You Built It. So Why Isn't Anyone Coming?
You’ve written the last line of code.
The features are perfect. The UI is clean. The damn thing works.
And then… silence.
Just the quiet hum of your server and that sinking feeling in your gut.
"Okay," you think. "How do I get users?"
If you've ever felt that, you've fallen into the Founder's Fallacy.
It's the misguided belief that if you build something great, the people will just… show up.
They won't.
This isn't a marketing problem you can fix with a few clever ads.
It's a foundational problem. You built a solution before you truly understood the problem.
But don't panic. You can fix it.
It's time to stop acting like a coder and start acting like a detective.
If you’re sitting on a finished product with zero users, keep reading.
Here's how to stop pitching into the void and start building a brand people actually care about.
Stop Writing Code. Start Having Conversations.
Most founders think marketing is a megaphone.
Something you pick up after the work is done to shout about how great your product is.
Wrong.
Early-stage marketing is a microscope.
You use it to find out what people actually need before you build it. Or, in your case, to make sure what you’ve built isn’t a beautiful solution to a problem nobody has.
Your goal right now isn't sign-ups. It's insights.
You need to switch from "pitching" to "discovery."
You need to prove your product isn't just a cool piece of tech, but a painkiller for a real-world headache.
Here's your actionable: Freeze all new feature development for one week. Right now.
Your most important work isn't in the codebase.
It's out there, talking to the people you think you built this for.
Go Where the Pain Is
So, where do you find these people?
You don't broadcast your message on massive platforms and hope for the best.
You go to the niche corners of the internet where your future customers are already complaining.
You become a problem miner.
Your job is to listen for frustration. To find the digital traces of pain that your product can solve.
Look in places like:
Niche Subreddits: Not the giant, general ones. If your tool helps with AI, go to r/LocalLLaMA, not r/technology. Find where people are talking about broken workflows.
Hacker News & Indie Hackers: These places are full of early adopters who love to talk about tools and aren't shy with their opinions.
Specialized Discords & Slacks: Find the communities built around specific tech or open-source projects. Get in, shut up, and listen.
Q&A Sites: Look at the questions people are asking on sites like Stack Overflow or DEV Community. What are they stuck on?
Search for phrases like "alternative to [competitor]" or "frustrated with [their current tool]."
Find people who are already looking for a life raft.
Then, you show up.
Ask for Feedback, Not Clicks
Once you find a conversation, your next move is critical.
Don't be the guy who crashes the party with a sales pitch.
You will be ignored. Or worse, roasted.
The wrong way:"I saw you're having trouble with X. I built a tool for that. Check it out: [your-url.com]"
That screams "I want something from you."
The right way:"That's a really interesting point about [their problem]. I'm actually working on something to fix that, but I'm worried about [potential hurdle]. From your experience, is that a real concern?"
See the difference?
The first one is a pitch. The second one is a request for expertise.
It makes them the expert. It respects their knowledge. It turns a potential customer into a co-conspirator.
You’re not selling them a product; you’re inviting them to help build a solution.
Turns out, people love being asked for their opinion more than they love being sold to.
Who knew?
Build in Public (It's Free Marketing)
While you're having these conversations, start doing something else.
Build in public.
Share your journey on X, LinkedIn, or a blog. Not just the wins. Share the bugs. The "aha!" moments. The user feedback that made you rethink everything.
This isn't a diary. It's a strategy.
It turns your development process into a marketing asset.
Why does this work?
It builds trust. People see the work you're putting in. They see you listening. They feel invested in your success.
By the time you're ready to "launch," you won't be launching to an empty room.
You'll have a small, loyal audience that's been cheering you on from day one. They are your future evangelists.
Tip for you: Start today. Post one thing you learned from a user conversation.
It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be honest.
Transparency is a trust-building machine.
Now, Find Your One True Channel
Once you've got a handful of people who get it, it's time to get systematic.
Don't just throw money at ads or randomly post content.
Use the Bullseye Framework. It's simple.
1. Brainstorm: List every possible way you could reach customers. Content marketing, SEO, Reddit ads, launching on a discovery platform, building a free tool. Don't judge, just list.
2. Prioritize: Pick the top 3-5 channels that feel most promising based on your conversations. Where did your first true fans come from? Double down on that.
3. Test: Run small, cheap tests on your top channels. A $200 ad spend. Three blog posts. A dedicated week of community engagement.
The goal isn't to go big. It's to find a signal.
One channel will almost always work better than the others.
That’s your bullseye.
Once you find it, forget everything else.
Focus all your energy on that one channel. Master it. Scale it. Own it.
Most founders fail because they spread themselves too thin.
Smart founders find what works and do more of it. Relentlessly.
Conclusion
Building a product is the easy part.
Building a market? That's the real work.
And it starts not with code, but with conversation.
Stop hoping for users to find you.
Go find them, listen to their problems, and make them part of your story.
That’s how you build something that doesn't just work—it matters.