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Home/r/SideProject/2025-07-10/#side-project-12k-users-120-countries
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My side project got 12K users from 120 countries in 2.5 weeks

r/SideProject
7/9/2025

Content Summary

A developer created Design Arena, a tool for comparing AI models' frontend coding capabilities through blind user voting and rapid prototyping. The project gained 12K users from 120 countries in 2.5 weeks by targeting developer communities on Reddit, Discord, and Twitter. Key features include a leaderboard and side-by-side model comparisons. Users praised the concept but suggested UX improvements and discussed methodology fairness regarding system prompts. The creator is considering expansion beyond frontend development.

Opinion Analysis

Mainstream opinions praise the tool's innovative approach to LLM benchmarking and its community-driven validation. Users particularly value the blind comparison feature and practical prototyping capabilities. However, a key debate emerged around the fairness of using identical system prompts for all models, with some arguing this disadvantages models with different prompt-handling architectures. The creator acknowledges this trade-off but maintains consistency is crucial for baseline comparisons. Other discussions focus on expansion potential beyond frontend and UX improvement suggestions. Most agree the outreach strategy effectively leveraged existing developer communities.

SAAS TOOLS

SaaSURLCategoryFeatures/Notes
Design Arenahttps://www.designarena.ai/AI Benchmarking & Prototyping- LLM comparison leaderboard
  • Rapid prototyping tool with 4 model outputs
  • Blind user voting system | | Posthog | https://posthog.com/ | Analytics | - User tracking (DAU/global visitors)
  • Recommended by creator |

USER NEEDS

Pain Points:

  • Difficulty objectively evaluating LLM coding capabilities
  • Bias towards assuming GPT is best without testing
  • Need for controlled comparison environment

Problems to Solve:

  • Determining which AI models produce best UI/UX
  • Rapid frontend prototyping with multiple model outputs
  • Creating credible benchmarks through user voting

Potential Solutions:

  • Blind comparison interface
  • Side-by-side model outputs
  • Community-driven voting system
  • Expand beyond frontend development

GROWTH FACTORS

Effective Strategies:

  • Niche targeting of developer communities
  • Community-driven benchmarking
  • Rapid iteration based on user feedback

Marketing & Acquisition:

  • Direct outreach in developer channels (Reddit/Discord/Twitter)
  • Leveraging existing debates about AI tools
  • Showcasing practical prototyping capabilities

Monetization & Product:

  • Potential as industry benchmark standard
  • Future expansion plans beyond frontend
  • Balancing controlled testing with model-specific optimizations

User Engagement:

  • Blind voting system for community participation
  • Transparent methodology discussions
  • Responsive to UX improvement suggestions