6 ms·

Some tactical advice: - Search for online app directories like product hunt/indie hackers and put your app entry. - Search for relevant reddit forums, become

by mlboss 2y ago

Some tactical advice: - Search for online app directories like product hunt/indie hackers and put your app entry. - Search for relevant reddit forums, become a member, start answering questions related to your product and add a link at the end. - Same a last one. Add a post with lot of content of how to solve a problem that community faces and then add your product link. - On Twitter join the indiehackers/build in public community. Regularly post your updates/screenshots. Engage in community. - Write a ebook related to you domain. Create a landing page to collect email to deliver ebook. Mention how users can solve the problem by just using your app. Create ads to market the free ebook. - Split ebook into smaller tweets/reddit post and regularly post them. - Cold outreach to member on reddit community and ask for app review.

artemonster 2y ago
[dead]
pembrook 2y ago
This is advice for how to never build a big company and and just do the indiehacker thing building indiehacker tools for other indiehackers (which is fine!). But if you have bigger ambitions -- you might actually have to talk to humans and look into this weird thing called "sales” and this other weird thing called “human relationships.” Remember, a vast vast majority of money paid for software and value to be created solving problems with software comes from organizations (businesses, governments, etc). Not consumers or other indiehackers, which are the folks you'll find using the playbook OP mentioned above. Indiehackers might sound like a fun customer base, but be aware they are also the people who will loudly complain "THREE DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THIS??" when you do your show HN post.
- riku_iki 2y ago
  > But if you have bigger ambitions -- you might actually have to talk to humans and look into this weird thing called "sales." that's the step after sufficient revenue generated or funding received to hire ans scale sales team probably. But the question is for solo hacker at the beginning of the journey.
  - pembrook 2y ago
    It might amaze you to know there are thousands of $million revenue software companies that never posted on Reddit and never wasted months trying to pump a fake-successful launch on product hunt.
    - riku_iki 2y ago
      so, what is your suggested trajectory for solo hacker? Do cold "sales" calls? > there are thousands of $million revenue software companies that never posted on Reddit and never wasted months trying to pump a fake-successful launch on product hunt. do you have a chance to give some ideas how did you collect such insights? How did you find there are thousands companies which never posted, etc, and how they found first customers?
- mlboss 2y ago
  You need to crawl, walk and then run. I would argue that talking to users on reddit/twitter is also selling. If you cannot sell a $3 dollar widget then selling a $1000 widget is even more difficult. Enterprise sales has a long sales cycle which is very difficult to do without significant runway.
  - pembrook 2y ago
    In fact it's far easier to sell ten $1000/m subscriptions than it is to sell 3,333 $3/m subscriptions (the equivalent). But you don't learn this until after you've tried the latter.
    - jsk2600 2y ago
      Also, it's usually far easier to support ten customers vs 3,333.
      - yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
        In my experience, it’s easier to sell something for $1000 than it is to sell something for $3.
  - sliq 2y ago
    one good high-paying client is much easier than 1000 little clients. in every single aspect ;)
    - hermitcrab 2y ago
      As long as you don't only have 1 client. Then you are a basically a consultant and have to do what they say.
aimanbenbaha 2y ago
I would like to add Programmatic SEO and doing Organic TikTok / Reels if you're in the B2C space. These things compound fast and don't take as much time as long term SEO and can be as effective as paid media with luck and persistence. Of course it'll not be easy so expect to put in effort and reps.
levocardia 2y ago
>- Search for relevant reddit forums, become a member, start answering questions related to your product and add a link at the end. Please stop doing this, it's painfully obvious and it's ruining the internet.
- bluGill 2y ago
  That depends. If you are just saying "use my product" that ruins the internet. However if you give detailed helpful responses to questions in general that can be helpful.
- theendisney4 2y ago
  You can be as dishonest or helpful as you want. Back when google did organic ranking a lot of communities thrived on forum signatures. If you have thousands of helpful posts others know your level of expertise.
  - ilrwbwrkhv 2y ago
    But this is something that is completely missing with these Reddit posts. Most are spam.
    - theendisney4 2y ago
      Its to easy to join and to hard to have dialog or ban users on reddit. It has kind of one single standard while with forums it depends a lot what the topic is. If people are building something together you need to be a productive participant before you can make fart jokes or complaint about your hangover. Accademic forums often had zero tolerance for bullshiting in serious topics. If your reply gives away you didnt read the article you deserve a warning.

