Mitchell Down built Fuel Daddy with zero dev experience after getting frustrated with ad-cluttered fuel apps, creating a clean real-time tool now expanding into NSW and Tasmania.
Why this matters: Solo founders continue proving that useful tools don’t require investor backing or complex infrastructure.
If you live in Queensland, you already know the pain of watching fuel prices jump overnight. One servo’s selling E10 for $1.78, the one down the road is $2.12, and by the time you’ve found the cheaper one online, the price has already changed.
That frustration pushed Mitchell Down to build Fuel Daddy, a free, real-time fuel price finder that helps people fill up for less without wading through cluttered apps or advertisements.
Weekend Project Origins
Fuel Daddy started as a weekend project six or seven months ago. Down was writing an article for his Sell Any Car Fast website about fuel types and wanted to reference a fuel finding tool.
“But I couldn’t find one that wasn’t full of ads,” Down explains. “I just wanted something simple, a clean, mobile-friendly map that showed me the cheapest fuel near me.”
So, without any development experience, he built it himself.
The tool pulls live price data straight from the Queensland Government’s official feed, which updates every 15 minutes. It plots those prices on a fast-loading map and colour-codes the cheapest options. No accounts, no advertisements, no push notifications. Just the information drivers actually need, including prices for other fuel types offered at each station.
Down’s approach mirrors a growing trend among solo founders who bootstrap solutions to personal frustrations. Like Queenie Tan, who built budgeting app Billroo from a $30,000 bootstrap after struggling to find tools that worked for shared expenses, Down focused on solving his own problem first.
Clean Design Priority
Friends and family often ask why Fuel Daddy isn’t a downloadable app. Down’s answer is straightforward.
“The honest answer is that I’m not finished making it absolutely perfect,” he says. “And right now, I want to keep it light, fast, and easy to use from any phone browser. On top of that, I don’t know the first thing about making an app.”
The interface is clean and easy to read in the car. Unlike most “free” apps, there’s nothing running in the background collecting user data. This design philosophy reflects what other successful Brisbane-based founders have emphasisedabout building for sole traders and everyday users rather than trying to replicate corporate software.
“I built Fuel Daddy because I was sick of noise,” Down says. “It’s not a social platform, it’s not gamified, and it’s not pretending to be a lifestyle brand. It’s a straightforward tool that quietly does its job.”
That clarity of purpose stands out in an app ecosystem where many free tools monetise through data collection, advertisements or premium upsells. Fuel Daddy’s business model remains undefined, with Down focusing on utility over revenue generation at this stage.
Expansion Plans
Right now, Fuel Daddy covers Queensland using the state’s open data feed. Next, Down is expanding it into New South Wales and Tasmania with similar government data integrations.
The next feature rolling out is fuel price alerts. Users will be able to set a target price and receive a simple notification when fuel in their area drops below that level. It’s the kind of everyday automation that saves people real money without requiring yet another app login.
“It’s amazing what a bit of open data and clean design can do when you focus on helping instead of hyping,” Down notes.
The expansion strategy demonstrates pragmatism. Rather than attempting national coverage immediately, Down is methodically adding states with accessible government data feeds. This measured approach to scaling echoes advice from experienced founders about addressing underlying problems before expanding.
No Investors Required
Fuel Daddy isn’t backed by investors or a big tech team. It’s just Down, many late nights and a simple goal: make everyday decisions easier for regular Australians.
This bootstrapped approach has become increasingly common among Australian founders who prioritise control and simplicity over rapid scaling. Without investor pressure, Down can maintain his focus on user experience rather than monetisation strategies or growth metrics.
The tool’s reliance on government open data means minimal infrastructure costs. By building a web-based tool rather than native mobile apps, Down avoids the complexity and expense of maintaining multiple codebases whilst keeping the product accessible to anyone with a phone browser.
Down’s journey from zero development experience to building a functional public tool demonstrates the accessibility of modern web development, particularly when solving clearly defined problems. His article research for Sell Any Car Fast unexpectedly led to identifying a gap in the market that existing solutions had overcomplicated.
For Queensland drivers dealing with volatile fuel prices, Fuel Daddy offers a refreshingly simple solution. The tool’s straightforward value proposition, no advertisements, no data collection, just current prices plotted on a map, resonates with users tired of cluttered interfaces and privacy concerns.
As Down prepares to expand Fuel Daddy into New South Wales and Tasmania whilst adding price alert functionality, the project demonstrates how solo founders can build useful tools without venture capital, development teams or complex business models.
Sometimes the best solutions come from individuals frustrated enough to build exactly what they need, nothing more, nothing less.
This article is based on information provided by Mitchell Down, founder of Fuel Daddy.
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