One of the most important lessons for product builders
Every day, I see makers launching products, then posting on X or Reddit, asking how to get users or promote what they’ve built. Many end up spamming or faking engagement just to get attention.
And honestly, I get it. Building something is hard. But getting people to care? Even harder.
This kind of behavior has changed platforms like Product Hunt into something I no longer enjoy visiting. It used to feel like a place for discovery. Now almost all comments are fake, written just to make accounts seem real and to imitate engagement for promoting their own products.
After more than 10 years watching and learning in the tech world, I’ve come to believe that rushing to promote without building trust leads nowhere. People want to support things they believe in, not just things they happen to scroll past.
In 2012, I was a teenager when I watched The Social Network. The movie made a strong impression on me. It was not only about Facebook, it was a story about building something huge from scratch. It made me very curious about the world of technology and startups. At that time, I had no experience in programming or building products, but I knew I wanted to create something one day.
Since I had no any skills yet, I started by learning. I became obsessed with startup stories, both the wins and the failures. I knew that I needed a strong foundation. I was not interested in just following trends or doing something because of FOMO. I wanted real knowledge.
I didn’t spend much time on social media, but I watched a few YouTubers who inspired me. One of them was Casey Neistat. He is, in my opinion, one of the best content creators ever. His videos are full of energy, well-edited and tell simple but powerful stories. He showed me the importance of creativity and consistency.
In 2014, I found Product Hunt. It quickly became one of my favorite websites. I spent a lot of time there and also on Twitter, reading posts by startup founders and product builders. Product Hunt at that time felt like the center of the startup world. I learned a lot just by observing what people were launching and how they were doing it.
I was very inspired by Ryan Hoover, the founder of Product Hunt. I read Hooked, the book he co-authored, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand how to build products.
Not many people know that Product Hunt started as a simple email newsletter. Only later, when the audience grew, it became a website.
Around that time, I began to understand something important: if you have an audience, you have an advantage.
Later, Ryan Hoover wrote an article called “Building a startup? Build an audience first.” and I believe this is one of the most powerful lessons in the startup world.
In that same article, Ryan Hoover mentioned Beme, a startup by Casey Neistat. He sold it for $25 million. Here’s why I mentioned him earlier and why I still remember this article after so many years.
Everything I learned at that moment pointed to the same idea: the people who succeed often build trust and attention before they build a product.
Even ten years ago, marketing was difficult. Today, it is even harder to get people’s attention. Having an audience helps you share your message, test your ideas and gain early support for your product.
Now, almost 10 years later, I still believe the same: the best thing you can do is start building an audience as early as possible.
Share what you learn. Share your interests. Be consistent.
An audience is not just followers. It’s proof that people care about what you’re doing.
And when the time comes to launch something, those people will support you.