DEV Community: Kalash

The Only 5 Distribution Channels That Worked for My Startups

Kalash — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:14:36 +0000

I used to think distribution meant posting more.

Tweet harder.

Reply to bigger accounts.

Beg for retweets.

Ship another feature and hope someone noticed.

None of that worked consistently.

What actually worked was choosing the right channels, doubling down on them, and ignoring everything else.

After years of building startups, here’s my honest breakdown of what worked, what didn’t, and how I think about distribution today.

The 5 Channels That Actually Worked

Search (SEO + AI Search)

This is the big one.

Google traffic compounds.

ChatGPT citations compound.

Perplexity citations compound.

Once an article ranks, it keeps sending users while you sleep.

That’s why I built SEOitis.

I wanted a way to automate keyword research, article writing, internal linking, FAQ schema generation, and publishing.

My websites started attracting traffic without me writing blog posts manually.

Search is slow in the beginning.

But it’s one of the few distribution channels that gets stronger over time instead of weaker.

Building in Public on Twitter

Not reply-guy tactics.

Not 100 tweets a day.

Just showing what I’m building, sharing real numbers, posting launch videos, and documenting the journey.

My programmatic SEO tweet crossed 800,000 views.

My SEOitis launch video crossed 350,000 views.

One random tweet reached more than 5 million views.

None of it happened because I hacked the algorithm.

It happened because I posted things people genuinely cared about.

Twitter is rented attention.

But it’s still the fastest way I’ve found to discover your niche and get your first 100 users.

Launch Platforms and Directories

Product Hunt is crowded.

But startup directories, weekly launch platforms, and high-authority backlink sites still work surprisingly well.

Especially for indie founders who can’t afford ads.

That’s one of the reasons I built ScrollLaunch.

Founders can submit their products, climb weekly rankings, earn backlinks, and get discovered by early adopters.

I launch my own products there regularly.

One launch won’t change your life.

Showing up consistently might.

Public Accountability

This sounds soft until you try it.

When your goals, revenue, and progress are public, people pay attention.

They share your journey.

They celebrate milestones.

They hold you accountable.

That’s why I built MakeItLast.

Your revenue syncs automatically from Stripe, Dodo, Polar, or Lemon Squeezy.

Your timer runs publicly.

Your progress becomes visible.

Distribution happens naturally because people follow stories, not products.

Email and an Owned Audience

I learned this lesson the hard way.

My Twitter account got suspended.

My Medium account got suspended.

Both happened within the same week.

That’s when I realized platforms can disappear overnight.

Your newsletter can’t.

Your website can’t.

Your email list can’t.

I started my newsletter on January 3, 2026.

It’s not my biggest channel yet.

But it’s the one I trust the most because I actually own it.

The 2 Channels That Wasted My Time

Cold DMs and Outreach

I sent hundreds.

The reply rate was terrible.

The people who responded usually weren’t my customers.

Cold outreach works for enterprise sales.

It rarely works for small indie SaaS products.

Posting in Other People’s Communities

Reddit.

Discord.

Slack groups.

I tried them all.

Most of the time I got ignored.

Sometimes I got banned.

Communities reward contributors, not promoters.

If you’re not already active in a community, don’t start by dropping a link.

Start by providing value.

How I Think About Distribution Today

I split distribution into two categories.

Rented

Twitter.

Instagram.

YouTube.

Fast.

Powerful.

Unpredictable.

They can disappear overnight.

Owned

SEO.

Email.

Your website.

Your directory.

Your audience.

Slower to build.

Much harder to lose.

And far more valuable in the long run.

I use rented channels to find attention.

I use owned channels to keep it.

My playbook looks like this:

Post on Twitter to test ideas and find your niche.

Launch on directories to earn backlinks and attract early users.

Automate SEO content to build compounding search traffic.

Build an email list so you own the relationship.

Make your progress public so people follow your journey.

“Distribution is a portfolio, not a single bet. Diversify or die.”

You don’t need all five channels on day one.

Pick two.

Master them.

Let them compound.

Then add more.

That’s how sustainable distribution is built.

I Tested Dozens of Marketing Channels. These 10 Actually Worked.

Kalash — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:12:54 +0000

Shipping a product feels like the hard part.

Then you launch into silence and realize distribution was the real challenge.

