After publishing my first post about idea-hopping and struggling with traction, a few people asked the same question:
“Okay, so what are you actually doing to market it?”
The honest answer: I’m experimenting in public — carefully — with a zero-budget mindset.
Here’s what I’m trying right now, what’s showing promise, and what I’ve learned the hard way.
1. Building in public (but not selling)
I used to think “building in public” meant constantly dropping links.
It doesn’t.
What I’m doing instead:
Sharing lessons, not promotions
Posting screenshots of progress without hype
Talking about mistakes, not wins only
This attracts builders and curious users without triggering spam filters or fatigue.
People trust journeys more than landing pages.
2. YouTube comments as market research
I spend time in the comments of “make money online” videos.
Not to promote.
To listen.
I look for:
- Confusion
- Skepticism
- Repeated questions
People saying “this didn’t work”
Those comments shape:
My messaging
My feature priorities
My content ideas
Even when I comment, I frame things as a viewer — never a seller.
3. Writing instead of chasing virality
Short posts spike.
Long posts compound.
I’ve shifted focus to:
DEV.to articles
Honest breakdowns
Searchable problems people already Google
I’m not writing to go viral.
I’m writing so that six months from now, someone finds the post and says:
“This is exactly what I needed.”
4. Accepting slow analytics without panicking
This was the hardest shift.
Traffic dips feel personal when you’re solo.
They aren’t.
Instead of reacting emotionally, I now ask:
Did I reach the right audience?
Did the content answer a real question?
Did I explain the value clearly?
Growth is feedback, not validation.
5. Treating marketing like a product
This mindset changed everything.
Marketing isn’t a checkbox after launch.
It’s a system.
Just like product development, it requires:
- Iteration
- Testing
- Patience
Learning from failure
I stopped asking:
“Why isn’t this taking off?”
And started asking:
“What signal am I missing?”
What hasn’t worked (yet)
Being honest — some things didn’t help:
- Random platform launches
- Expecting awards to drive users
- Posting without a clear audience in mind
- Comparing my timeline to others’
None of these are useless — they’re just not sufficient.
The uncomfortable lesson
If you have $0 to spend, you pay with:
- Time
- Attention
- Consistency
There’s no shortcut around that.
But there is leverage in:
- Writing
- Community
- Patience Trust
Why I’m sticking with this product
For the first time, I’m not abandoning the idea when things get quiet.
I validated the problem.
I built something useful.
Now I’m learning the hardest skill of all: distribution.
If you’re in the same phase — building something real with no budget — I’d love to hear:
What’s working for you?
What failed unexpectedly?
How long did it take before momentum showed up?
This time, I’m staying.
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