Amy Hoy
Born 1984 · Age 41
Tech entrepreneur, teacher and writer best known for co-creating the 30x500 course, co-founding the Freckle/Noko time-tracking app, consulting via Hyphenated People, and publishing practical product & startup advice.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth
Amy Hoy was born (inferred from her statement that she turned 27 on May 11, 2011).
First freelance gig — began 'hustling'
At age 11 Amy got her first freelance gig and reports that she 'began hustling' from this point onward.
Bought first personal computer
At 12 she 'hustled and scrimped' and bought her first computer via a deal found on Usenet.
Left high school to homeschool
At 14 she dropped out of high school and began homeschooling herself.
Moved out of abusive household
At 15 she moved out of her abusive mother's house and became independent.
Major personal and financial crisis
Around age 20 she reports a cascade of crises in ~6 months: dumped and kicked out by long-term boyfriend; scammed out of 3 months' work; ran up credit-card debt; caught mono and was too sick to work; car stolen by ex; nearly sued by a client.
Negotiated a 4-day work week at second job
At age 22 she negotiated a 4-day work week (8-hour days) at her second, staid, semi-corporate job — an example of early career negotiating success.
Moved to Austria (approx start)
She later reports having lived in Austria for nearly three years before moving back to the US; inferred start roughly 2007 based on timeline in her 2011 post.
Returned to the United States after living in Austria
She states that in the prior 12 months (relative to May 2011) she decided to move back to the US after nearly three years in Austria — placed roughly in 2010.
Closed a partnership that wasn't working
In the 12 months before May 2011 she closed a partnership that she says 'wasn't ever going to work' — part of a larger life reset.
Underwent surgery to correct a health problem
She mentions deciding to have surgery to correct a health problem she otherwise couldn't fix — dated to the same 12-month period referenced in 2011.
Co-created 30x500 (approximate)
She collaborated with Alex Hillman to create 30x500, an entrepreneurship training program that teaches creatives and developers how to build profitable bootstrapped products. (Goodlife summary; exact founding date not specified in source.)
Publicly advocated bootstrapped entrepreneurship (entreporn critique)
Circa this period she became known for criticizing 'entreporn' — the glorification of venture-backed exits — and advocating bootstrapped, lifestyle-focused entrepreneurship.
Featured guest with Alex Hillman on Good Life Project podcast (approx)
Appeared with Alex Hillman on the Good Life Project discussing bootstrapping, community, and building businesses around quality of life (date not provided; included as notable speaking / media role).
Published '21 Lessons Learned from 16 Years of Hustling'
Posted the long reflective essay '21 Lessons Learned from 16 Years of Hustling' on the Stacking the Bricks site, marking her 27th birthday and summarizing personal & professional lessons.
Co-founder / co-creator role for Freckle (Noko) referenced
She is widely described (including WPSessions) as co-founder of Noko (formerly Freckle), a time-tracking app for freelancers and teams. Source mentions the company but does not supply a founding date; placed here as an early-2010s event.
Listed as half of Hyphenated People consulting firm (role)
O'Reilly bio describes Amy as 'half of Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm Hyphenated People', indicating an established consulting role supporting product and design work.
Became O'Reilly instructor for live online courses
O'Reilly lists Amy as an instructor of live online courses, books and videos on product, design and programming topics (exact years not stated; mid-2010s approximation).
Speaker at WPSessions (profiled)
WPSessions lists Amy Hoy as a speaker who 'teaches people how to make products customers actually want' and references her co-creation of 30x500 and Freckle/Noko. (Profile exists; event dates vary.)
Public speaker & educator identity consolidated
By mid-2010s Amy had established herself as an educator and thought-leader on product, SaaS marketing, bootstrapping and craft-based entrepreneurship (through courses, talks, articles and podcasts).
Published 'Why Blacksmiths are Better at Startups than You'
Published a long-form essay on Medium drawing parallels between craft apprenticeship and startup building — a widely read piece on craftsmanship in business.
30x500 grows as a recognized entrepreneurship course
30x500 became recognized as a prominent course for indie founders and creatives, taught widely to developers and designers (growth and community-building milestone; exact numbers not specified).
Slash7 LLC trademarks and product brands in use
Stacking the Bricks site footer (copyright 2010–2025) lists 30x500™, Just Fucking Ship™, Ship in Six™, Sales Safari™, Stacking the Bricks™ and Build Your Business, One Win at a Time™ as Slash7 LLC trademarks — indicating formalization of product/IP under Slash7.
Continued public presence teaching product & SaaS marketing
Throughout the 2010s into 2020 Amy continued to publish essays, teach courses, speak at events, and consult — maintaining a public profile as a practical product educator.
Ongoing influence in bootstrapped startup community
Amy remains known for advocating bootstrapped approaches and for practical training (30x500) and tools (Noko), with ongoing speaking, teaching and writing activity (sources show continued site activity).
Public resources and trademarks still active under Slash7 LLC
Site footer and publications indicate Slash7 LLC and its trademarks remain active as of 2010–2025, signaling sustained activity of Amy's product & educational brands.
Key Achievement Ages
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