For a long time, I thought distribution meant posting more.

Tweet harder.

Reply to bigger accounts.

Launch on Product Hunt.

Hope someone noticed.

None of that worked consistently.

After two years of building startups, I’ve learned that the best founders aren’t everywhere. They’re where their customers are.

These are the 10 places that consistently brought me users, backlinks, customers, and long-term growth.

Pick the ones that fit your product.

Show up consistently.

Ignore everything else.

Medium: Build Trust with Long-Form Content

Source: https://medium.com/@kalashvasaniya/

Medium still works if you write for people, not algorithms.

Write about the problems your audience faces.

Teach what you’ve learned.

Share the story behind your product.

People don’t buy features.

They buy clarity.

A well-written article positions you as someone who understands the problem, making your product the obvious next step.

I’ve had articles rank on Google, get picked up by AI search engines, and bring in users months after publishing.

That’s the power of evergreen content.

Tip: Focus on the pain your product solves, not your feature list. End with a natural call to action instead of a sales pitch.

Link: medium

Substack: Build an Audience You Own

Source: https://substack.com/@kalashvasaniya

If Medium is for discovery, Substack is for ownership.

Every subscriber joins your email list.

No algorithm.

No disappearing reach.

No platform deciding whether your audience sees your content.

Share weekly lessons, startup updates, wins, failures, and behind-the-scenes stories.

Over time, readers become your biggest supporters and often your first paying customers.

I learned this the hard way after losing access to social platforms.

Your email list is one of the few distribution channels you truly own.

Tip: Keep your newsletter free at first. Earn trust before asking people to pay.

Link: substack

Product Hunt: Make Launch Day Count

Source: https://www.producthunt.com/@kalashvasaniya

Product Hunt is still one of the best launch platforms for SaaS and AI products.

A successful launch can bring thousands of visitors, valuable feedback, backlinks, and your first wave of users.

But Product Hunt isn’t just about launch day.

Prepare your assets.

Write a compelling tagline.

Create high-quality visuals.

Reply to every comment.

The launch lasts 24 hours.

The relationships you build afterward can last much longer.

Tip: Treat Product Hunt as a spotlight, not your entire growth strategy.

Link: producthunt

ScrollLaunch: Launch Every Week

Source: https://www.scrolllaunch.com/

Most founders don’t launch only once.

They ship every week.

That’s exactly why I built ScrollLaunch.

Unlike Product Hunt, where you usually get one major launch day, ScrollLaunch gives founders weekly opportunities to launch, climb rankings, earn high-authority backlinks, and reach early adopters.

The goal isn’t one viral launch.

It’s consistent visibility.

One launch rarely changes your business.

Showing up every week might.

Tip: Treat launching as a habit, not a one-time event.

Link: scrolllaunch

Hacker News: Reach Technical Founders

Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=kalashvasaniya

If you’re building for developers, Hacker News is one of the highest-quality traffic sources on the internet.

The community values substance over marketing.

Show what you built.

Explain why it exists.

Share what you learned.

Skip the hype.

Answer every comment honestly.

People appreciate authenticity far more than polished marketing.

A successful Show HN post can send thousands of highly targeted visitors to your product.

Tip: Hacker News can spot fake marketing instantly. Be genuine.

Link: Hacker News

Indie Hackers: Share the Journey

Source: https://www.indiehackers.com/kalashvasaniya

Indie Hackers is where bootstrapped founders share real numbers.

Revenue.

Traffic.

Experiments.

Failures.

Lessons.

If you’re building without venture capital, this is one of the highest-trust communities you can join.

People care about transparency.

The more openly you share your journey, the more people remember your product.

Contribute before you promote.

Help other founders.

The attention follows naturally.

Tip: Build relationships first. Marketing becomes much easier afterward.

Link: indiehackers

Behance: Showcase Design-First Products

Source: https://www.behance.net/kalashvasaniya

If your product is visual, Behance is one of the best places to get discovered.

Whether you’re building a design system, a creative tool, a branding agency, or a portfolio, people come to Behance looking for quality work.

Don’t just upload screenshots.

Tell the story behind the project.

Show your process.

Explain your design decisions.

People hire designers because they trust their thinking, not just their final mockups.

