BuiltByMe is a community-driven platform where indie makers and solo founders discover tools built by their peers and showcase their own creations, with weekly product rankings and a spotlight feature for winners.
What is BuiltByMe?
BuiltByMe is a directory and community for independent developers to list and discover innovative tools and services. It takes product submissions from makers (including a name, description, link, and category) and displays them in a searchable, categorized directory. The platform runs entirely on the web and is maintained by the indie maker community itself, with no central editorial team. The site features weekly competitions where products are ranked by votes from the community.
Key Features
- Product Discovery — Browse tools and services built by indie makers, filtered by categories such as AI tools, design tools, developer tools, SaaS, and content creation.
- Weekly Showcase — Each week, products compete in a live ranking; top products get featured in the newsletter and promoted on X (Twitter) by the platform.
- Community Voting — Registered users can upvote products they find useful, influencing rankings and visibility.
- Maker Profiles — Each product page includes the maker's name and a link to their X/Twitter profile, fostering direct connection.
- Categorized Listings — Products are organized into tags like ai-tools, saas, design-tools, developer-tools, and content-creation for easy filtering.
- Weekly Spotlight — A dedicated section highlights the previous week's winner, giving them extended exposure.
Who is it for?
- Indie hackers and solo founders who want to promote their newly built products to a targeted audience of other builders and early adopters.
- Developers looking for unique, bootstrapped tools that solve specific problems, often with a personal touch missing from larger SaaS offerings.
- Entrepreneurs seeking inspiration by browsing what others are building, discovering niche tools for their own workflows.
- Early-stage startups wanting to gain initial traction and feedback from a supportive community of peers.
What can you do with BuiltByMe?
- Discover new indie tools: Browse the directory by category or check the weekly rankings to find trending products like Interviews Chat (AI interview prep) or HummingBytes (AI image & video automation).
- Showcase your own product: Submit your tool with a name, description, category, and link; it then appears in the directory and can be voted on by the community.
- Participate in weekly competitions: Your product competes live each week; top winners receive promotion in the newsletter and on X, potentially driving visibility and early users.
- Connect with makers: Each product page links directly to the maker's X profile, enabling direct conversation and feedback.
How does BuiltByMe work?
Makers submit their product via a simple form (click "Submit" on the site). Once approved, the product enters the current week's ranking. Community members browse and upvote products they like. Rankings update live. At the end of the week, the top product is crowned winner and featured in the "Weekly Spotlight" section, plus promoted via the platform's newsletter and X account. The cycle resets each Monday (based on the site's countdown timer).
FAQ
How do I submit my product to BuiltByMe?
Click the "Submit →" button on the homepage and fill in your product name, description, category, and URL. After submission, your product will appear in the current week's competition if it falls within the weekly cycle (Sunday to Saturday).
Is BuiltByMe free to use?
Yes. Both browsing and submitting products are free. There is no mention of paid tiers or premium features on the site.
Can I vote multiple times?
The site does not specify vote limits, but typical community platforms restrict one vote per user per product. Check the platform's terms for exact rules.
How are winners chosen?
Products are ranked by the number of upvotes they receive during the week. The product with the most votes at the end of the week wins the newsletter feature and X promotion.
What categories are available?
Products are tagged with categories such as ai-tools, design-tools, developer-tools, saas, and content-creation. You can browse by these tags on the site.
