Why Every Solopreneur Needs a /uses Page (And How I Built Mine)

A /uses page is exactly what it sounds like. A page where you list the tools, software, and hardware you actually use to run your business. It's been a thing since the early indie hacker days, popularized by sites like uses.tech.

I built mine at ricsmo.com/uses. Nine categories covering my desk setup, audio/video gear, development tools, design software, infrastructure, productivity apps, AI tools, hardware, and learning platforms. It took multiple revisions to get right.

There are two reasons to have one: credibility and revenue.

Credibility Through Specificity

"I use an Apple M2 Max" is more believable than "I use a powerful computer." Visitors can see the exact tools behind your work. People considering hiring you or buying your course look at your stack and think, this person knows what they're doing.

Specificity builds trust in a way that vague claims don't. Anyone can say they're a developer. Listing Zed, VS Code, and the terminal they use shows they actually are one.

Revenue Through Honesty

Amazon affiliate links on tools you genuinely use convert better than banner ads or random product placements. The key is the word "genuinely." If you're recommending a microphone you've never used, readers can tell.

The revenue is modest but passive. It won't pay your rent, but it covers hosting costs and then some. For a solopreneur watching every expense, that matters.

The styling of those links matters too. I use accent-colored link text (cyan on light, lighter cyan on dark) with target="_blank" and rel="noopener noreferrer". They look like regular navigation, not ads. The moment a link looks like an ad, people stop trusting the page.

What I Included

My page uses a two-column grid layout. Each section has a heading and a list of tools with brief descriptions and affiliate links where available.

Not everything has an affiliate link. Local Llama models, open-source tools, free services. The page isn't an ad. It's a transparent list of what I use.

I also added a "Familiar with" section for tools I've evaluated but don't use daily. This is useful for clients who want to know if I can work with their existing stack. It lists enterprise learning platforms like Blackboard, eCollege, Canvas, and Moodle, along with course platforms like Teachable, Kajabi, and Thinkific.

Twenty-five years in education means I've touched a lot of systems. Listing them shows range without claiming expertise I don't have.

What I Cut

The hardest part was deciding what to include and what to remove.

"I tried this once" doesn't belong on a /uses page. Only tools you use regularly make the cut.

It took multiple revisions to get there. I removed tools I no longer use, like Roo Code, Kilo Code, and Cursor. I added ones I'd forgotten, like my iPad Pro, Apple Watch, and Yealink desk phone. I separated items that were incorrectly grouped on the same line, like Z.ai and OpenRouter.

Each revision made the page more honest. Less "look at everything I've tried" and more "here's what actually runs my business."

Living Document

The page gets updated when tools change. That's a feature, not a bug. If someone visits my /uses page six months apart and sees the same list, something's wrong. Tools change. The page should reflect that.

A /uses page works because it's useful to the visitor and honest from the author. Get both of those right and the affiliate revenue follows naturally.

If you're building a consulting business and want help standing out, that's what I do. Get in touch.