CreatorsIndie makers and side projects playbook
Outpost runs the unglamorous work that gets side projects their first users: the right launch platforms in the right order, honest community posts, and search pages that keep working after launch day.
01 · DISCOVERY
Side projects usually get their first users from maker communities (Show HN, Indie Hackers, r/SideProject), launch platforms such as Product Hunt and smaller ones like Microlaunch, Uneed and Peerlist, and the founder's own posts. Lasting traffic comes later, from people searching for the problem the project solves or for alternatives to a bigger tool. Early on, founders have to go out and get users by hand.
A community post or launch listing, then a quick try (ideally without a signup wall), a bookmark or email signup, and a return visit when the problem comes up again. For paid tools, a free tier or trial and an honest comparison page do most of the convincing.
02 · CHANNELS
Ranked 5 (essential) to 1 (optional) by the research for this industry.
Hacker News readers will try something they can run or use right away. Show HN rules exclude landing pages, signups and fundraisers, so it suits projects that are ready to try.
Communities of makers who give real feedback, especially to posts that share numbers and lessons rather than links.
Product Hunt plus smaller platforms like Microlaunch, Uneed, Peerlist and Fazier each bring a burst of visitors and a lasting listing. Staggering them extends the launch.
Pages that answer the problem or compare against a known tool keep bringing users after the launch spike fades.
Posting progress on X, LinkedIn or Bluesky builds a following, but much of it is other makers; pair it with posts aimed at actual users.
Writing to the people who have the problem, one by one, is how many early products get their first users and best feedback.
03 · YOUR FIRST MONTH
A sample month. Your own plan is built from your audit, stage and goal, and paid options only ever appear as optional boosts.
Week 1 · days 1–7
Week 2 · days 8–14
Week 3 · days 15–21
Week 4 · days 22–30
04 · WHERE TO BE LISTED
Costs are as published by each destination when the research was reviewed; check before you pay for anything.
news.ycombinator.com
For projects people can try now; no landing pages or signups.
indiehackers.com
Product pages and a feed where build stories with numbers get discussed.
reddit.com
Feedback on side projects; note the community's fatigue with AI projects.
producthunt.com
The biggest launch platform; only features products that are available now.
microlaunch.net
Smaller launch platform suited to indie projects.
Freemium
uneed.best
Daily launch list with a lasting directory page.
Freemium
peerlist.io
Weekly launches in a professional maker network.
sideprojectors.com
Marketplace for selling side projects or finding co-founders.
Freemium
05 · SEARCH DEMAND
Primary search
how to market a side project
Below the provider’s reporting threshold: real demand, too small to report.
DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026: primary keyword below reporting threshold. Related: 'indie hacker' 3600/mo, 'build in public' 390/mo.
Learning: answer with guides
Comparing: show why you
Ready to act: make it easy
Learning: answer with guides
06 · AVOID
Show HN rules say no landing pages, fundraisers or signup pages, and ask that people can try the thing easily. A waitlist belongs elsewhere.
A Product Hunt spike fades fast. Projects that keep going stagger platforms, publish search pages and talk to users directly.
Maker communities give great feedback but are rarely your customers. Spend part of the effort where the people with the problem are.
Show HN asks posters not to have friends upvote or comment, and community norms on Indie Hackers and Reddit punish vote asks. It hurts more than it helps.
r/SideProject has a sticky asking for non-AI projects, a sign of fatigue. Lead with the problem solved, not the technology.
07 · WHAT OUTPOST DOES
Audits your project's page for a clear one-line pitch, a signup-free first try and search basics
Plans a staggered launch across Show HN, Product Hunt, Microlaunch, Uneed and Peerlist, prepares each for you to post and logs it as a receipt
Drafts honest build-story posts for Indie Hackers and r/SideProject that follow each community's rules, for you to post
Publishes problem and 'alternative to' pages that keep bringing users after launch week
Tracks whether AI assistants recommend your project for the problem it solves
Starts at Runway ($49) for pre-launch projects, with every plan working at $0 extra spend
Every action Outpost takes gets a receipt: the live URL, a timestamp and what it drove, or “nothing yet”.See how receipts work
08 · QUESTIONS
Start with communities that give feedback (r/SideProject, Indie Hackers), then Show HN once people can try it without signing up, then Product Hunt and smaller platforms on separate days. That order lets you fix problems before the biggest audience arrives.
No. Show HN rules exclude landing pages, signup pages and fundraisers. Use communities and platforms that accept pre-launch projects instead, and come back to Show HN when it's usable.
It's free and leaves a lasting product page, so it's usually worth doing once the product is available. Treat it as one day in a longer plan, not the plan.
It helps with accountability and can build a following, but much of that audience is other makers. Pair it with posts and pages aimed at the people who have the problem.
Usually months. Problem and comparison pages take time to be indexed and rank, then compound. Launches give you the early users while that builds.
When you no longer want to run it but it has users or revenue. Marketplaces like SideProjectors let you list it; having clean traffic and user data makes the listing stronger.
10 · EVIDENCE
Every fact on this page comes from one of these sources.
Show HN must be something people can try; no landing pages, fundraisers or signup pages; don't ask friends to upvote; explain how and why you built it
Founders must go out and recruit early users manually; early user feedback is the most valuable
Free launch; only currently available products are featured; launch at 12:01 AM PT recommended
Title format for posts and a sticky asking for non-AI projects
Last reviewed . Search volume: DataForSEO Google Ads, US/en, Oct 2026: primary keyword below reporting threshold. Related: 'indie hacker' 3600/mo, 'build in public' 390/mo.
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