HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Stick to Small Subs, Ask Mods, and Check for Shadowbans

Stick to Small Subs, Ask Mods, and Check for Shadowbans is a reddit & forums tactic for getting your first users: A defensive playbook for staying alive on Reddit: favor small subs, get mod pre-approval, infiltrate the sub's Discord, and confirm you aren't shadowbanned.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for Founders relying on Reddit as a core channel. 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?

Smaller, mod-blessed posts get more engagement and far less risk, and a shadowban check ensures your effort isn't invisible.

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 "Stick to Small Subs, Ask Mods, and Check for Shadowbans" 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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