Building in public means sharing your app’s progress while you build it: what you shipped, what you learned, what went wrong and your real numbers. Some companies take it all the way. Buffer has published its finances and team salaries since 2013. You don’t need to go that far. A short, honest update once a week is enough to start.
It helps a first-time founder in three ways. People who follow your progress are the first to try what you launch. Every post is a chance to hear what confuses them before you’ve built the wrong thing. And it gives you a reason to finish something each week.
Seven kinds of posts that work
- What you shipped this week, with a screenshot. “Bloomly now reminds you when a plant needs repotting, not just watering.”
- One real number and what you learned from it. “Bloomly got 14 sign-ups this week. 9 came from one Reddit comment, none from the launch site.” Small numbers are fine. Made-up ones aren’t.
- A decision and why you made it. Pricing, cutting a feature, choosing who the app is for.
- A mistake and how you fixed it. These are often the posts people remember.
- Something a user said, with their permission. What they love, or what confused them.
- A question for your followers. “Would you rather get a reminder by email or by notification?”
- How you built something. The prompt that finally fixed a bug in your builder, or the setting you didn’t know existed. Other builders save these.
Where to post
- X with #buildinpublic, where many makers follow each other’s progress.
- LinkedIn, if your users are professionals.
- Indie Hackers, where longer posts with real numbers do well.
- Reddit, only in communities that allow it. Many limit self-promotion, so read the rules first and mostly help others.
- Your own changelog page, which also gives visitors and search engines something new to read.
You can share one update in several places. Adjust the first line for each one, and give each place its own link so you know which one brought sign-ups.
When building in public feels hard
- “I have nothing to show.” Post what you learned or decided. Progress isn’t only features.
- “My numbers are embarrassing.” Small numbers are relatable. Most people following you are at the same stage.
- “It feels like bragging.” Post what went wrong as often as what went right.
- “Nobody replies.” Reply to other builders first, for a few weeks. Replies come back to people who show up.
- “I keep forgetting.” Pick one day a week and write one update from your notes.
What never to show
- Your users’ names, emails or data in a screenshot.
- Secret keys, database addresses or admin pages. Check every screenshot before you post, because a visible key can be used by anyone.
- Revenue or numbers you’re not comfortable sharing. Building in public doesn’t mean sharing everything.
A weekly update you can reuse
Keep a few notes during the week, then turn them into one post: what changed, one number, one lesson and one question.
Prompt to draft your weekly update
Turn my notes from this week into a short build in public post. Start with the most interesting thing that changed, include one real number from my notes and what I learned from it, end with a question for readers, and keep it under 120 words. Write like a person talking, no hashtags except one at the end. My notes: