Stop Building in Silence: My Threddr Story & Why Marketing Matters More Than You Think

About a month ago, I built Threddr. The idea was simple, help indie founders find their first users by, get this, just hanging out on Reddit.

See, people there constantly ask for tool recommendations like, "Is there a tool that does X?" But those posts usually just get lost or drowned in spam.

These questions were goldmines for builders. My idea? A tool to find them, so you could genuinely help people and get your first users without begging.

so i built Threddr. It'd watch Reddit, spot posts matching your product, and even help you draft a natural, non-spammy reply.

launched it super quietly, and then... waited.

Where I Messed Up Big Time

My biggest blunder? I made it totally free. I thought it'd get people in, help me collect feedback, and I'd figure out money later.

Instead, users signed up, fiddled a bit, and disappeared. No messages, no feedback, just silence.

Point to be noted "Free users aren't invested, so they won't tell you why they leave. I had no clue if Threddr worked."

That silence killed my motivation. I stopped building, stopped talking, and jumped to a new idea. I also thought it'd go viral by itself. Wrong. No one knew about it because I didn't make any noise. A good idea stays good for no one if it's kept quiet.

What I Learned From All This

• Free users are a bad sign. It's not that they're bad people, but they're just not committed. If something doesn't work for them, they won't tell you. They'll just ghost.
• Feedback isn't automatic. You have to make it so people actually care enough to tell you what's up. That usually means they need to be paying you, or they seriously need what you built.
• Marketing is the real grind. I still hate admitting it, but it's true. Talking about what you're building, over and over, is just as important as the building itself. Probably more.
• Motivation is super fragile when it depends on others. If your energy comes from likes, messages, or numbers, you'll burn out fast. The only way to keep going is to find a reason to show up even when no one's cheering.

If I Could Do It Again

• I'd charge from day one. Even if it's just a tiny one-time fee or a cheap monthly plan. Something.
• I'd talk about it while building, not just after. Show examples, share results, ask for opinions. Even if it feels like yelling into an empty room.
• And I'd just keep showing up. Even when it's dead quiet.

Because now I know...

Silence isn't just bad feedback. It's the thing that kills most products.