Peter Levels: Building Successful Startups and Living the Digital Nomad Life

Peter Levels, also known as @levelsio on Twitter, is a self-taught developer and entrepreneur who has built over 40 startups, many of which have been hugely successful. He's known for his ability to design, program, ship and run startups entirely by himself, often while living a digital nomad lifestyle across the globe. In this in-depth conversation, Peter shares his experiences and insights on building startups, living as a digital nomad, and his overall philosophy on entrepreneurship and life.

Building Startups Quickly and Iteratively

Peter's approach to building startups is quite different from the typical Silicon Valley model. Rather than raising venture capital and hiring a team, he does everything himself - from design and development to marketing. This allows him to move extremely fast and iterate quickly.

"I don't really raise money, I don't use VC funding, I do everything myself," Peter explains. "I'm the designer, I'm the developer, I make everything."

His process involves rapidly building a minimum viable product in just a couple weeks, launching it, and then seeing if there's real demand based on whether people actually sign up and pay for it. This allows him to quickly validate ideas without wasting time on things that don't resonate with users.

"I launch it very quickly, like within two weeks or something of building it, and I check if there's demand - if people actually sign up and not just sign up, but if people actually pay money," he says.

Peter contrasts this nimble approach with large tech companies that can get bogged down in bureaucracy and struggle to ship products quickly. By working solo and staying lean, he's able to rapidly test ideas and pivot as needed.

The Digital Nomad Lifestyle

Much of Peter's success has come while living as a digital nomad, traveling the world and working from his laptop. He shares how this lifestyle came about after feeling stuck and depressed post-college in his native Netherlands:

"I didn't really see my future in Holland buying a house, going living in the suburbs and stuff. So I flew out, I went to Asia, started digital nomading and did that for a year."

While liberating in many ways, Peter is candid that the digital nomad life also came with challenges, especially in the early days:

"I was like alone in hotel rooms like looking at the ceiling like 'What am I doing with my life?' Like this is... like I was working on startups and stuff but it's like, what is the future here?"

He describes feeling like an outcast compared to friends back home pursuing more conventional paths. But it was during this low point that he started his "12 startups in 12 months" project, which kickstarted his entrepreneurial success.

Peter reflects on both the upsides and downsides of the digital nomad lifestyle. While offering freedom and adventure, it can also be isolating and psychologically taxing at times. He recommends it as an amazing experience, especially for young people, but cautions it's not without challenges.

Minimalism and Letting Go of Possessions

As part of embracing the digital nomad life, Peter went through a process of extreme minimalism - getting rid of nearly all his possessions to fit his life into a backpack. He describes how this was inspired in part by the "100 things challenge" popular in the blogosphere at the time:

"You write down every object you have in your house and you count it, you make like a spreadsheet and you're like okay I have 500 things, you need to get it down to 100."

While difficult emotionally at times, Peter found the process of selling and giving away his belongings to be freeing. It allowed him to travel lightly and not be tied down by material possessions.

"I think it's important to do, it shows you what's important," he reflects. "You learn that you can live with very little objects, very little stuff."

He recommends everyone go through a similar process of decluttering and minimizing possessions at some point, even if not to such an extreme degree. It provides perspective on what's truly essential.

Building in Public and Leveraging Social Media

One of Peter's keys to success has been his willingness to build projects openly and share his process publicly, especially on Twitter. He's amassed a large following by documenting his entrepreneurial journey in real-time.

He sees tremendous value in building in public, both for getting feedback and for marketing:

"Nowadays honestly TikTok, YouTube Reels, Instagram reels - a lot of apps get very big from people making TikTok videos about it. So let's say you make your own app, you can make a video yourself like 'Oh I made this app, this is how it works, this is why I made it, this is why you should use it.'"

Peter has seen firsthand how a single viral social media post can drive massive growth for a new product. He encourages entrepreneurs to leverage platforms like TikTok and Twitter to share their work and connect with potential users.

At the same time, he's honest about the challenges that come with increased visibility and fame online. He's had to develop a thick skin to deal with criticism and negativity. But overall, he believes the benefits of building in public far outweigh the downsides.

Lessons on Productivity and Focus

As a solo founder juggling multiple projects, Peter has developed strategies to maximize his productivity and maintain focus. Some key lessons he's learned:

• Find your optimal work environment. For Peter, this is often working from a couch with his laptop rather than a formal desk setup.
• Use music strategically. He listens to techno and electronic music to get into a flow state while coding.
• Take advantage of periods of uninterrupted focus. Peter values having stretches of time to dive deep into projects without distractions.
• Be willing to work unconventional hours. He often codes late into the night when he's in a good flow.
• Automate and delegate where possible. Peter tries to automate repetitive tasks to free up more time for creative work.

He emphasizes the importance of understanding your own work habits and optimizing your environment accordingly, rather than blindly following conventional productivity advice.

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

When asked what advice he'd give to young people looking to follow a similar path, Peter emphasizes the importance of forging your own way:

"I would listen to like nobody, just do what you think is good and follow your heart. Everybody peer pressures you into doing stuff you don't want to do... but like try your own thing."

He encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to be willing to go against the grain and pursue unconventional paths. While it may be difficult at first, he believes staying true to your vision can ultimately lead to creating a fulfilling life and career on your own terms.

Other key pieces of advice Peter shares:

• Just start building. Don't get stuck in analysis paralysis - start creating and learn as you go.
• Be willing to fail. Most ideas won't work out, but each attempt teaches valuable lessons.
• Build for yourself first. Create products that solve your own problems or pain points.
• Stay scrappy and lean. Don't raise funding or hire a team until absolutely necessary.
• Share your work publicly. Building in public can accelerate growth and create opportunities.
• Embrace minimalism. Letting go of unnecessary possessions can be freeing.
• Travel and expose yourself to different cultures and perspectives.
• Continuously learn new skills and technologies.

Above all, Peter emphasizes the importance of taking action and not being afraid to try new things. His own journey shows how much is possible for those willing to forge their own path in entrepreneurship and life.

Conclusion

Peter Levels' story is a testament to the power of self-directed learning, rapid iteration, and building in public. By staying nimble, embracing minimalism, and leveraging the internet to share his work, he's been able to create multiple successful businesses while living a life of freedom and adventure.

While his approach may not be for everyone, Peter's experiences offer valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. His willingness to experiment, fail, and keep building embodies the spirit of modern indie hacking and bootstrapped startups.

As the nature of work continues to evolve, Peter's journey shows one potential model for crafting a fulfilling career and lifestyle on your own terms in the digital age. His story is an inspiring example of what's possible for those willing to think differently and chart their own course.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFtjKbXKqbg