Why "Indie Development + SEO"? — My Super Individual Manifesto

Hello, I'm Zengfei Yang.

As the very first post on my personal blog, this feels quite significant. After much thought, I've mapped out a Super Individual roadmap that suits me, and I'd like to use it to kick off this blog.

Thirty-five or thirty-six... an awkward age, a mature age, and supposedly, the age when one is most capable. For the past six months, I've been contemplating my career direction for the next 5 to 10 years. Through exploration, my conviction has solidified: to become a 「true Super Individual」 — a business entity that doesn't rely on or is limited by any specific platform or organization, capable of directly interfacing with the market, fully engaging with it, and independently providing value and receiving returns.

To achieve this ultimate goal, I've planned a clear evolutionary path from "employee" to "independent business entity":

Coder -> Indie Developer + SEO -> MVP Super Individual -> Super Individual

This isn't just a career plan; it's a long-term experiment in building a personal business model. And this blog serves as the launch point and logbook for this experiment.

Why this path? Specifically, why the combination of "Indie Development + SEO" to carry such a grand vision?

This is what I want to share in this opening post – my "Super Individual" manifesto.

1. Building the Four Systems of a Super Individual

To achieve the goal of becoming a "true Super Individual," I need the ability to "build systems." I strongly agree with the breakdown of this ability (inspired by Gu Yu 孤阅), which divides it into four dimensions:

• Business System Building: The system to convert real needs into products/services. (I call this Command)
• Technical System Building: The system to translate business needs into technical pathways. (I call this Stamina)
• Content System Building: The system to externalize internal thoughts into text, visuals, audio, etc. (I call this Intellect)
• Influence System Building: The system to draw potential customers into your narrative field. (I call this Influence)

The MVP Super Individual in my roadmap refers to achieving a minimum viable loop (MVP) across these four dimensions. My ultimate goal, the Super Individual, is to make these four systems robust enough to support me in "facing the market directly, independent of platforms."

2. My Core Levers: "Indie Development" + "SEO"

Building all four systems simultaneously is difficult, so I've chosen Indie Development and SEO as my core levers.

1. "Indie Development": Building My "Stamina" System

This is straightforward. As a developer, independent development capability is my 「Technical System」.

It's the "stamina" that allows me to turn ideas into reality, the foundation for translating "business needs" into "technical pathways" and ultimately delivering products and services. Without this, any talk of "facing the market directly" is just empty words.

2. "SEO": Building My "Command" & "Influence" Systems

"SEO" is the central hub in my roadmap. In my view, it's the best practice for "facing the market directly".

Firstly, SEO is an excellent detector for the "Business System."

I've always felt that SEO practitioners are like sharp market vendors. You must proactively explore the market (search engines), sniff out the 'real needs' of users (keywords -> intent), and only then can you provide truly valuable services (content, tools, products) to gain returns.

This process builds a closed loop for the business, from demand insight to product/service delivery.

Secondly, SEO is an amplifier for the "Influence System."

I firmly believe that SEO is a win-win-win, long-term business: it benefits the user (finding value), it benefits the search engine (including AI models now) (by providing good content, gaining market share), and ultimately, it benefits you (the operator).

It allows me not to depend on the "traffic handouts" from any single platform. Instead, by providing value to the entire internet, I can attract "potential customers" and draw them into my "narrative field." This is how influence is built.

3. This Blog's Mission: Building the "Content System"

The path is clear:

• Indie Development takes care of the 「Technical System」 (Stamina)
• SEO takes care of the 「Business System」 (Command) and 「Influence System」 (Influence)

That leaves one crucial link: the 「Content System」, which is the construction of Intellect.

This blog is my practice ground for building the 「Content System」.

The core purpose of starting this blog is to strengthen my "output ability," externalizing my scattered, unsystematic internal thoughts into organized, logical, and valuable text.

Writing is the best form of thinking. It forces me to refine vague ideas into clarity.

So, in the future, you'll see here:

• My progress and reviews/reflections as an "MVP Super Individual" experimenter.
• Practical notes on Indie Development and Full-Stack Technology.
• My firsthand observations, practices, and thoughts on SEO.
• And, of course, my various thoughts on product, operations, and personal growth.

4. Conclusion: A Clearer Departure

Before becoming a programmer, I worked in many different jobs in society, creating value and earning remuneration in various forms.

Starting this blog today, initiating this "Super Individual" plan, is just another ordinary attempt in the course of my life.

What's different is that, compared to my twenties when I was perhaps more reckless, now I might have less impulsiveness, but I also have more "clarity" regarding my path.

This clarity is the conviction behind my goal for the next 5 to 10 years: to become a free, independent Super Individual capable of creating value directly for the market.

Welcome to the real world.

— Zengfei Yang