Build in Public and Put a Waitlist Link in Every Post

Build in Public and Put a Waitlist Link in Every Post is a social & short-form tactic for getting your first users: From day one they announced the idea and shared each component as they built it on Twitter and in Facebook groups, attaching their waitlist landing page link to every build-in-public post.

It's a strong fit for Info products / courses teams, and works especially well for any pre-launch product with a builder-friendly story. As a social & short-form play, plan for medium effort and expect results to arrive at a steady pace, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Social & short-formMedium effortMedium

Why does social & short-form work for this?

Sharing progress builds curiosity over time and the ever-present waitlist link converts that attention into emails.

The exact steps (4)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

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Sources

Works for

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Build in Public and Put a Waitlist Link in Every Post" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for Info products / courses — pick it when your product looks like that, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Build in Public and Put a Waitlist Link in Every Post" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium effort, and results tend to be medium.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

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