🚀 What It Takes to Build and Scale a One-Person Tech Company

People often assume that building a tech company requires a large team, venture capital, and sleepless nights managing others. But the truth is, you can build impactful, scalable products — solo. I'm currently doing it with two: SKYC, a digital commerce ecosystem powered by crypto, and IO SMART HUB, an IoT platform for automating smart homes and devices.

Here’s what it really takes to go solo, stay sane, and build with long-term scale in mind.

🔧 1. Build Systems, Not Just Features

When you don’t have a team, your greatest leverage is how well you architect your codebase and operations. Every feature must earn its place and integrate into a system designed for scale.

For SKYC, I designed an ecosystem of independently deployable modules — Marketplace, Booking, Training Portal, SKYC Shop, and SKYC Pay. Each is containerized with Docker and communicates through internal APIs. This allows me to iterate on one module without affecting the others.

In IO SMART HUB, the challenge was integrating multiple protocols (Zigbee, Z-Wave, MQTT, HTTP) into one unified experience. I wrote a real-time abstraction layer that listens to and reacts to device states. The frontend, built in Vue.js, connects via WebSocket for instant device control. No team — just tightly integrated code.

🧠 2. Leverage Time With Smart Automation

Time is my most limited resource, so I automate everything I can — deployments, backups, emails, onboarding, and even support triggers.

• CI/CD: GitHub Actions handles testing, linting, building, and deploying to staging/production.
• Infrastructure as Code: I use Terraform to provision infrastructure on AWS in minutes.
• Low-Code Admin: Laravel Nova and custom Rails views help me manage users, orders, transactions, and devices.

I even built a Slack bot that notifies me of critical errors or suspicious transactions — so I can focus on building, not firefighting.

💬 3. Customer Feedback is Your Second Brain

You don’t need a product team to create something people love — you need a feedback loop. I regularly gather input through mockups, early prototypes, and informal conversations.

One prospective SKYC user told me, “I’d use your platform more if I didn’t have to pay Stripe’s high fees.” That sparked the idea for SKYC Coin — a native token with zero platform transaction fees and fast wallet-based payments.

Another early IO SMART HUB tester asked for automations that worked offline. That feedback led me to implement edge-based logic with Raspberry Pi and Docker — allowing local execution during internet outages.

💪 4. Handle Burnout and Stay Consistent

Burnout is real when you're doing everything alone. That’s why I’ve created working rhythms and systems to stay productive without burning out:

• Theme Days: Mondays for code, Tuesdays for growth, Wednesdays for UX/UI — each day has a focus.
• Monthly Sprints: I work in 4-week sprint cycles with self-retrospectives to stay on track.
• Templates & Checklists: I templatize tasks like releases, blog posts, and deployments to reduce decision fatigue.

It’s not about hustle culture — it’s about sustainability and momentum.

📈 5. Growth Through Real-World Utility

Virality is great, but utility is what sustains a product. I’m focused on solving real-world problems from the start:

• SKYC Booking: A travel-focused service for booking hotels, tickets, trips, rentals, and more — built for modern digital commerce with crypto support.
• SKYC Banking: A flexible digital payment service for managing fiat and crypto transactions, enabling seamless transfers and cross-border payments.
• IO Voice Control: Enables multilingual smart home control using on-device AI models powered by TensorFlow Lite — designed for privacy, speed, and offline functionality.

Everything I build is designed with practical use cases in mind — even before the public launch.

🛠️ Tech Stack Deep Dive

🧭 Final Thoughts: Building Before Launch

SKYC and IO SMART HUB aren’t live yet — but I’m building them as if they already have real users. That means thoughtful architecture, deep focus on real-world needs, and systems that will scale when the time comes.

Some days I’m deep in backend logic; others, I’m refining user flows or automating DevOps. It’s not about doing everything perfectly — it’s about showing up every day to build something meaningful.

If you're in a similar place — building quietly, shaping an idea, preparing for launch — keep going. What you create today may become someone’s favorite tool tomorrow.

Posted on May 26, 2025

– Artem Solianyk
Founder of SKYC & IO SMART HUB | Full-Stack Engineer, Builder, Dreamer