Welcome to the Rider’s Digest blog, where we share behind-the-scenes updates on Horse and what it’s really like to build an indie browser from scratch.
Hello Riders, and Happy New Year! What a year 2024 was. Two years of building Horse, entirely funded by you, and we finally hit 1,000+ active users! Thank you to everyone who joined us on the Trail. It’s been quite a ride.
In fact, we’ve already launched our first update of the year which introduces some super cool features:
- Organise like a pro: Select multiple Trails at once to create folders, export, or delete them in bulk 🗂️
- Search your way: We’ve added loads more search engine options, including Perplexity, Startpage, Swisscows, MetaGer, Searx, and Gigablast 🔎
- Konnichiwa, Japan! Horse Browser is now available in Japanese 🇯🇵
And we’ve got some major features in the pipeline for this year. We can’t wait to share!
Looking back, we’re really proud of how far Horse came in 2024. With import/export, in-browser notes, a built-in password manager, and organisational folders, Riders can finally stop jumping between their browser and a bunch of other apps to get stuff done.
As we kick off 2025, we wanted to share the highs and lows of building our indie browser. Saddle up; it’s been quite the ride!
2024: What a Ride! 🎢
2024 was a proper rollercoaster. We knew building a browser from scratch would be hard, but we didn’t realise just how much stamina and belief we’d need to keep going…
The uphill struggle
At the start of 2024, we were really struggling with the marketing side of things. We had a loyal group of Riders, but getting the word out to the wider world felt like shouting into the void. It was pretty daunting.
But then something shifted. Pascal turned a hate email (yes, really!) into a memorable discount code (suggested by follower @exsoylentgreen) that had new users flocking to Horse Browser. Around the same time, positive reviews from the PKM (personal knowledge management) community gave us a much-needed morale boost. For the first time, we began to believe: we can actually do this.
The turnaround
The summer still had its ups and downs. We were running low on funds to continue and we came towards a crisis moment. We knew we needed to understand more about our loyal users and that’s when the magic happened! Pascal scheduled chats with our top 10 users and these turned out to be incredibly important conversations. From discussing in-depth, we finally understood the best way to market and price our product. And, bang just like that, Horse Browser started getting recommended all over social media. Then we got hunted directly by Product Hunt. Suddenly, new users started pouring in like never before.
In the early days of Horse, we used to do a little dance every time we had a sale. Now, we just sat there, stunned, watching our notifications light up. It was incredible to see so many people discovering Horse, and even more rewarding to hear how it’s helping you stay focused and productive. Your feedback keeps us going, and yes, we’re still dancing for every kind word you send our way.
Horse’s first official tech press
To top it all off, Horse Browser received its first official reviews in the tech press this year! That was a surreal milestone and something we’ve dreamed about since Day One:
“Horse is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in this space… The resulting UI is unique, appealing, and clever.” [MacStories]
“Horse is a beautifully designed browser… It’s apparent that Horse’s creators spent just as much time thinking about how it looks as they did thinking about how it works… It’s not just yet another browser to be added to the pile but one that actually attempts to rethink how a browser should work on a fundamental level.” [Digital Trends]
Plus, Horse was named one of Creativerly’s favourite apps of 2024.
A BACP-licensed psychotherapist has also started officially recommending Horse as a beneficial tool for neurodivergent minds. The structure of Trails turns out to be a real help for people with ADHD and autism. That one hit us pretty hard, in a good way.
We also welcomed a new addition to the team in 2024: Our new Chief of Distraction at Horse Browser
Final challenges
Of course, with the growth came new challenges. The support inbox got a little wild for a while, and Elly was basically answering emails full-time. But by the end of 2024, we’d automated some processes and Intercom granted us a start-up plan, so we’re heading into 2025 with more time to actually build.
Looking back, Horse has changed a lot in 12 months. Not just the numbers, but the browser itself. And that’s down to you lot sending us ideas, encouragement, and bug reports.
So, thank you. For joining, for sharing Horse with your friends, and for sticking with us.
And if you know someone who’s drowning in tabs, send them our way.
Catch you on the Trail,
Pascal & Eleanor
