Quick question: Do you build or ask first?

r/indiehackers

7/24/2025

Content Summary

The Reddit post on r/indiehackers asks whether indie developers should build first or validate with users first. The discussion features multiple perspectives, with some users advocating for building an MVP first and then seeking feedback, while others prefer validating the idea before investing time. Key themes include the importance of finding product-market fit, the challenge of getting honest and actionable feedback, and effective strategies for early marketing and user acquisition. Users also discuss monetization models beyond subscriptions and emphasize starting with niche markets before scaling.

Opinion Analysis

Mainstream opinion leans toward building a minimal viable product first and validating with real users, rather than relying solely on pre-development feedback. Many users reference Steve Jobs' quote that 'customers don't know what they want until you show it to them' to justify building first. However, there is also strong support for validating ideas when the development timeline is longer than a month. A key debate centers around the reliability of user feedback—some argue that people often overstate interest and won't follow through with payment. Others emphasize the importance of testing with real users to see actual behavior. There is consensus that building a niche product and expanding gradually is a safer strategy than launching too broadly.

SAAS TOOLS

SaaS	URL	Category	Features/Notes
Feedplain	https://feedplain.com	Feedback Tool	Enables builders to ask for feedback and reward users for it
FitCirclx	https://www.fitcirclx.com	Pre-launch Marketing	Pre-launch website for gathering feedback and early users

USER NEEDS

Pain Points:

Difficulty in getting valuable feedback for SaaS ideas
Users may say they want a product but don't follow through with payment
Lack of audience or early users for new builders
Uncertainty about whether to build first or validate first

Problems to Solve:

How to validate a product idea effectively
How to get early feedback and users
How to determine if users will actually pay for a solution
Balancing speed of development with market validation

Potential Solutions:

Build a minimal viable product (MVP) and test with real users
Use pre-launch websites to gather interest and feedback
Offer incentives for feedback (e.g., payments or rewards)
Focus on niches with proven demand before expanding
Leverage personal or growing audiences for early validation

GROWTH FACTORS

Effective Strategies:

Start with a niche market and expand gradually
Build a minimalistic MVP to test core assumptions
Engage with early adopters and iterate based on their feedback
Combine pre-launch marketing with live feedback loops

Marketing & Acquisition:

Use social media platforms (e.g., X/Twitter) to build an audience from scratch
Post in communities like Indie Hackers to attract early adopters
Launch a pre-launch landing page to gauge interest
Share progress and engage with potential users publicly

Monetization & Product:

Monetize through transaction fees, ads, or service add-ons instead of subscriptions
Focus on solving a real problem that users are willing to pay for
Validate monetization assumptions separately from usage validation
Use a freemium model where core features are free and premium features unlock revenue

User Engagement:

Create platforms where users can give and receive feedback
Encourage community interaction among early users and builders
Use storytelling and consistent updates to build anticipation
Engage in 1:many communication (posting) to reach wider audiences

I launched my first product.

Score: 8

View All

Who else spends their "build weekend" on auth, email, and admin panels instead of features?

Score: 7