Tip: Treat every Behance project like a landing page with one clear next step.

Link: behance

Dribbble: Share Your Best Work

Source: https://dribbble.com/

Dribbble is where great design gets noticed.

UI.

UX.

Branding.

Illustrations.

Icon packs.

Templates.

If your product looks better than it sounds, Dribbble can become a powerful acquisition channel.

One beautiful shot can introduce your work to thousands of designers, founders, and product teams.

The key isn’t going viral.

It’s building a recognizable visual style that people remember.

Tip: Let your work speak louder than your captions.

Link: dribbble

GitHub: Let Your Code Market Itself

Source: https://github.com/kalashvasaniya

GitHub is one of the most underrated marketing channels for developer products.

If you’re building APIs, SDKs, developer tools, boilerplates, or open-source software, your repository becomes your marketing.

Every commit builds trust.

Every star adds credibility.

Every issue answered publicly becomes proof that you care.

People don’t just use your product.

They inspect how you build it.

A great README is often more valuable than a polished landing page.

Tip: Treat your README like your homepage. Make it easy for people to understand, install, and share.

Link: github

X: Build a Founder Brand

Source: https://x.com/kalashvasaniya

X rewards authenticity.

Short updates.

Behind-the-scenes moments.

Lessons from building.

Hot takes.

Progress updates.

If your brand is closely tied to you, X is a great place to turn strangers into followers and followers into customers.

The platform still feels less saturated than many older social networks, making it easier to build an audience from scratch.

Don’t try to sound like a company.

Talk like a founder.

People connect with people.

Tip: Be consistent. Personality beats perfection.

Link: X

How I Think About Distribution Today

I divide distribution into two categories.

Rented Distribution

Twitter (X)

Threads

Instagram

YouTube

These platforms help you grow quickly.

But you don’t own them.

An algorithm change or account suspension can erase years of work overnight.

Owned Distribution

SEO

Your website

Directories

Open-source content

These channels take longer to build.

But they compound over time.

More importantly, nobody can take them away from you.

Today, my distribution playbook looks like this:

Publish on Twitter and Threads to test ideas and reach new audiences.

Launch regularly on Product Hunt and ScrollLaunch.

Invest in SEO to build compounding search traffic.

Grow an email list from day one.

Publish content where your audience already spends time.

Build in public so people follow your journey, not just your product.

Every channel has a purpose.

Together, they create a system.

“Distribution isn’t a channel. It’s a habit.”

You don’t need all ten channels.

Start with two.

Master them.

Let them compound.

Then expand.

That’s how sustainable distribution is built.

The biggest mistake founders make is trying to be everywhere.

The best founders are exactly where their customers are.

Build something people want.

Then make sure they can actually find it.

How I Built a $4,000/Month Distribution System

Kalash — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:33:56 +0000

For years, my biggest problem wasn’t code.

It wasn’t design.

It wasn’t even the product.

It was distribution.

I could ship a startup in 10 hours. I could lock myself in a room for 35 days and build authentication, payments, SEO, email infrastructure, and everything in between from scratch.

But none of that mattered if nobody saw what I built.

I learned that lesson the hard way with SuperFast.

I launched it on May 4, 2025.

My first paying customer arrived on July 30.

Eighty-seven days of silence.

The product worked.

Distribution didn’t.

The Tweet That Changed Everything

On December 24, 2025, I posted a tweet about programmatic SEO.

It exploded.

More than 800,000 views.

The post made its way into Twitter’s global news feed and introduced me to an audience I had never reached before.

Three days later, I launched SEOitis as part of a 12-hour startup challenge.

The launch video crossed 350,000 views.

I made my first dollar before midnight.

But the viral tweet wasn’t the real breakthrough.

The real breakthrough was what happened after.

I stopped treating distribution like luck and started treating it like a product.

SEOitis: Distribution on Autopilot

SEOitis isn’t just an SEO tool.

It’s an autonomous content engine.

You paste your website URL.

SEOitis crawls your business, researches keywords, generates content in your brand voice, adds internal links, creates FAQ schema, updates llms.txt, scores quality, and publishes directly to your CMS.

Eight stages.

Fully automated.

Nothing below an 85/100 quality score gets published.

I built it because I was tired of manually writing blog posts while trying to run multiple startups.

