01 · Strategy: comments first, posts later¶
Why Reddit works for small software¶
- People ask for tools in public. "Is there an app that…", "alternative to…", "how do I stop my Mac from…". Each of those threads is a buyer telling you what they need, in their words (research-where-users-ask).
- Answers keep working. A good answer keeps getting read by people who find the thread later, including from web search. Reddit and Google expanded their partnership in 2024 to make Reddit content easier to find in Google products (Reddit, 2024).
- Readers check you out. Someone who liked your answer clicks your name. Your profile is where they find your X account, your landing page and your other answers (02-profile-setup.md).
Why most devs fail on Reddit¶
- A new account posts a link on day one and gets removed by AutoModerator before anyone reads it.
- The same "I built X" post goes to ten subreddits in one afternoon: that's what Reddit calls spam (08-rules-and-risks.md).
- The post is about the product, not the reader's problem.
- Buyers' subreddits and builders' subreddits get mixed up: r/SideProject is easy to post in, but its readers build products, they rarely buy them (docs/subreddits).
The plan: three phases¶
| Phase | Weeks | Do | Don't | Done when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · Listen | 1–2 | Profile set up. 2–3 answers a day in 3–5 subreddits where your buyers ask. No links | Post anything about your product | You have karma in your target subreddits and know their tone |
| 2 · Answer with the product | 3–4 | Keep answering. Mention your app only when it really answers the question, with "I made it" | Mention it in more than 1 of every 10 comments in a subreddit | A few answers that mention the app got upvoted, not removed |
| 3 · Post | 5+ | One post a week in one subreddit, easiest first, each in that subreddit's format and day (06-post-variants.md) | Cross-post the same text; post twice in a subreddit in a month | A post with real comments, and visits with utm_source=reddit |
After that, keep both running: answers every day, one post a week, one subreddit at a time.
Buyers vs builders¶
| Buyers' subreddits | Builders' subreddits | |
|---|---|---|
| Who reads | People who use apps in your niche | People who make apps |
| Examples (Mac) | r/macapps · r/MacOSApps · r/MacOS · r/apple · Mac help subs | r/SideProject · r/SwiftUI · r/indiehackers |
| What they want | Does it solve my problem? Price, privacy, native? | How did you build it? Real numbers? |
| Good for | Users, sales | Feedback, karma, peers, X follows |
| Rules | Strict: flairs, days, karma minimums | Looser, but no bare ads |
Plan both: builders' subreddits to learn and earn karma, buyers' subreddits for users. Your product type's list is in launch-reddit-posting.
How Reddit fits the other channels¶
Reddit answers point to your profile; your profile points to X (trust) and the landing page (action). The full map: Marketing & Social · the route Reddit → X → trial: cross-channel funnel.