Why Build in Public Isn’t Working for You (And How to Fix It)

A lot of indie hackers say this:

“I tried building in public… it just didn’t work for me.”

But I don’t think that’s true.
It’s not that build in public doesn’t work — it’s that most people are posting to the wrong audience.

🚫 The Common Mistake: Talking to the Wrong Crowd

Most makers do this:

• Build something for teachers, designers, or creators

• Only post on X (Twitter) with #buildinpublic and #indiehacker

• Expect Product Hunt or Indie Hackers to send users

• Get disappointed when there’s no traction

Here’s the problem:

Your ideal customers aren’t always hanging out where other founders are.

If you're building for:

• Teachers — they're on Facebook groups, LinkedIn, education forums

• Designers — they live on Dribbble, Behance, design Twitter

• Fitness coaches — they’re more likely on Instagram, YouTube, Reddit

• Devs — they’re on Hashnode, Dev.to, X

If you're posting in the wrong place, even great content gets ignored.

✅ Building in Public the Right Way

You don’t need to post everywhere. You just need to post where your audience hangs out.

Here’s what to do instead:

🔍 1. Identify your niche clearly

Not “users” or “creators” — go deeper.
Examples: Shopify store owners, course creators, frontend freelancers, nutrition coaches, etc.

🌍 2. Find where they spend time online

Use tools like Reddit search, Facebook Group discovery, and LinkedIn filters.

Places to check:

• Relevant subreddits

• Niche Facebook/LinkedIn groups

• Discord servers

• YouTube channels or influencers’ communities

• Newsletters or niche platforms (like Hashnode or Dev.to for devs)

✍️ 3. Write for them, not for other builders

Most #buildinpublic content sounds like:

“Day 14: Integrated Supabase auth with dark mode toggle!”

But your audience doesn’t care about that.
They care about how your product solves their problem.

Write updates like:

• “Helping course creators publish lessons 2x faster”

• “Built this for teachers who struggle with attendance tracking”

• “Here’s how Shopify store owners lose money at checkout (and how I’m fixing it)”

📢 4. Don’t just broadcast — engage

Join their groups. Reply to their tweets. Comment on their posts.
Become a helpful voice first, and a founder second.

You’re not just promoting — you’re learning how they think and talk, which improves your product too.

💬 The Real Goal of Building in Public

It’s not about likes. It’s about:

• Getting early feedback

• Finding your first 10–50 real users

• Learning how your audience describes their pain

• Earning trust in public

Build in public is a long game. But only if you’re playing on the right field.

🔁 TL;DR

Build in public isn’t broken.
Posting in the wrong places is.

Fix that — and you’ll realize building in public is actually one of the most powerful early-stage growth strategies.

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💬 Drop a comment — where are your users hanging out?

📬 I share these lessons as I build my own product from scratch. Follow the journey:

🐦 Follow me on X (@nayaklitun9)