how do you build distribution from scratch? (i will not promote)
I've been coding since 5th grade. Building things has always come naturally to me. If I have an idea, I can usually turn it into a working product. The problem is everything that comes after. I'm an extreme introvert. I don't enjoy putting myself out there,…
I've been coding since 5th grade. Building things has always come naturally to me. If I have an idea, I can usually turn it into a working product. The problem is everything that comes after. I'm an extreme introvert. I don't enjoy putting myself out there, networking, making content, or constantly talking about what I'm building. Because of that, I've realized I've spent years improving my ability to build, but almost no time learning distribution. For founders who know how to build distribution: - How did you learn distribution? - What worked when you didn't have an audience? - If you could start over today, how would you get your first users? I'd appreciate any advice or resources that helped you make that transition from builder to founder.
Collected discussion
I think a lot of technical founders frame distribution as marketing, when it's really about learning. Before trying to reach thousands of people, I'd focus on having enough conversations to understand who has the problem, how they solve it today, and why they'd switch. The messaging usually becomes much easier once those answers are clear.
That's actually something I can do. Commenting feels a lot less intimidating than trying to constantly promote. Thanks.
I think my biggest hurdle is just posting consistently. I'll start small and see if I can build the habit.
That's a good way to look at it. I've probably been thinking about it as promotion instead of learning.
Makes sense. I probably need to stop overthinking and just start testing channels.
That makes a lot of sense. I need to spend more time understanding the problem before writing code.
That's a good point. Reusing the same ideas across different platforms seems like a much better use of time.
Makes sense. I'd much rather answer questions than cold DM people.
thats a really good advice. thanks 😇
i am actively looking for one.
Honestly build in public is the best way right now to build distribution. Instead of posting product updates, share your journey alongside it. Here’s how you can get started: Commit to a platform, X or Linkedin or Instagram or Threads Start posting one thing you did/ lesson you learned everyday. Share product updates when you can. Engage with followers and ICP Outreach people you think would be interested in your product. These 5 steps are the easiest way to build distribution from scratch.
Exactly this. Distribution is not that hard if you actually have a product people want. People say distribution is hard but fail to acknowledge that the difficulty to distribute correlates directly to how strong your PMF is.
got my first users from commenting rather than posting. spent a week answering questions in founder subs where i actually knew something, no links no pitching, and eventually people started asking what i was building. as an introvert its probably the least painful version of distribution cuz its just writing rather than networking or making content, and its worked better for me than launch posts have
I have a similar background so I can appreciate that what you a describing is a history of building stuff for you - your idea, your decision on whether it’s good or not. “Distribution” is about building for others. What do they want? What’s good enough for them? What is someone willing to actually give you money to have access to? Most technical founders build first, then try to sell. It become a game of “how do I convince people that this thing I built is as cool as I think it is?” That can work, and there are plenty of examples. But it’s like the lottery - for everyone example of one that succeeded this way there are an untold number of that failed. To help with distribution start with distribution then build to that demand. Depending on whether you have an idea or just looking for one… get out and talk to people. When you find someone with a need that’s willing to pay you for solving it, then try to frame that person as an ICP, and test the assumption “ 4 out of 10 businesses like this have this problem” Call or walk into 20 businesses like that and if 8 have that problem then your assumption has some evidence. Build evidence, find those businesses with the problem you are solving - while clarifying your ICP and you have the foundation for distribution
One thing that changed my thinking was realizing distribution isn't a separate skill you master all at once. It's a series of conversations with the right people. If I were starting again, I'd spend less time trying to build an audience and more time talking to potential customers one by one. Those early conversations help you improve the product, understand how people describe the problem, and often lead to your first referrals. Once you know what resonates, creating content and marketing becomes much easier.
Distribution is just a hyped word, but your goal as a founder is to find traction, there are many ways of doing it and you should test them one by one, when you have something working invest in it and optimize. You are building a machine where you put one dollar in and get several in return.
distribution for an introvert is written and asynchronous. go find the questions people already type about your problem and answer them properly, one a day, under your own name.
Why don´t you want to find a cofounder that would just take over that part?
The commenting-in-founder-subs approach the top reply describes works but has a ceiling. You cant scale a personal writing habit past ~2 hours a day, so it caps how many people you reach per week. What compounds past that ceiling: turn your best answers into a permanent asset. Same comment you wrote once in a thread, cleaned up into a short post on your own blog or LinkedIn a week later. The thinking is already done, youre just changing the distribution surface. Doubles the reach of the same effort without doubling the writing time. Also worth tracking: which specific threads/questions actually led someone to ask what you're building. That pattern usually repeats, and once you spot it you can go looking for more threads exactly like it instead of commenting randomly.
You do not need to become a loud networker to get distribution. Start with conversations, not content. Pick 10 people who already have the problem you solve and ask how they handle it today. That alone teaches you who buys, what language they use, and where they hang out. From there, do low-volume outreach: short, specific messages and warm intros through people who already trust you. Consistency beats reach. One clear offer, one channel, and a weekly habit of talking to users will get you further than posting into the void while you wait for an audience.
There's no one way It depends on the product and the market
Right now I would describe you as an inventor. You have built things without first determining if there is an unmet demand for them that consumers are willing to pay for. Distribution is only one part of a business’s value chain or the processes that are needed to produce, sell, and distribute and cost associated with those processes. For example, business can make its own products or pay someone else to make it for them. Business can sell direct or through network. Business can pack and ship or outsource. Also it’s not advisable to do business in a vacuum. Astute investors often begin by forming a team of advisers to provide support and technical assistance.
I can relate to you a lot -- I like building things and I'm an introvert, and I also have an idea that I want to turn into a working product! Right now I'm reading "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries, and the book suggests starting with people who are the most desperate with your product (the early adopters). Afterwards you can expand through referral programs offering incentives for people to show your product to other people. But I'm stuck on where to find the first people lol
don’t search for “early adopters”, search for people already complaining about the problem. Reddit threads, niche Slack groups, bad G2 reviews, and competitor comments are where i’d start, then ask about their workaround before showing anything.
the app of mine that actually makes money got basically none of it from me posting. it grew from store search, people typing the problem into the app store and finding it. that channel doesnt care whether you network or make videos, it cares that your listing matches the words people type. if youre building something people already search for, go there first before you force yourself into content