by mlboss 2y ago

artemonster 2y ago

[dead]

pembrook 2y ago

This is advice for how to never build a big company and and just do the indiehacker thing building indiehacker tools for other indiehackers (which is fine!). But if you have bigger ambitions -- you might actually have to talk to humans and look into this weird thing called "sales” and this other weird thing called “human relationships.” Remember, a vast vast majority of money paid for software and value to be created solving problems with software comes from organizations (businesses, governments, etc). Not consumers or other indiehackers, which are the folks you'll find using the playbook OP mentioned above. Indiehackers might sound like a fun customer base, but be aware they are also the people who will loudly complain "THREE DOLLARS A MONTH FOR THIS??" when you do your show HN post.

riku_iki 2y ago
> But if you have bigger ambitions -- you might actually have to talk to humans and look into this weird thing called "sales." that's the step after sufficient revenue generated or funding received to hire ans scale sales team probably. But the question is for solo hacker at the beginning of the journey.
- pembrook 2y ago
  It might amaze you to know there are thousands of $million revenue software companies that never posted on Reddit and never wasted months trying to pump a fake-successful launch on product hunt.
  - riku_iki 2y ago
    so, what is your suggested trajectory for solo hacker? Do cold "sales" calls? > there are thousands of $million revenue software companies that never posted on Reddit and never wasted months trying to pump a fake-successful launch on product hunt. do you have a chance to give some ideas how did you collect such insights? How did you find there are thousands companies which never posted, etc, and how they found first customers?
mlboss 2y ago
You need to crawl, walk and then run. I would argue that talking to users on reddit/twitter is also selling. If you cannot sell a $3 dollar widget then selling a $1000 widget is even more difficult. Enterprise sales has a long sales cycle which is very difficult to do without significant runway.
- pembrook 2y ago
  In fact it's far easier to sell ten $1000/m subscriptions than it is to sell 3,333 $3/m subscriptions (the equivalent). But you don't learn this until after you've tried the latter.
  - jsk2600 2y ago
    Also, it's usually far easier to support ten customers vs 3,333.
    - yakshaving_jgt 2y ago
      In my experience, it’s easier to sell something for $1000 than it is to sell something for $3.
- sliq 2y ago
  one good high-paying client is much easier than 1000 little clients. in every single aspect ;)
  - hermitcrab 2y ago
    As long as you don't only have 1 client. Then you are a basically a consultant and have to do what they say.

aimanbenbaha 2y ago

I would like to add Programmatic SEO and doing Organic TikTok / Reels if you're in the B2C space. These things compound fast and don't take as much time as long term SEO and can be as effective as paid media with luck and persistence. Of course it'll not be easy so expect to put in effort and reps.

levocardia 2y ago

>- Search for relevant reddit forums, become a member, start answering questions related to your product and add a link at the end. Please stop doing this, it's painfully obvious and it's ruining the internet.

bluGill 2y ago
That depends. If you are just saying "use my product" that ruins the internet. However if you give detailed helpful responses to questions in general that can be helpful.
theendisney4 2y ago
You can be as dishonest or helpful as you want. Back when google did organic ranking a lot of communities thrived on forum signatures. If you have thousands of helpful posts others know your level of expertise.
- ilrwbwrkhv 2y ago
  But this is something that is completely missing with these Reddit posts. Most are spam.
  - theendisney4 2y ago
    Its to easy to join and to hard to have dialog or ban users on reddit. It has kind of one single standard while with forums it depends a lot what the topic is. If people are building something together you need to be a productive participant before you can make fart jokes or complaint about your hangover. Accademic forums often had zero tolerance for bullshiting in serious topics. If your reply gives away you didnt read the article you deserve a warning.