HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Post in Audience-Targeted Subreddits and Mine the Criticism

Post in Audience-Targeted Subreddits and Mine the Criticism is a reddit & forums tactic for getting your first users: He posted in subreddits matched tightly to his audience (plus maker-friendly ones like r/SideProject and r/selfhosted) and used the harsh feedback to improve the product while collecting sign-ups.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for Indie products with a clearly defined niche. As a reddit & forums play, plan for medium effort and expect results to arrive at a steady pace, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Reddit & forumsMedium effortMedium

Why does reddit & forums work for this?

Niche subs put you in front of real prospects and double as a brutally honest feedback loop.

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
Any / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "Post in Audience-Targeted Subreddits and Mine the Criticism" 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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