Why things are changing
As you've probably noticed on the Discover page, some projects waited weeks without a single tester (some are still waiting!) while a handful of projects received most of the reports.
In a nutshell, this update aims to get every project tested, and to get your project seen when you test others. Posting your project stays free.
The new credit system
First of all, the credit system is getting a makeover. The new maximum balance is 200, up from 10. This lets the platform introduce more rewarding features for the most dedicated testers, the ones who keep the community going.
Credits also get their own little blue coin: you'll see it next to every amount you earn or spend, from your balance in the header to the price on the boost button.
| Before | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Report earned | 2 | 20 |
| Unlock a report | 2 | 20 |
| Extra slot | 1 | 10 |
| Boost | 1 | 60 |
| Max balance | 10 | 200 |
A bonus for first testers
Another important change: testers who claim a project before its first report now earn 20 extra credits, so 40 for that test. Everyone who claims before the first report comes in gets it, so there's no need to rush. Look for the “First testers earn +20” tag on the wall.
This is an experiment to help projects without testers get their first report. It may change, so let's see if it works!
New boosting system
Boosting now costs substantially more credits. It's designed both as a credit sink and as a way to promote your project and get more testers.
A boost lasts three weeks, and it doesn't just improve your position on the wall anymore: boosted projects also take turns in the dashboard sidebar. And if you want even more testers, keep reading.
A clearer wall
Projects on the wall are now sorted into four sections:
- Recommended: nobody has sent a report yet, so first testers earn 20 more credits.
- Open: still looking for testers. Boosted projects come first: their makers paid for a temporary boost of visibility.
- Maker yet to test: the maker hasn't tested anyone's project yet.
- Not taking testers: fully tested, full for now, or waiting for its maker to read a report.
For an even greater boost: bounties!
Makers Wall now has a bounty system. Add 10 to 50 credits per tester, for as many testers as you still want: the testers who send you a report earn those credits on top of their usual 20. Bounties are paid upfront and aren't refunded.
Your project can also show up in the new Earn more card on testers' dashboards, which features the projects that pay testers the most.
What's happening to your account
Worry not, nothing is lost! Here's a breakdown:
- Your balance is multiplied by 10.
- If you have an active boost, it restarts for three weeks from launch day.
- If you've never tested a project, yours now sits low on the wall, marked “Maker yet to test”: test one to move it up (and earn 40 credits if you pick a project with no tester yet).
- If a report on your project is waiting to be read, your project is paused for new testers until you read it. One test pays for it.
- Everything else (your projects, reports and ratings) stays as it was.
In short, for newcomers
With these changes in place, here's how things work for new makers joining the wall:
- 1Post your project: it goes live at once, low on the wall until you test one.
- 2Test a project tagged “First testers earn +20”: you earn 40 credits, enough to unlock two reports, and your project moves up the wall.
- 3Testers come in, reports arrive locked, and you unlock them with your credits.
- 4Want more? Keep testing, then boost your project or add a bounty.
In conclusion
The platform is still young and moving fast, as more and more indie hackers, founders and solopreneurs join us. This is a first version: I'll watch the numbers and adjust the bonus, the prices and the rules.
Feel free to reach out on X (@eXiilz) or through the live chat widget on this page if you have feedback or suggestions. This is a community platform, after all!