How Pieter Levels Proves That Simplicity Can Be the Key to Success

In the ever-evolving world of technology, there’s a growing trend toward complex infrastructures, often characterized by serverless architectures, cloud platforms like Firebase, Vercel, and Netlify, and a multitude of microservices. However, Pieter Levels, a Dutch solopreneur who earns over $200,000 a month through his micro-SaaS businesses, has taken a completely different approach. By embracing simplicity, Levels has built a highly profitable and efficient business model that challenges the norms of modern software development. In this blog post, I'll explore how Pieter Levels' minimalist tech stack has contributed to his success and why it might be worth considering a simpler approach in your own projects.

Simplicity in Technology: Levels' Minimalist Tech Stack

In an industry where the latest technologies and complex infrastructures are often celebrated, Pieter Levels' approach stands out as refreshingly simple. While many developers and companies are moving toward serverless architectures and cloud-based solutions that require a significant amount of setup and maintenance, Levels has built his micro-SaaS businesses using a straightforward tech stack.

At the core of his operations is a 16CPU 64GB VPS (Virtual Private Server), a powerful yet affordable solution that allows him to run multiple micro-SaaS products efficiently. This setup is in stark contrast to the industry standard, where developers often rely on serverless functions, managed databases, and various cloud services. Instead of using these modern but often complex and expensive solutions, Levels runs his businesses on a simple stack that includes:

• Single index.php Files: Each of his micro-SaaS applications is primarily built as a single index.php file. This minimalist approach to web development reduces the complexity of the codebase, making it easier to maintain and deploy.
• jQuery for Frontend Interactions: While many developers have moved on to more sophisticated frontend frameworks like React or Vue.js, Levels sticks with jQuery, a lightweight JavaScript library that has been around for years. This decision not only keeps the code simple but also reduces the learning curve for anyone maintaining or updating the site.
• SQLite Database: Instead of using a more complex database management system like MySQL or PostgreSQL, Levels opts for SQLite. This lightweight, file-based database is perfect for small-scale applications, eliminating the need for a separate database server and reducing overhead.

The Cost-Effectiveness of a Simple Infrastructure

One of the most striking aspects of Pieter Levels' approach is the cost-effectiveness of his infrastructure. By using a VPS with 16 CPUs and 64GB of RAM, he ensures that his applications have the resources they need to run smoothly, without the excessive costs associated with cloud platforms. VPS hosting is typically much cheaper than using cloud services like AWS or Google Cloud, especially when those services require additional components like managed databases, load balancers, and serverless functions.

This minimalist setup also reduces the need for constant monitoring and maintenance. With fewer moving parts, there’s less that can go wrong, which translates to fewer headaches and lower operational costs. The choice of SQLite as a database further contributes to this efficiency. Because SQLite is embedded directly within the application, there’s no need for separate database administration, backups, or scaling concerns. It just works, and it works well for the scale of Levels’ projects.

Challenging Industry Norms: The Case Against Complexity

In the current tech landscape, there’s a strong push toward using the latest and greatest technologies. Serverless architectures, microservices, and cloud-native solutions are often touted as the best way to build and scale applications. However, Pieter Levels’ success challenges this notion. His choice to stick with a simple stack is a reminder that complexity isn’t always necessary — or even desirable.

One of the main reasons developers and companies gravitate toward complex infrastructures is scalability. But it’s important to remember that not every project needs to be built with massive scale in mind. For many applications, particularly those serving niche markets like Levels’ micro-SaaS products, a simple setup is more than sufficient. By avoiding the overhead of complex infrastructures, Levels can focus on what truly matters: building products that solve real problems for his users.

Moreover, simplicity can lead to greater agility. With a less complex tech stack, Levels can deploy new features and updates more quickly. There’s no need to coordinate changes across multiple services or ensure that everything integrates smoothly. This agility is a significant advantage in the fast-paced world of micro-SaaS, where being able to respond to user feedback quickly can make or break a product.

The Benefits of Simplicity in Software Development

Pieter Levels’ approach highlights several key benefits of maintaining a simple tech stack:

Reduced Costs: By avoiding expensive cloud services and using a VPS instead, Levels keeps his operational costs low. This is crucial for a solopreneur running multiple businesses on their own.

Ease of Maintenance: A simple setup means fewer components to manage and maintain. This reduces the likelihood of technical debt and makes it easier to keep the system running smoothly over time.

Improved Agility: With a straightforward infrastructure, Levels can implement changes and deploy updates quickly. This allows him to stay responsive to user needs and iterate on his products efficiently.

Scalability Without Complexity: Although his setup is simple, it’s also scalable to the needs of his micro-SaaS products. The power of his VPS ensures that the applications can handle a growing user base without requiring a complete overhaul of the infrastructure.

Focus on What Matters: By stripping away unnecessary complexity, Levels can focus on building products that deliver value to his users. This focus on the core product rather than the underlying technology is a key factor in his success.

Lessons for Developers and Entrepreneurs

Pieter Levels’ story is an important reminder that simplicity can be a powerful strategy in software development. In a world where the latest technologies often take center stage, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the primary goal is to build products that solve problems and provide value to users. By choosing a simple, cost-effective tech stack, Levels has been able to do just that — without the burden of excessive complexity.

For developers and entrepreneurs, there are several valuable lessons to be learned from Levels’ approach:

Evaluate Your Needs: Not every project requires a complex infrastructure. Consider whether your application truly needs the scalability and features offered by modern cloud platforms, or if a simpler solution might suffice.

Focus on Value: Technology is a means to an end, not the end itself. Focus on building products that deliver value to your users, and choose the tools and technologies that best support that goal.

Don’t Be Afraid to Go Against the Grain: Just because a certain approach is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for your project. Be willing to challenge industry norms and make decisions that align with your specific needs and goals.

Keep Costs in Check: One of the biggest advantages of a simple infrastructure is the cost savings. This can be especially important for solopreneurs and small startups, where every dollar counts.

Conclusion: The Power of Simplicity

Pieter Levels’ success is a testament to the power of simplicity in software development. By choosing a minimalist tech stack, he has built a highly profitable business that is easy to maintain, cost-effective, and agile. His approach challenges the industry’s obsession with complexity and serves as a reminder that sometimes, less really is more.

For anyone looking to build their own micro-SaaS business or any other type of software product, Levels’ story is an inspiration. It shows that you don’t need the latest technologies or the most sophisticated infrastructure to succeed. What matters most is creating products that solve real problems — and sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best ones.