CLI Budgeting Tool) for SaaS/Dev Tool Promotion

Published on 05/29/2025•KOL Promotion Opportunities

The original poster (OP) of "I accidentally made a product out my own CLI tool... And people have started to buy it 🥰" is an indie developer who created and monetized a personal terminal-based budgeting tool. Their journey, which includes personal goals like managing finances and staying sober, makes them a relatable and inspiring figure, particularly for other developers, indie hackers, and individuals interested in personal productivity and finance management through tech.

Potential Collaborator: The Original Poster (OP) of the Reddit thread.

Screening:

  • Profile: Indie developer who built a practical tool for personal use (budgeting, habit tracking in Termux) and turned it into a paid product.
  • Authenticity: Their story is organic ("accidentally made a product") and resonates with the maker community. The mention of personal goals ("staying sober") adds a layer of vulnerability and relatability.
  • Audience Appeal: Their experience is highly relevant to aspiring developers, CLI enthusiasts, individuals seeking budgeting solutions, and the broader indie hacker community.

Collaboration Suggestions & Expected Benefits:

If your product or service is targeted towards developers, indie makers, productivity enthusiasts, or those interested in personal finance tools, this OP could be an excellent collaboration partner.

  1. Featured Story / Case Study:

    • Suggestion: Showcase their journey of developing the CLI tool, the challenges faced, and the process of monetizing it. If your product could have aided their journey (e.g., a developer tool, a platform for selling digital products, a marketing service), this could be woven in.
    • Expected Benefit: Highly authentic and motivational content for your audience. Demonstrates real-world application and success, enhancing your brand's connection with the indie developer and self-improvement community.
  2. Product Review / Early Access Feedback:

    • Suggestion: Offer them your product/service for review, especially if it's a tool for developers, a SaaS boilerplate, a payment/distribution platform for software, or even a complementary productivity/finance application.
    • Expected Benefit: An honest and credible endorsement from a peer. Their technical background means they can provide insightful feedback. Increased visibility within their niche audience.
  3. Affiliate Partnership:

    • Suggestion: If your product aligns well with the needs of their potential audience (e.g., tools for software development, platforms for selling digital goods, advanced budgeting software), an affiliate partnership could be mutually beneficial.
    • Expected Benefit: Authentic promotion driven by a trusted voice within the community, leading to targeted traffic and potential sales.
  4. Guest Content (Blog, Webinar):

    • Suggestion: Invite them to share their story or technical insights (e.g., building CLI tools, monetizing side-projects, tips for personal productivity using tech) on your platform.
    • Expected Benefit: Fresh, valuable content from a practitioner. Cross-promotional opportunities as they would likely share their contribution, expanding your reach to their followers. Positions your brand as a hub for insightful indie developer stories.

Overall Expected Benefit: Collaborating with this OP offers a chance to gain an authentic endorsement from a relatable figure who has achieved tangible success. This can significantly boost credibility and reach within the indie developer, CLI enthusiast, and personal productivity communities. Their story of turning a personal tool into a product is a powerful narrative.

Origin Reddit Post

r/indiehackers

I accidently made a product out my own CLI tool... And people have started to buy it 🥰

Posted by u/MagicPurpleBeans•05/29/2025
So I built this terminal-based budgeting tool in Termux to get my money and habits under control. At first it was just for me — tracking income, setting goals, staying sober. Then I cleaned

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