Building in Public: Why Sharing Your Journey Attracts Users
Building in public helps indie developers attract users, build trust, and grow an audience by sharing progress, lessons, and transparency over time.
What Does Building in Public Really Mean?
Building in public means sharing your journey openly while you create your product. This includes progress updates, failures, learnings, metrics, and decisions. In 2025, building in public is one of the most effective ways for indie developers to grow an audience before their app is even launched.
It is not about oversharing or personal branding. It is about transparency, consistency, and value.
Why Building in Public Works So Well
People do not just follow products. They follow stories.
- Transparency builds trust.
- Progress creates anticipation.
- Vulnerability makes your journey relatable.
When users feel involved early, they become your first advocates.
The Psychology Behind It
Building in public activates several powerful psychological triggers:
- Commitment: People want to see how the story ends.
- Social proof: Public progress signals legitimacy.
- Reciprocity: When you share openly, people want to support you.
Where to Build in Public
Twitter (X): The Main Hub
Twitter remains the best platform for building in public in the tech and indie space.
- Short updates are easy to consume.
- Threads allow storytelling.
- Conversations happen naturally.
What to Post on Twitter
- Daily or weekly progress updates.
- Screenshots of features or designs.
- Metrics (users, revenue, experiments).
- Lessons learned from mistakes.
Other Platforms Worth Considering
- Indie communities (Slack, Discord).
- Personal blog or newsletter.
- Reddit (in relevant, respectful contexts).
What to Share (and What Not to Share)
What Works
- Concrete progress.
- Specific problems and solutions.
- Honest metrics, even when small.
- Clear takeaways others can learn from.
What to Avoid
- Vague motivational posts.
- Constant self-promotion.
- Over-polished success stories only.
- Sharing without any lesson or context.
How Building in Public Attracts Users
Users who discover your app through building in public:
- Already understand the value.
- Are more patient with early bugs.
- Provide higher-quality feedback.
- Are more likely to convert to paying users.
They feel like part of the journey, not just customers.
How to Stay Consistent Without Burning Out
Consistency matters more than volume.
- Pick a simple cadence (e.g. 2–3 posts per week).
- Reuse the same content across platforms.
- Document, do not create from scratch.
Your build process becomes your content engine.
Common Myths About Building in Public
- "I need big wins to share." Small progress is more relatable.
- "Someone will steal my idea." Execution matters more than ideas.
- "I am not interesting enough." Clarity beats charisma.
Real Outcomes You Can Expect
Developers who build in public often see:
- Users before launch.
- Better positioning through feedback.
- Higher trust at launch.
- Stronger word-of-mouth.
Conclusion: Build With People, Not in Isolation
Building in public turns your product journey into a shared experience. You are no longer shouting into the void. You are inviting people along for the ride.
In a crowded App Store, trust and authenticity are powerful differentiators.
Ready to Find Your Next App Opportunity?
If you want to choose ideas worth building and sharing from day one, NICHES HUNTER can help. Use it to identify profitable niches, validate demand, and build in public with confidence backed by real data.
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