Where to share what you’re building

Before you post anywhere, name the goal. “Get feedback on the flow” sends you somewhere very different from “get a spike of signups.” Use this as a quick map, then read the sections below.

X is where the indie-hacker scene mostly lives. Posting progress — a screenshot, a metric, a problem you just solved — builds an audience over time that you can launch to later. The payoff compounds, but it doesn’t arrive on day one.

Pros: low friction, real-time replies, and the people who care about indie products are already here. Cons: from a standing start it’s mostly shouting into the void — reach follows consistency and a network you have to build first. Reply to other builders, share specifics, and don’t just broadcast links.

Reddit gives you blunt, unfiltered feedback and early users — if you respect each subreddit’s rules. The most useful for makers:

• r/SideProject — the friendliest room for in-progress and just-shipped work.
• r/indiehackers — fellow founders; good for the story behind the build.
• r/SaaS — sharper, more business-minded; great for B2B tools and pricing talk.

Pros: honest reactions, niche subs for almost any audience, durable (posts get found via search later). Cons: mods are strict, low-effort self-promo gets removed or downvoted fast, and you need a real account with history. Lead with a screenshot or a specific question, not a bare link.

Indie Hackers is a forum of people doing exactly what you’re doing. Posting a milestone, a numbers breakdown, or a “here’s what I’d do differently” gets thoughtful replies from peers rather than random traffic. The same goes for maker Discords and Slacks (WIP, indie-focused servers, and the communities around tools you use).

Pros: high-quality advice, accountability, and relationships that pay off across multiple projects.Cons: smaller reach than the big public sites, and you have to show up regularly — these reward being a participant, not a poster who drops in only to promote.

These are your big-spike venues — high effort, high variance, and best used once the product can survive a crowd.

Show HN on Hacker News puts you in front of a sharp, technical audience. A front-page hit sends serious traffic and pointed feedback. Cons: the crowd is critical, timing and title matter a lot, and a flat launch sinks without trace. Submit something genuinely interesting, write a plain title, and be in the comments to answer.

Product Hunt is a coordinated launch day: a polished gallery, a tagline, and ideally a rally of people ready to support you. A strong day brings buzz, backlinks, and signups. Cons: it’s effort-heavy, it favors makers with an existing following, and the traffic bump is often a spike, not a sustained channel. Prep assets in advance and don’t launch into a vacuum.

BetaList and similar startup directories put pre-launch and just-launched products in front of people who specifically like trying new things. Good for collecting early signups while you’re still building.

Pros: targeted early-adopter audience, low effort to submit, and a backlink. Cons: queues can be slow, the bump is modest and one-time, and some directories charge to skip the line. Treat it as one seed among several, not a growth engine.

What Are You Building — that’s us — is a taste-forward, black-and-white showcase where builders post what they’re shipping and the community upvotes and comments. It’s deliberately lighter than a Product Hunt launch: no coordinated day, no rally required, just drop the thing and get seen. Posting also gets you a free GEO report that shows whether AI engines mention your product.

Pros: low effort, in-progress work is welcome, upvotes and comments for feedback, and that GEO report. Cons: it’s a newer, smaller room than the giants above, so reach is more modest. Think of it as one good option among several — best paired with X or Reddit, not a replacement for a real launch.