How to Market on r/SideProject: The Complete Founder Playbook

r/SideProject has 180K+ members who actively want to discover new products. Unlike most subreddits where self-promotion gets you banned, this one celebrates it. But there is a difference between posting your project and actually getting users from it. Most founders drop a link, get 3 upvotes, and move on. This guide covers how to turn r/SideProject into a repeatable source of early users, feedback, and even paying customers.

Most subreddits punish anything that looks like promotion. r/SideProject is the opposite. The entire point of the community is sharing what you have built. That changes the dynamic completely.

• Self-promotion is encouraged: Sharing your project is literally the purpose of the sub
• Builder audience: These are developers, designers, and founders who understand the grind
• Feedback culture: Members give real, useful feedback instead of generic comments
• Early adopter mindset: People here are willing to try unpolished products and give them a fair shot
• Cross-pollination: Many members are also active in r/startups, r/SaaS, r/entrepreneur, and r/indiehackers
• Lower competition: Fewer posts per day compared to r/startups, so your post stays visible longer

The audience quality matters more than the size. 180K members who are pre-qualified (they opted into a subreddit about discovering projects) beats 5M members in a general subreddit where nobody wants to hear about your product.

After analyzing dozens of top-performing posts on r/SideProject, a clear pattern emerges. The posts that get 50+ upvotes and meaningful comments all follow a similar structure:

1. Title: Use the format '[Launch] ProductName - one-liner that explains the value'. Keep it under 100 characters. Be specific about what it does, not vague.
2. Opening paragraph: Explain why you built it. What problem were you personally facing? This is the hook that makes people care.
3. The journey: How long did it take? What tech stack? What was the hardest part? Builders love hearing about the process.
4. What it does: List 3-5 specific features. Do not say 'it does everything'. Be concrete. Screenshots help massively here.
5. The ask: End with a specific question. 'What feature would make you actually use this?' gets better responses than 'What do you think?'

Example Title Formats That Work

• '[Launch] ToolName - I built a free tool that does X for Y people'
• 'After 6 months of building, here is my side project that helps freelancers track invoices'
• 'I built this because every existing solution was too expensive for solo founders'
• 'Show r/SideProject: ToolName - open source alternative to ExpensiveTool'

Example Title Formats That Fail

• 'Check out my new app' (too vague, nobody clicks)
• 'The best productivity tool ever made' (sounds like an ad)
• 'Please try my project' (begging does not work on Reddit)
• 'AI-powered revolutionary platform' (buzzword soup)

The body of your post is where you earn trust. Members on r/SideProject can smell a low-effort pitch from a mile away. Here is what the best posts include:

• Link to the live product: Not a waitlist, not a landing page with no product. The actual thing.
• Screenshots or a GIF demo: Visual proof that it works. A 15-second GIF showing the core feature is worth 500 words.
• Tech stack: Members genuinely want to know. 'Built with Next.js, Supabase, and deployed on Vercel' gets respect.
• What you learned: Share one honest lesson from building it. 'I wasted 3 weeks on a feature nobody uses' resonates more than 'everything went perfectly'.
• Roadmap: What is next? This signals you are serious and invites people to follow your progress.
• Pricing context: If it is free, say so. If it has a free tier, mention it. If it is paid, explain why the price is fair.

Timing matters even in a smaller subreddit. r/SideProject has a global audience, but the majority of active members are in US and European time zones.

• Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Weekends are slower because builders are building, not browsing.
• Best times: 8 AM to 11 AM EST. Posts published in the morning US time get the most initial traction.
• Avoid: Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. The sub is least active during these windows.
• Update posts: If you are posting a progress update (not a launch), Sunday evenings work well as people plan their week.

Not sure about timing for other subreddits? MediaFast shows you the best posting times for any subreddit based on real activity data.

Even on a promotion-friendly subreddit, certain approaches guarantee your post gets ignored or downvoted:

• Pure pitch with no story: 'Buy my SaaS tool' with no context. Members want to hear about the builder, not just the product.
• Just a link with no context: A URL and nothing else. This is the fastest way to get zero engagement.
• Ignoring comments: If someone takes the time to comment on your post and you do not reply, you lose that person forever. Engagement is a two-way street.
• Reposting the same thing weekly: The community notices. Space your posts at least 3-4 weeks apart, and bring something new each time.
• Fake humility: 'Just a little thing I threw together' when it clearly took months. People see through it.
• No screenshots or demo: Text-only posts about a visual product feel lazy. Show your work.
• Deleting and reposting: If your post did not perform, do not delete and retry the next day. Improve the content and try again in a few weeks.

