Launch catalog / Playbook
Open Startup List
Conditional free route directory
Researched from public pages — no submission was run · sources read 2026-09-26. Rules change — recheck the platform's own pages before submitting.
What the free route requires
- Your product must already operate as an 'open startup': it publicly shares metrics (revenue, users, traffic) — typically via an /open page, Indie Hackers product page, or verified metrics through Stripe / ChartMogul / Simple Analytics / Google Analytics
Requirements
- The site defines an Open Startup as 'a company that shares its metrics publicly — visitor analytics, marketing experiments, even revenue'
- Revenue verification expected via Stripe, Indie Hackers, or ChartMogul; traffic via Simple Analytics or Google Analytics; uptime via Anyuptime; status page via Hosted Status Page
- No dedicated submission form exists — 'Submit your open startup' points to the generic contact form (Full Name, Email, Message)
- No fee mentioned; advertising slots exist as a separate paid option
Prepare before opening the form
- A live public metrics page or Indie Hackers product page showing revenue/users/traffic
- Which verifications you already have (Stripe/ChartMogul revenue, GA/Simple Analytics traffic)
- Short description of the startup plus links to the public metrics in the contact-form message
Workflow
- Set up public metrics sharing first (this is the gate — e.g., Indie Hackers verified revenue or an /open page)
- Open https://openstartuplist.com/ and scroll to 'Submit your open startup' / Contact Us form
- Send name, email, and a message with the startup name, URL, and links to its public metrics
- If accepted, the startup is added to the 'Our Heroes' list with a one-line description
Watch for
- Site footer says Copyright 2020 — the directory may be dormant; confirm your listing actually goes up before counting it
- Many listed startups link out to Indie Hackers interviews rather than to the product itself
- Do not submit a non-transparent product — the entire premise is public metrics
- There is a paid 'Advertise' pitch in the same contact area; a listing itself is not advertising
What counts as live
The startup appears as a named card in the 'Our Heroes' section of openstartuplist.com
Not verified
- Whether the contact form is still monitored (site content is dated)
- Exact review criteria beyond public metrics
- Whether new listings still get added