Grant Proposal Writer Kit.Torn down.
A sharp origin story (one budget narrative, three funders), a visible sample draft, a rare compliance one-pager.
If you look at the page and immediately think "I wouldn't pay for that", I want to hear why, in whatever words you'd use to your mate.
jelonman (Indie Hackers), the maker · Indie Hackers, Sep 3, 2026 · see the invitation
Grant Proposal Writer Kit
$47 one-time
"…everything to start a grant-writing side business for nonprofits"
$1,000–$10,000+ per proposal · client-acquisition SOP · retainers
Rebuilt"Write your first grant application without starting from a blank page: one master narrative, adapted to each funder's format."
Lower down: "Also writing grants for other people?"
"A sample client + sample generated draft included"
One budget-narrative paragraph, written for two funders
Built honestly: "The source video's ‘$2-10K per proposal’ claim…"
RebuiltBuilt honestly: "Grant writers really do charge $1k–$10k; here's what that leaves out."
What's inside: grant_draft_generator.py · a Claude Skill
RebuiltWhat's inside: the templates and walkthrough first · what you need to run it, beside the price
Compliance one-pager: NIH's AI-disclosure rule · "No subscription."
Our sketch of the public page, not a screenshot.
The page sells a different product
The page still sells a different product from the one in your post. The headline and meta description say it's for starting a grant-writing side business ($1,000–$10,000+ per proposal, a client-acquisition SOP, retainers). Your post describes a small nonprofit or solo founder writing their own first application. On Sep 4 you agreed with the commenter who spotted this and said you'd rebuild around reuse: one narrative, three funder formats. As of Oct 29 the live page is unchanged. Rewrite the headline and first two lines for the person facing the deadline. For example: "Write your first grant application without starting from a blank page: one master narrative, adapted to each funder's format." Then move the side-business material (SOP, pricing sheet) into a short lower section titled "Also writing grants for other people?" That answers your own question about whether to keep the retainer material: keep it, but keep it below the fold.
Show the sample draft instead of describing it
Put a short excerpt on the page: one budget-narrative paragraph, shown as written for two different funders. That's the reuse your friend needed, and it's the proof a first-time grant writer will look for.
Which "source video"?
A first-time visitor doesn't know which video you mean. Rewrite it in your own words ("Grant writers really do charge $1k–$10k; here's what that leaves out") or cut it.
It opens with a Python file
Many small-nonprofit directors won't run either, so say near the price exactly what they need to run it, or lead with the templates and walkthrough instead. Also, the Buy button only gets its Stripe link from a script and otherwise points to "#". Put the link straight into the HTML so the button works everywhere.
What still stands
- The story behind it is excellent: a friend who runs a tiny arts charity spent two full weekends rewriting the same budget narrative for three funders. That's a specific job that keeps coming back, which is what you want a paid product to solve.
- The kit includes a sample client and a sample generated draft "so you can see exact output quality". Letting a buyer see the output before paying is the right idea for a $47 product.
- The compliance one-pager (NIH's AI-disclosure rule, and why percentage-of-grant pricing gets rejected) shows care most competitors skip. The price is one-time with no subscription, and the page says so plainly.
Your next task
Rebuild only the top of the page: the new headline, one sentence on who it's for, and a first image of a sample budget narrative in two funders' formats. Then send it to your friend at the arts charity with one question: "Would this have saved you one of those weekends?" Change the next section based on what they say.
In 30 seconds: Strength: A sharp origin story (one budget narrative, three funders), a visible sample draft, a rare compliance one-pager. Fix first: The page still sells a grant-writing side business, not the nonprofit's own first application; rewrite the top for that buyer. Then: Show a sample excerpt, explain the 'source video' line, state what's needed to run it, hard-code the Buy link.
No promises. These are the changes we'd make first, from the public page alone. None guarantees a sale; most first digital products sell modestly or not at all, and traffic matters as much as the page. Are you the maker and want this taken down or updated? Tell us through our contact form (topic "Other") and we'll do it the same day.
Your page has cracks too.
You can't see them from inside. We can. Send the link and get a written teardown with a prioritized fix list, by email within 2 business days.
No calls. Every review comes back in writing.