How I Turned a Niche Hobby Into a High-Value Freelance Side Hustle (And How You Can Too)
September 30, 2025Legal & Compliance Risks in Sharing Certified Coin Collections Online: A Developer’s Guide
September 30, 2025I built a SaaS product for coin collectors. No big team, no funding. Just me, a part-time dev, and a hunch about a market that everyone else had overlooked. Here’s what actually worked – and what nearly broke me along the way.
From Idea to MVP: Validating a Niche Market Need
I spent years in coin collecting forums. Same story everywhere: passionate collectors trying to connect, but constantly hitting walls. They weren’t just looking for another online space. They needed a platform that *got* why a 1916-D Mercury dime matters more than a 1921.
Identifying the Problem
Standard social media? It’s a dead end for serious collectors. The complaints I heard most:
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- “My spouse nods politely when I talk about my collection – but I know they’re counting the minutes”
- “I want to share my progress, but starting 20 different threads feels stupid”
- “Most people only care if a coin is ‘rare’ or ‘valuable'”
- “I need tools that work for *how* I collect, not just general social features”
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Validating the Market
I didn’t start coding. First, I got proof this was real:
- Read the forums: Scanned 12+ communities for similar frustrations
- Asked collectors directly: Polled 347 people in existing coin groups
- Talked to veterans: Had real conversations with 15 long-term collectors
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The numbers don’t lie: 89% wanted a dedicated platform, 72% would pay for it. That’s when CoinConnect was born – a SaaS platform built *by* a collector *for* collectors focused on PCGS/NGC slabbed type sets.
Tech Stack: Choosing the Right Tools as a Bootstrapped Founder
Zero budget means every tool choice matters. I needed speed, low cost, and room to grow. We launched in 11 weeks with this stack:
Core Architecture
- Frontend: React + Next.js (instant loading, great for search)
- Backend: Node.js + Express
- Database: PostgreSQL with Prisma ORM
- Hosting: Vercel (frontend), Railway (backend), AWS RDS (database)
Why this mix?
- Saves money: Most have free tiers that actually work for startups
- Speeds up work: Next.js handles most performance headaches out of the box
- Great for SEO: Critical when your users search for specific info
Key Integrations
// Example: PCGS lookup integration
const fetchPCGSDetails = async (certNumber) => {
const response = await fetch(
`https://api.pcgs.com/coin/${certNumber}`,
{
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${process.env.PCGS_API_KEY}`,
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
}
);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error('PCGS lookup failed');
return response.json();
};This one integration changed everything. Suddenly users could:
- Auto-fill coin details from their PCGS cert numbers
- Verify slabs before trades – no more “is this real?” panic
- Track real market values, not guesswork
Product Roadmap: The Lean Approach to Feature Development
My rule: no feature goes live unless it solves a real collector problem. Here’s how we built:
MVP Phase (Weeks 1-8)
- Coin tracking: Catalog type sets with actual cert numbers
- Photo gallery: Made for high-res slab images, not blurry phone shots
- Basic forums: Split by collection type, not just “general discussion”
- User profiles: Show off your best coins, link to your PCGS/NGC sets
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Phase 2 (Months 2-4)
- Collection progress: Visual meters for completion goals
- Photo tools: Lighting guides, angle diagrams – all built in
- PCGS API access: Real-time grading lookups
Phase 3 (Months 5-6)
- Private messaging: For trades, discussions, no more public “PM me”
- Marketplace: Verified by PCGS/NGC certs, not just trust
- Analytics: Track collection value, set completion timelines
Every feature started with user feedback. The photo tools? Direct response to “How do I take better pictures with my phone?” We built a capture assistant with lighting diagrams and phone positioning guides – because collectors said it would help.
Getting to Market Faster: Bootstrapping Strategies That Worked
No cash means no room for waste. Here’s what let me move fast:
1. Test Before You Code
I built a Figma prototype, showed it to 50 collectors. Found the big usability problems *before* writing code. Saved weeks of rework.
2. Use What’s Already There
Why build from scratch when you don’t have to?
- TailwindCSS for styling (saved me ~120 hours of CSS work)
- Discourse API for forums (no need to reinvent the wheel)
- Stripe for payments (no billing system to build)
3. Automate Everything
// Example: GitHub Actions workflow for automatic deployment
name: Deploy to Production
on:
push:
branches: [ main ]
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v2
- run: npm install
- run: npm run build
- uses: akhileshns/heroku-deploy@v3.12.12
with:
heroku_api_key: ${{ secrets.HEROKU_API_KEY }}
heroku_app_name: "coinconnect-production"
heroku_email: "${{ secrets.HEROKU_EMAIL }}"4. SEO from Day One
Niche communities don’t find you through ads. They search. So I optimized for:
- Long-tail keywords like “PCGS type set completion guide”
- Schema markup so Google *understands* coin data
- Sub-2 second loading (mobile first, always)
Scaling with Community: Turning Users into Advocates
The biggest lesson? Your users grow your product. Not ads. Not marketing. *People*. Here’s what worked:
Let Users Create
- Let them build “collections of collections” (e.g., “Top 10 Standing Liberty Quarters”)
- Badges for participation, expertise – collectors love showing off
- “Show & Tell” features that felt like the forum I knew
Social Proof Matters
“This is exactly what was missing. After 50 years collecting, I can finally share my type set journey in one place.” – Verified user with 47-year collection history
Gamification That Feels Natural
No flashy points system. Just:
- “Collection Milestone” achievements
- Monthly “Show Off Your Best Coin” contests
- Progress bars (e.g., “Type set: 64/116 coins”)
Monetization: Balancing Value and Sustainability
No funding means revenue starts *now*. I tested a few models before finding what stuck:
Freemium Model
- Free tier: Basic tracking, limited photos, forum access
- Premium ($9.99/month): Advanced analytics, unlimited photos, private messaging
Value-Added Services
- Photo optimization: $5/image for professional editing
- Collection appraisal: $25/hour with certified graders
- Marketplace fees: 5% on verified trades
Unexpected win? The photo service became our highest margin offering. Collectors *want* professional images to show off their coins – and they’ll pay for it.
Key Takeaways: Lessons from the Trenches
- Validate before you build: Talk to users, read forums, find the real pain points
- Start narrow: PCGS slabbed collectors first, then expand
- Monetize early: Even $5/month payments prove there’s demand
- Your community is your growth engine: Engaged users bring others in
- Build what users ask for: The photo tools came straight from collector requests
- SEO matters more than ads: Niche users find you through search
- Bootstrap as long as you can: It keeps you focused on customers
Conclusion: The Indie Founder’s Path to Sustainable Growth
CoinConnect wasn’t built in a VC-funded office. It started in a forum where a collector said “I wish there was a better way to share this.” That’s the blueprint:
- Understand users deeply: Not just “they need a platform” but *exactly* how they collect
- Build lean: Only what solves real problems, nothing more
- Engage the community: Users become your best advocates
- Monetize from day one: Revenue funds growth, not investors
I built a profitable SaaS product in six months. No funding. No big team. Just by listening to users and building what they actually needed.
For other indie hackers: find your niche, talk to users, build lean, and let your community lead. The next great SaaS product often starts with someone saying “this could be better.”
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