From freelancer to Product Hunt #1.
I'm Istiak Ahmad, a SaaS entrepreneur, developer, and verified Product Hunt hunter. I started in 2017 building custom software for clients on Fiverr and Upwork. By 2023, I'd shipped hundreds of projects and worn every hat in the building.
In 2024 I launched my own SaaS, Lancepilot, and took it to #1 on Product Hunt on launch day. That changed everything. Investors reached out, sign-ups poured in, and other founders started asking me to run their launches.
Today I split my time between Lancepilot and helping other founders ship great launches. Every product I've hunted has finished Top 5. I've built a deep network across the Product Hunt and indie-founder ecosystem, and I love nothing more than seeing a great product finally get the spotlight it deserves.
A founder's timeline.
- 2017Started freelancing
Began building custom software for clients on Fiverr and Upwork. Shipped hundreds of projects across stacks.
- 2017 – 2023Developer → Product → Founder
Wore every hat: dev, PM, marketer, team lead. Learned how products actually get built and sold.
- 2024Launched Lancepilot
Founded and shipped Lancepilot, a WhatsApp marketing SaaS. Took CEO role.
- Apr 8, 2024#1 on Product Hunt
Lancepilot launch swept Product Hunt: #1 Day, #2 Week, #1 Marketing Week, #1 Marketing Month.
- 2024 – 2026Hunting for other founders
Verified PH hunter. Hunted Ginix, Jector-AI, ToolSpend, Simply, Nomie. All Top 5.
- TodayHelping founders launch
Running the playbook, 1:1 consultations, and full launch management for founders worldwide.