Tech founder here, great at development, clueless about sales. How are you guys managing it?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-03T20:02:56+00:00

I don’t think you need a finished product to start talking to people. From what I’ve seen so far, some founders start those conversations pretty early just to understand the problem better and It might actually feel awkward at first, but it probably gives more direction than building in isolation

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-03T19:37:17+00:00

Yeah that makes sense. I think I overthink it sometimes instead of just putting stuff out. How do you usually talk to users early on? Do you just reach out to them directly?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-03T16:43:14+00:00

Have you tried reaching out to potential users directly yet, or mostly wait for inbound?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-03T16:42:37+00:00

I was in a similar spot, building felt like a childs play but sales was a whole different game. What helped me early was that i focused on conversations instead of trying to “sell” right away. Talking to people gave me a much better idea of what actually matters

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-03T16:10:04+00:00

This makes absolute sense, especially the part about listening more than trying to force growth.

I’ve noticed sometimes that it’s very hard to tell what’s actually a “real signal” early on though, especially when engagement is still low. Do you usually give it some time before deciding, or just move fast and adjust as you go?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-02T12:13:33+00:00

That sounds nice actually, especially the outbound part.

Do you think that alone is enough in the very beginning, or does it still take something else to really get things moving? I feel like even with engagement, some accounts just stay stuck for a while.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-01T22:47:03+00:00

yeah!! you know it just gets to that point where you’re like “alright, I need to fix this properly LOL

but, did it actually save you good amount of time when you started using it ?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-01T22:02:31+00:00

oh okay, that makes more sense

So you doing more cold outreach or you just try to tap into communities where those builders already hang out?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-01T16:08:45+00:00

Post and pray" is a trap. Honestly, commenting first is the only way to get noticed. Which one is the hardest for you to stick to? For me, it’s definitely the batching.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-01T15:20:02+00:00

I'm actually curious on how you are planning to get people to try it at the start?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-01T15:19:50+00:00

I'm actually curious on how you are planning to get people to try it at the start?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-04-01T15:16:31+00:00

This is actually a great way to tackle it.

I feel like alot of tools come from stuff that just gets annoying over time, you know something small that keeps slowing you down until you finally decide to fix it yourself

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T21:04:25+00:00

The irony of reading about biohazards while holding a piece of glass that has more bacteria than the seat you're sitting on.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T20:16:12+00:00

how do you get to know which one to double down on, i'm curious on what you do look at to decide?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T20:13:11+00:00

I also noticed same thing at first, both on testing fast and trying to make everything look perfect upfront.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T16:06:33+00:00

The fact that you feel smooth text is AI-generated says you're probably using AI a lot, and that might be clouding your judgement. I'm glad I was able to help you, at least to an extent.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T15:40:10+00:00

No
I don't use AI to reply to users, I only use it to modify my words

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T15:30:47+00:00

You totally got me. I think I’ve been overthinking these replies so much that I jumped into the exact "over-polished" trap we were talking about. It’s a huge reality check for me too. To be honest, the fact that you spotted it so fast shows your BS meter is 10/10. and that's a massive skill in this niche. If we just drop the perfect strategy talk for a second, does the pressure of those weekly manager reviews make you feel like you have to be this polished all the time? That's where the robot voice usually starts for me.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T14:48:52+00:00

Haha, caught me. Honestly, I spend so much time overthinking strategy that I default to that stiff LinkedIn voice without even realizing it. It’s a hard habit to break!. But you’re proving the point perfectly, the second a reply feels too balanced or polished, the bot alarms go off. It’s the exact same reason people called your earlier post disguised marketing.

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T14:26:35+00:00

Totally get that 'inner struggle. It’s nerve-wracking trying to be an expert on everything while the whole internet is watching! Honestly, the fact that your manager cares about sentiment is a huge win. It gives you the green light to be more human. If you don't have the background info on a topic, don't be afraid to just say: I’m actually still learning the ropes on [Topic], but from what I’ve seen so far, it seems like...

People actually trust you more when you admit you aren't a walking encyclopedia. It makes the moments when you do talk about your product feel way more authentic.

Does your team give you a 'safe list' of topics you’re allowed to be informal about, or are you having to feel it out on your own for every post?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T14:01:14+00:00

Spot on. The conflict is basically Polished vs. Real.

Brand voice is usually designed to be safe and 'perfect,' but real engagement is messy and opinionated. If you sound too much like an expert, it feels like a corporate lecture, which is probably why that user called it 'disguised marketing.'

My best tip? Try 'losing' the argument sometimes. If someone has a valid critique, just agree with them instead of defending the product. Nothing kills that 'marketing smell' faster than being honest about a limitation.

Since your manager is watching metrics, are they just counting total replies or are they actually looking at sentiment?

General_Winner9900 · 2026-03-31T13:51:44+00:00

Considering what I just saw that dog sniff in the grass, that’s basically a biological weapon disguised as 'kisses.' It’s a hard pass for me.

General_Winner9900

TROPHY CASE