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 ! 2023 was Horse Browser’s first twelve months out of the gate.
Reflecting back, I can't help but share a secret – there were moments when I wondered what the heck I was doing. "Why are you building a browser from scratch?" my fellow solopreneurs asked. "Just make a simple niche product like an ADHD to-do list. Solo-building a browser can’t be done”
But seeing people’s surprised, happy reactions when they discovered how Horse works helped me keep my belief. I truly believe a new browser is the answer to our messy internet. And my commitment to making a full browser is finally paying off… Just recently, I was told Horse is ‘so much better implemented than all the extensions for Firefox or Chrome’ by @halloleo, Programmer [he’s kindly allowed us to post these words on Horse’s new site]. This makes me very happy.
Thank you, Riders 🫶
Day-by-day, all the positive feedback from you Riders makes it all worth it. So, to anyone who subscribed and gave up the comfort of their multiple windows or password manager, Eleanor and I send a huge thank you! Thanks for being an early supporter and sticking around while I construct all the creature comforts we’ve come to expect from a browser. Don’t worry, the password manager is top of the list for 2024.
Scribbled Line Toolchest 🏆
And - after all the hard work - we ended the year on a high, with Horse making the 2023 Scribbled Line Toolchest hall of fame, David Nichols’ round-up of 2023's top creative tools. It was awesome to be featured alongside so many other cool indie projects and join the amazing companies of past editions (the 2020 list included Notion, Webflow and Carrd).
Build in Public 🤓
And, getting down to the nuts and bolts, in its first year, Horse Browser made $10,000, so it's getting near a liveable wage. Using the subscription model keeps Horse free from VC and means no dodgy data selling. And we’re aiming high this year.
So thanks a ton for being part of this. We need you guys! We're working hard and your support, especially in tougher times (like when we broke the app's updater in September 😖🙏), is what keeps things going 🫶
If you have a positive experience you'd like to share, please send us a reply. We might even use it as a homepage quote.
Thanks for being a part of the Riders, from Pascal & Eleanor
