Kartik Kaul

Why this persona fits the audience

Builds and demos a side-project SaaS from a home office in evenings, exposing localhost for Stripe webhooks, early beta users, and occasional support reproductions. Uses free tunnel tools and manual notes because the project only has a few active testers.

• Age: 26
• Location: Bengaluru, India
• Occupation: Indie maker
• Income: ₹18L-₹28L
• Education: Bachelor's in Information Technology
• Company size: 1 (self-employed)
• Years in role: 3

“The real satisfaction comes not just from shipping, but from building something that genuinely solves a problem, even if it's just for a handful of people at first.”

Kartik Kaul, 26, is an indie maker and software engineer based in Bengaluru, India. Holding a Bachelor's in Information Technology, he's carved out a niche for himself by dedicating his evenings and weekends to building and refining side-project SaaS applications. His current focus is a micro-SaaS tool designed to simplify development workflows, a project born out of his own frustrations with existing solutions. He operates from a dedicated corner in his home office, a space meticulously organized for maximum productivity. His income, ranging between ₹18L-₹28L annually from his day job, provides a comfortable cushion, allowing him the autonomy to pursue his entrepreneurial ventures without immediate financial pressure. This financial stability is crucial, as it enables him to experiment and iterate on his projects without the urgency of immediate revenue generation. He's recently made a conscious decision to rely on free, open-source tunneling tools like ngrok or Cloudflare Tunnels to expose his localhost for testing and early user feedback. This choice stems from a pragmatic approach to cost management, given that his project currently has only a few active beta testers. He meticulously documents his setup and any workarounds in a personal wiki, a testament to his detail-oriented nature. Kartik is driven by a deep-seated desire for learning and autonomy, viewing each side project as an opportunity to acquire new skills and gain more control over his professional destiny. He's not chasing quick wins or massive valuations; instead, he prioritizes building robust, well-engineered solutions that address specific pain points for developers. His approach is characterized by a blend of analytical thinking and hands-on experimentation, constantly seeking to optimize processes and improve his craft. He's acutely aware of the time investment required and views it as a strategic allocation of his personal resources towards future growth and independence.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Kartik's weekday typically begins around 7:30 AM. After a quick breakfast and checking urgent notifications, he heads to his day job, which involves remote meetings and coding. Lunch is usually a brief affair, often eaten at his desk while catching up on tech news. His evenings are the 'maker' time: from 7 PM to 11 PM, he's in his home office, coding, debugging, or responding to beta user inquiries. He might expose his localhost using a free tunneling service to test a new Stripe webhook integration or reproduce a bug reported by a user. He finishes the day with a quick review of his progress and plans for the next day before winding down.

Lifestyle

Kartik lives in a comfortable, albeit slightly cluttered, room in his family's apartment in Bengaluru. His evenings and weekends are largely dedicated to his maker pursuits. He's disciplined about his routine, often skipping late-night social events to maximize coding time. While he enjoys the occasional outing with friends, his primary focus is on building and iterating. He's mindful of his finances, preferring to save rather than splurge, viewing his current income as a stepping stone. Health-wise, he tries to balance long hours at the desk with short walks or quick gym sessions, though consistency can be a challenge.

Work life

As an indie maker, Kartik's work life is a constant juggling act. His day job as a software engineer at a mid-sized tech firm provides stability and a steady income, but his true passion lies in his side projects. Evenings are spent in his home office, a corner of his bedroom outfitted with dual monitors and a mechanical keyboard. He's currently deep in developing a micro-SaaS product, which involves a lot of coding, API integration, and customer support. The pressure is self-imposed, driven by a desire to create something impactful and gain more autonomy. Coworkers are primarily online communities and his few beta users.

Relationships

Kartik maintains close ties with his parents, who are supportive of his ambitions, though they occasionally express concern about his long working hours. His core group of friends, mostly from college, understand his dedication and often meet up for weekend brunches or occasional gaming sessions. He's also active in online developer communities, where he finds camaraderie and technical advice.

How they decide

Kartik is a research-heavy and pragmatic decision-maker. He meticulously weighs options, reads documentation, and often prototypes solutions before committing. He values efficiency and will spend time optimizing a process if it saves him significant effort later. While he's open to suggestions from trusted peers in online communities, the final decision is always based on his own analysis and perceived long-term benefit.

How they sound

Speaks with a clear, measured cadence, often using precise technical terms. His English is fluent with a subtle Indian accent. He tends to be direct and avoids excessive jargon when explaining concepts to non-technical people, but in technical discussions, he's comfortable with deep dives. He rarely uses slang and prefers a slightly formal, yet approachable, tone. He avoids hyperbole and focuses on factual descriptions.