HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Build in Public to Earn Trust and Shape the Product

Build in Public to Earn Trust and Shape the Product is a communities tactic for getting your first users: Share your build journey, revenue milestones, and decisions openly inside communities, and personally stay present in the resulting conversations to build credibility and a direct line to users.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Consumer / mobile apps teams, and works especially well for indie SaaS, solo founders, consumer apps. As a communities play, plan for medium effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 5 linked primary sources.

CommunitiesMedium effortSlow

Why does communities work for this?

A public track record generates trust that converts followers at multiples of cold traffic and lowers churn, while the open feedback loop catches bad bets before launch and the founder's direct presence keeps you tuned to real sentiment.

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
B2B SaaSConsumer / mobile apps

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Build in Public to Earn Trust and Shape the Product" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS and Consumer / mobile apps — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Build in Public to Earn Trust and Shape the Product" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 5 primary sources — real founder write-ups and interviews, not generic advice. They are linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original accounts yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via Direct audience channel cut failure rate and Founder present in comments and DMs, is in the paid library.

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