Your post gets you visibility. Your comments get you users. Here is how to maximize engagement after you hit publish:

1. Write the first comment yourself: As soon as you post, drop a top-level comment with additional context. 'Hey, founder here. Happy to answer any questions about the build or the tech.' This seeds the conversation.
2. Reply to every comment within 2 hours: Speed matters. The faster you reply, the more the algorithm boosts your post. A post with 15 comments ranks much higher than one with 3.
3. Ask follow-up questions: When someone gives feedback, do not just say 'thanks'. Ask 'Would you actually use that feature?' or 'What tool are you using for that right now?' This creates real conversations.
4. Be honest about limitations: If someone points out a flaw, own it. 'You are right, the onboarding is rough. Working on it.' This builds trust faster than defending every criticism.

The founders who get the most value from r/SideProject are not the ones who post once. They become regulars. Here is how to build a presence:

• Comment on other projects genuinely: Give real feedback on other people's launches. Not 'cool project!' but actual specific feedback. This builds your reputation.
• Share progress updates: Post milestone updates like 'Hit 100 users on my side project. Here is what I learned.' These perform extremely well.
• Celebrate others' wins: Upvote and comment on posts that resonate with you. The community remembers people who show up consistently.
• Ask for specific feedback at milestones: 'I am about to add pricing. Which model makes more sense for a tool like this?' gets thoughtful responses.
• Cross-post strategically: Share your r/SideProject post in r/startups, r/SaaS, or r/indiehackers a few days later with a different angle.

Where does r/SideProject fit compared to other communities where founders share their work?

• r/SideProject vs r/startups: r/startups is stricter, larger, and more competitive. Use r/SideProject to test your messaging first, then adapt for r/startups.
• r/SideProject vs r/entrepreneur: r/entrepreneur is broader (not just tech products). r/SideProject has a more technical audience that appreciates dev-focused details.
• r/SideProject vs r/indiehackers: Similar audiences but r/indiehackers leans more toward revenue discussions. r/SideProject is better for pure product feedback.
• r/SideProject vs r/SaaS: r/SaaS is specifically for software-as-a-service. If your side project is a SaaS tool, post in both.
• r/SideProject vs ProductHunt: ProductHunt is a one-shot launch event. r/SideProject lets you build an ongoing relationship with an audience over time.

Figuring out which subreddits to post in and when can take hours of manual research. MediaFast shows you exactly which subreddits match your product, the best times to post, and what type of content performs best in each community.

Here is a realistic 4-week plan for getting the most out of r/SideProject without burning out or annoying the community:

1. Week 1: Lurk and comment. Spend 15 minutes a day giving feedback on other projects. Build familiarity with what works and what gets ignored.
2. Week 2: Publish your launch post. Use the format above. Reply to every comment within 2 hours. Share in 1-2 other relevant subs a few days later.
3. Week 3: Engage without posting. Keep commenting on other projects. Reply to any late comments on your launch post.
4. Week 4: Post a progress update. 'Two weeks after launching on r/SideProject. Here is what happened.' Share metrics, feedback you received, and what you changed.

Repeat this cycle monthly. Each round builds more credibility and brings more eyes to your project.

Getting upvotes feels good, but the real goal is users. Here is how to convert attention into action:

• Have a clear CTA in your post: Not pushy, but clear. 'If you want to try it, here is the link. First 50 users get the pro plan free for a month.'
• DM people who show strong interest: If someone says 'this is exactly what I need', send them a friendly DM with a direct link and offer to help them get started.
• Create a feedback loop: Ask beta users from r/SideProject to join a small Discord or feedback group. They are already invested in your success.
• Track where signups come from: Use UTM parameters on your links so you know exactly how many users came from r/SideProject vs other channels.
• Follow up on feature requests: If someone suggested a feature and you built it, tag them in your update post. This turns casual commenters into loyal users.