Distribution shouldn’t consume your entire week.

The results were immediate:

My own websites started ranking without me touching a keyboard.

Users began paying $49/month for AEO and GEO features that help them rank inside ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search systems.

The product started selling while I slept because the problem was obvious: everyone wants traffic, but very few people want to spend hours creating content.

SEOitis eventually became the distribution engine behind everything else I build.

Not social media.

Not cold outreach.

Compounding search traffic.

$4,000 Per Month: How the Stack Adds Up

By January 2026, I crossed $4,500 in monthly revenue.

Today, the business generates roughly $4,000 per month consistently.

Not because of one lucky launch.

Not because of one viral tweet.

Because of stacked systems.

Revenue comes from:

SEOitis subscriptions

SuperFast lifetime and recurring plans

MakeItLast purchases

ScrollLaunch premium launch packages

Affiliate and content income

The pattern is always the same:

Build something useful.

Automate the repetitive parts.

Let distribution work in the background.

How I Automated My Startups

Here’s what automation looks like across my products.

SEOitis — Content Distribution

Keyword research, content briefs, article generation, rewrites, internal linking, metadata, schema generation, quality scoring, and publishing.

Everything runs automatically.

A complete article takes 60 to 120 seconds.

I don’t write blog posts anymore.

The system does.

ScrollLaunch — Launch Distribution

ScrollLaunch is a launch platform for indie makers.

Founders submit products, climb weekly rankings, earn high-authority backlinks, and get discovered by builders, search engines, and AI systems.

The entire weekly cycle runs automatically.

Submissions, voting, rankings, and directory listings happen without manual intervention.

MakeItLast — Accountability Distribution

MakeItLast combines public accountability with progress tracking.

Users connect Stripe, Dodo Payments, Polar, or Lemon Squeezy, and their revenue updates automatically on a public profile.

I built it because attention without direction is noise.

Public accountability turns attention into action.

SuperFast — Shipping Distribution

SuperFast is the foundation behind every startup I launch.

Authentication, payments, SEO, email infrastructure, legal pages, and everything required to launch quickly are already built.

Instead of rebuilding infrastructure every time, I focus on distribution and customer problems.

Four products.

Four layers.

Content.

Launches.

Accountability.

Speed.

That’s the system.

What Cracking Distribution Actually Means

Most founders think distribution means going viral.

It doesn’t.

Distribution means building systems that consistently put your product in front of the right people.

For me, that required three major shifts.

Stop Building in Silence

Building in public created the first wave of momentum.

The tweets.

The launch videos.

The daily updates.

But momentum eventually fades.

Build Distribution Into the Product

SEOitis publishes content.

ScrollLaunch promotes launches.

MakeItLast makes progress visible.

The products distribute themselves.

Automate Everything That Repeats

Keyword research.

Content creation.

Revenue tracking.

Launch cycles.

If I found myself doing something manually twice, I automated it the third time.

“Distribution is not a launch-day problem. It’s a system you build and let run.”

What I’d Tell My Past Self

If you’re sitting at zero users right now, here’s what I’d tell you.

Your Product Is Probably Fine. Distribution Isn’t.

Stop adding features.

Start getting discovered.

One Viral Moment Is Not a Strategy.

Build systems that work when you’re offline.

SEO.

Directories.

Public accountability.

Automated content.

Assets that compound.

Automate the Boring Work.

Writing.

Publishing.

Tracking.

Reporting.

Revenue syncing.

Protect your time so you can focus on talking to customers and shipping improvements.

Stack Small Products Instead of Chasing One Moonshot.

My income didn’t come from one breakthrough startup.

It came from multiple products working together:

SEOitis

SuperFast

MakeItLast

ScrollLaunch

Content income

Small bets that compound over time.

I’m not special.

I simply stopped treating distribution as something that happens to you and started building it like a product.

If you’re building something today, automate distribution before you automate anything else.

Think Google Lost the AI Race? Think Again.

Kalash — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 16:52:18 +0000

Google’s AI game is far from over, and the real battle is just beginning. Dive into how they’re playing the long game in AI dominance.

🔗 Read now: https://kalashvasaniya1.medium.com/think-google-lost-the-ai-race-think-again-c080460443a3

AI #Google #Tech #ArtificialIntelligence