Ruby on Rails
rubyonrails.org
Open-source full-stack web framework written in Ruby.
diff ~/p/david-heinemeier-hansson ~/p/zeke-gabrielse
David Heinemeier Hansson vs Zeke Gabrielse
Products, revenue & stack compared side by side.
David Heinemeier Hansson vs Zeke Gabrielse at a glance
Both David Heinemeier Hansson and Zeke Gabrielse are bootstrapped. They overlap in Open Source Makers, Developer Tools and SaaS Founders. David started in 2003 and Zeke in 2016. David Heinemeier Hansson has 4 products listed on IndieMakerList vs Zeke Gabrielse's 3. They share 1 tool in their stacks: Ruby on Rails. On X, David has about 933K followers and Zeke about 939.
Side-by-side comparison
- Based in
- David Heinemeier Hansson: —
- Zeke Gabrielse: Springfield, United States
- Started
- David Heinemeier Hansson: 2003 (23 yrs indie)
- Zeke Gabrielse: 2016 (10 yrs indie)
- Revenue (self-reported)
- David Heinemeier Hansson: Not public
- Zeke Gabrielse: Not public
- Products listed
- David Heinemeier Hansson: 4
- Zeke Gabrielse: 3
- Product status
- David Heinemeier Hansson: 4 active
- Zeke Gabrielse: 3 active
- X followers
- David Heinemeier Hansson: 933K
- Zeke Gabrielse: 939
- Categories
- David Heinemeier Hansson: Open Source MakersDeveloper ToolsSaaS Founders
- Zeke Gabrielse: Developer ToolsSaaS FoundersOpen Source Makers
- Style
- David Heinemeier Hansson: duobootstrapped
- Zeke Gabrielse: solobootstrapped
- Courses & resources
- David Heinemeier Hansson: 3
- Zeke Gabrielse: —
Revenue figures are self-reported by each maker and not audited; dates and scope differ. Highlighted categories are shared by both.
Top products
Keygen
keygen.sh
Fair source software licensing and distribution API for license keys, device activation, entitlements and secure updates; self-hosted or cloud.
Keygen Relay
keygen.sh
Tool for distributing node-locked licenses in offline and air-gapped environments.
typed_params
github.com
Open-source Rails library for defining and validating typed request parameters.
Tech stack
1 shared tool, marked with ★: Ruby on Rails. See the indie maker tech stack.
Ruby on Rails (shared)RubyMySQLLinux
Ruby on Rails (shared)PostgreSQLSidekiq
How they build
- Convention over configuration.
- Small, independent, profitable companies over venture-backed growth.
- Own your infrastructure when the cloud stops making sense.
- Programmer happiness matters.
- Don't quit a good idea too early; most founders give up before they've learned enough.
- There are no overnight successes; growth usually takes years.
- Licensing is part of packaging and should be easy for developers.
- Pay back the open-source projects your business is built on.
Learn from David and Zeke
- [book] Rework
- [book] Remote
- [newsletter] DHH on HEY World
No courses, books or communities listed.
David Heinemeier Hansson vs Zeke Gabrielse FAQ
Who makes more money, David Heinemeier Hansson or Zeke Gabrielse?
Neither David Heinemeier Hansson nor Zeke Gabrielse has publicly reported a revenue figure that IndieMakerList tracks, so it's not public.
Who has built more products, David Heinemeier Hansson or Zeke Gabrielse?
David Heinemeier Hansson has 4 products listed (including Ruby on Rails, Basecamp and HEY); Zeke Gabrielse has 3 products listed (Keygen, Keygen Relay and typed_params).
What tech stack do David Heinemeier Hansson and Zeke Gabrielse use?
David Heinemeier Hansson uses Ruby on Rails, Ruby, MySQL and Linux. Zeke Gabrielse uses Ruby on Rails, PostgreSQL and Sidekiq. Tools they have in common: Ruby on Rails.
Where are David Heinemeier Hansson and Zeke Gabrielse based?
David Heinemeier Hansson: not listed. Zeke Gabrielse: Springfield, United States.
Who has been an indie maker longer, David Heinemeier Hansson or Zeke Gabrielse?
David Heinemeier Hansson started in 2003 (23 years indie); Zeke Gabrielse started in 2016 (10 years indie).
Are David Heinemeier Hansson and Zeke Gabrielse bootstrapped?
Yes, both are listed as bootstrapped founders on IndieMakerList.
Full profiles
Read the full story, timeline and links on David Heinemeier Hansson's profile and Zeke Gabrielse's profile.
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