Chapter 7: The Scariest Step — Ask
Shipping feels bold. Asking feels personal. Shipping lets you hide behind code. Asking puts your work—and, by extension, you—in front of real people. You risk silence, criticism, or rejection. That risk is where learning lives.
If you don’t ask, you don’t learn.
Why Ask Matters
Most indie projects die not because the product is bad, but because the builder never asks anyone to use it. They wait for “organic discovery” and hope users appear on their own. Asking cuts through that fantasy. It tests whether anyone cares enough to click, sign up, or even reply. It shows whether the problem you’re solving sits on their radar.
Without asking, you’re journaling in code.
Posting Indie10k
Old me would have shipped Indie10k and waited in silence. New me posted on Indie Hackers, wrote on Product Hunt’s forum, and DMed strangers on Reddit. Not spammy. Not sleazy. Just: “I feel your pain. If I were in your shoes, I would do this. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Btw, I built this. Here’s what it does. Curious what you think.” People responded. Some signed up. Some said it was gold. Not everyone loved it—and that was fine. The goal wasn’t approval; it was learning. I kept a short log of quotes and links so patterns stood out.
Ask Without Feeling Gross
Lead with curiosity. Swap “please use my app” for “does this solve your problem?” Go where your people hang out; don’t shout into X if your audience is in a niche Discord. Make it human—share why you built it, not a pitch deck. Small numbers are fine. Ten honest replies beat a thousand empty likes. Ask one follow‑up: “What would you change first?” Specific feedback travels straight to your next ship.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Waiting for perfect postpones learning. “I’ll ask once I add dark mode” is fear in disguise. Broadcasting without engaging turns posts into noise—reply, converse, and listen. Chasing vanity metrics distracts you; five thoughtful replies teach more than a viral spike.
Micro‑Exercise
Take what you shipped and share it with three real humans today—friends, a Discord, Indie Hackers, anywhere. Ask one question: “Would you actually use this?” Don’t argue. Listen for the signal under the noise.
Then move to Measure.
Where To Ask (And How)
Communities: Indie Hackers, r/Entrepreneur, niche subreddits, and Discords tied to your problem space. Direct: past colleagues, newsletter subscribers, people who tweeted about the pain. Local: meetups, coworking spaces, founders’ coffees. Lead with usefulness: “Built a tiny thing that does X—would this save you time?”
Two simple DM variants:
- “Hey [name], I’m testing a small [tool/guide] for [problem]. Two minutes to tell me if it’s useful? Link: [url]. If not, no worries.”
- “Saw you mention [pain]. I made a scrappy fix—mind a quick look? I’ll owe you one.”
Interviews vs. surveys: interviews reveal stories and hidden steps; surveys scale once you know which questions matter. Start with three short conversations before you blast a form.