Indie Developer Shares Real Data on Getting First 100 Users via Free Channels

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A solo developer behind the 01MVP project tested three free cold-start channels — Product Hunt, Reddit, and the #buildinpublic Twitter strategy — to attract early users for their product. Product Hunt delivered a traffic spike of several hundred visitors within 24 hours of launch, but visits dropped sharply by day three, highlighting that the platform amplifies existing momentum rather than generating it. Reddit posts yielded mixed results, with one post earning 50-plus upvotes and solid sign-ups while a similar post on another subreddit was quickly downvoted, making outcomes largely unpredictable. The #buildinpublic approach was the slowest to show results, taking three to five weeks, but produced the highest conversion rate because followers built trust in the developer before trying the product. The author concludes that 10 engaged users willing to give honest feedback are far more valuable than 1,000 one-time sign-ups.

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