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Pat Walls (2026-08-03) says hiring people, taking on a cofounder, or accepting a…

2026-08-03 · 09:29 UTC ·@thepatwalls ·1 min read

Brief

Pat Walls argues that hiring, adding a cofounder, or taking modest funding can provide the external motivation many solo founders lack, because solo work requires high intrinsic drive. Joel Gascoigne echoes this, saying fear of hiring limits indie hackers and that teaming enables bigger ambitions, praising Nevo and Postiz as rising competitors.

Why it matters

Pat Walls (2026-08-03) says hiring people, taking on a cofounder, or accepting a small amount of funding can supply motivation for founders who lack intrinsic drive; he emphasizes solo founding "is not for everyone."

Key details

  • Joel Gascoigne warns that indie hackers' aversion to hiring and building teams holds them back, argues teams enable more ambitious goals, and names Nevo and Postiz as emerging strong players.
Source evidence

Hiring people, taking on a cofounder, or even taking a little funding can be a good source of motivation for certain types of people.

Being a solo founder is not for everyone!! Bc it requires a lot of intrinsic motivation, nobody is counting on you!

That was never a problem for me, BUT I know a lot of solo founders who lack that motivation and IMO could use a bit of a kick in the arse.

Joel Gascoigne (@joelgascoigne)

I believe the aversion to hiring and having a team holds successful indie hackers back. You can take on much more ambitious dreams with others, and it's fun to grow a team too.

And as a friendly competitor, I'm enjoying seeing Nevo and Postiz become a strong player in the space.

— https://nitter.net/joelgascoigne/status/2083951803381506234#m