Pain-Free Planner: Migraine Management Made Easy

My name’s Henrik Christiansen, and I started Migraine Calendar to help people keep track of their aches and pains online.

Tell us more about Migraine Calendar

With Migraine Calendar, you get a free-to-use calendar to track your migraines. You can select a pain level (1-4) and write a note—for example, triggers, medication you took, or other relevant info.

This is an online alternative to the paper version that you easily forget or misplace. It’s also an alternative to your memory when asked by the doctor how the last few months have been.

What’s your background, and how did you come up with the idea?

I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2005 when I made a webshop. We sold women's clothing, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I put up paper ads in local supermarkets, where you could pull off the site’s URL.

Now that seems dumb, but what did I know? The shop sold some items, but my heart was not in it.

That led me to make a one-person agency where I did websites, flash banners, and business cards. I even set up printers. Again it didn’t take off, but I was just happy working for myself.

In 2011, I started a digital agency with a partner. We grew and worked on it until 2020 when we merged with another company. At that time, we had about 35 employees, and my role was mostly admin and leadership, which is something I did not enjoy.

So in 2021, I sold most of my shares and returned to the roots. Sitting in my garage doing freelance like ten years before.

With this new start, I also wanted to get back to indie hacking. I wanted to learn basic JaveScript / React, and a smaller project seemed a good way to learn.

I chose a migraine calendar because my wife has been suffering from migraines and headaches 10-20 days per month. A crippling condition where tracking and triggers are essential in figuring out the cause.

She used pen and paper. If that paper disappears, it could be months of tracking gone. Even a cup of coffee seemed a bit dangerous around that calendar, so I chose to make an online alternative.

It’s not an original thought, but I wanted to make something I could be proud of.

How did you get your first customers during the early stage of the company?

The first users came from talking to people and sharing on Reddit and Twitter. I’m still very early in progress, but the next step will also be to talk to different migraine organizations.

For years, I have been following different organizations and online groups to stay updated with news in the migraine field. I think a lot of startups can take advantage of their specialized knowledge. Then, you are already a leg up in getting off the ground.

How’s the business doing now?

Right now, I have less than 100 users. I still want to add a few features because this is a learning experience. The app will be pretty small and self-contained. Then I will spend time marketing and trying new channels.

And I know what you are thinking: “Just one more feature.” But I only have a few features in mind and want to finish them before a bigger push.

Presently, what marketing channels are working well to acquire customers?

Right now, I’m still trying channels out. I think personal one-on-one messaging suits me best now because I want to hear what words and language people use to describe their needs. That way, I can integrate it into the marketing site and ads.

Word of mouth is also among the more interesting ones because there are many support groups.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

My biggest achievement so far is learning enough code to get something off the ground. I used this as an opportunity to learn Tailwind, and I love it!

What has been your biggest challenge since the company's inception?

Doing anything in React. I have had a lot of help. My coding skills are just good enough to know that I don’t know sh*t.

So when I want to do something that’s not just cosmetic, I have to use a lot of time to get back into the code. I need help with it, and taking the time to do it can be hard.

Next up, there will also be costs, and I will have to figure out how to cover them. I have some ideas about partnerships, but how and when remains to be tested.

What’s something you know now that you wish you had known when you started the company?

To just get going. In hindsight, I could have set some milestones to keep me on track. Making a migraine calendar also spills into a medical segment. I’m not a doctor and can’t recommend anything. This will be a challenge in my content marketing.

What advice would you give to new entrepreneurs?

When I started my last company, I gave it 1,000 days (Shout out to Dan and Ian from the Tropical MBA podcast.) That helped with my mindset.

I know many people who have started a company but soon got discouraged and gave up after six months or a year. Nothing great happens overnight, so hang in there.

Also, don’t be afraid to start something that already exists. Just find a niche that makes people happy. Unique ideas are challenging, and creating something is hard without trying to be completely new.

How do you keep yourself motivated?

Since 2010 I have listened to Startups For the Rest of Us. Just hearing Rob Walling every week reminds me of the startup freedom at the base of it all for me. Same with the Allan brothers from indiehackers.com.

Those are my primary “helpers,” with some friends and partners on projects. They remind me of all the fun, exciting ideas, solutions, and tech. Then I get pumped and start working.