Ship Faster: The Solopreneur's Guide to Feature Flags in 2025

The Solopreneur's Dilemma

You've built something cool. It works locally. But deploying to production feels like playing Russian roulette with your user base. So you wait. You test more. You add "just one more feature" before the big deploy.

Meanwhile, your competitor ships three times this week.

Feature flags break this cycle. They separate deployment from release. You ship code daily. You release features when ready. Your production stays stable. Your velocity stays high.

What Even Is a Feature Flag?

At its core, a feature flag is an if-statement controlled from outside your code:

if (featureFlags.newCheckout) {
  return <NewCheckoutFlow />;
} else {
  return <OldCheckoutFlow />;
}

The magic isn't the code—it's that you can flip newCheckout without deploying. Test in production with 5% of users. Roll back instantly if things break. Ship the other 95% of your app with confidence.

The Lightweight Stack (No LaunchDarkly Required)

LaunchDarkly is amazing. It's also $50+/month and overkill for solopreneurs. Here's what actually works:

Option 1: Environment Variables (Simplest)

// .env.local
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_NEW_DASHBOARD=true
NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_AI_SUGGESTIONS=false

// app/config/features.ts
export const features = {
  newDashboard: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_NEW_DASHBOARD === 'true',
  aiSuggestions: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_FEATURE_AI_SUGGESTIONS === 'true',
};

Pros: Zero dependencies, instant setup, works everywhere.
Cons: Requires redeploy to change, no user targeting.

Option 2: JSON Config File (Better)

// public/features.json
{
  "newDashboard": true,
  "aiSuggestions": false,
  "premiumFeatures": true
}

// app/hooks/useFeatureFlags.ts
export function useFeatureFlags() {
  const [flags, setFlags] = useState({});
  
  useEffect(() => {
    fetch('/features.json')
      .then(r => r.json())
      .then(setFlags);
  }, []);
  
  return flags;
}

Pros: Change flags without redeploy (CDN cache control), simple JSON.
Cons: Still no user targeting, client-side only.

Option 3: Vercel Edge Config (Sweet Spot)

// Vercel Dashboard: Create Edge Config
// Add items: newDashboard=true, aiSuggestions=false

import { get } from '@vercel/edge-config';

export async function getFeatureFlags() {
  return {
    newDashboard: await get('newDashboard'),
    aiSuggestions: await get('aiSuggestions'),
  };
}

// In your component
const flags = await getFeatureFlags();

Pros: Change via dashboard, sub-100ms reads, free tier generous.
Cons: Vercel-specific, basic targeting only.

Real-World Patterns That Actually Work

Pattern 1: The "Dark Launch"

Ship code in production. Zero users see it. Test it manually. When ready, flip the flag.

// Deployed yesterday, flag=false
// You test today with ?preview=newCheckout
// Works great? Flip to true
// Everyone gets it instantly

Pattern 2: The "Percentage Rollout"

function useFeature(flagName: string, rolloutPercent: number) {
  const userId = useUserId();
  const hash = hashCode(userId + flagName);
  const bucket = Math.abs(hash) % 100;
  return bucket < rolloutPercent;
}

// Start at 5%, monitor errors, scale to 100%
const showNewUI = useFeature('newUI', 5);

Pattern 3: The "Email Whitelist"

const BETA_USERS = [
  'user@example.com',
  'friend@startup.com'
];

const showBetaFeature = BETA_USERS.includes(user.email);

Perfect for invite-only features or testing with friendlies before going wide.

Avoid These Feature Flag Debt Traps

Trap 1: The Eternal Flag

Flags older than 3 months are tech debt. Set a cleanup date when you create them:

// flags.ts
export const features = {
  // TODO: Remove after 2025-03-01 (shipped 2025-12-17)
  newDashboard: true,
};

Once a feature is 100% rolled out for 2 weeks, rip out the flag. Commit to the new code path.

Trap 2: The Nested Nightmare

// DON'T DO THIS
if (flags.newUI) {
  if (flags.darkMode) {
    if (flags.betaFeatures) {
      // 8 code paths to test
    }
  }
}

Keep flags flat. One flag = one feature. Combine in the flag definition, not the code.

Trap 3: The Database Flag

Storing flags in your database sounds smart. It's not. Every request now needs a DB hit. Use Edge Config, Redis, or static files instead.

The Solopreneur's Feature Flag Workflow

1. Monday: Build feature behind a flag (default false)
2. Tuesday: Deploy to production, test with ?preview=featureName
3. Wednesday: Flip to 10%, monitor errors
4. Thursday: Scale to 50%, check analytics
5. Friday: Full 100%, pop champagne
6. Next Monday: Remove flag, clean up code

You shipped five times. Production never broke. Users got a stable experience. This is the vibe.

Budget-Friendly A/B Testing

Feature flags unlock A/B testing without Optimizely's $50k price tag:

const variant = useFeature('pricingPageVariant', 50) ? 'A' : 'B';

// Track with your existing analytics
analytics.track('Viewed Pricing', { variant });

// In your pricing page
{variant === 'A' ? <PricingTableA /> : <PricingTableB />}

Run for a week. Check conversion rates in your analytics dashboard. Winner becomes the new default. Total cost: $0.

Tools Worth Your Time

• Vercel Edge Config: Best for Next.js apps, generous free tier
• Upstash Redis: Fast, serverless, pay-per-request pricing
• PostHog: Open-source analytics + feature flags in one
• GrowthBook: Open-source A/B testing platform

All have free tiers that work great until you're making real money. Then upgrade.

The Real Benefit: Mental Freedom

Feature flags aren't just technical—they're psychological. Once you can roll back instantly, deployment anxiety disappears. You ship more. You experiment more. You learn faster.

Your competitors are still doing monthly releases and praying. You're deploying daily and sleeping well.

That's the solopreneur advantage. That's the vibe.

Vibe Series – Daily updates on how to vibecode better for successful engaging apps. Perfect for solopreneurs looking to ship faster and stress less.

Ship daily without the fear. Desplega.ai helps you deploy with confidence through intelligent QA automation. Because the best feature flag is knowing your app actually works. Learn more →