# How to launch on Indie Hackers, and why the numbers post works

Launch on Indie Hackers with a clear story and real numbers. You will get feedback, a few early users, and a product page that can rank for your name. This guide shows what to post, where to post it, and how to keep the thread going.

Updated 2026-09-14 · Source: https://porteur.ai/guides/launch-on-indie-hackers

## Why launch on Indie Hackers

Indie Hackers is a community of founders. It is a forum with product pages where founders share revenue and milestones, interviews, and a podcast. Posts that share numbers and lessons are read.

A good launch gets you three things. Real feedback from people who build and buy. A few early users who are patient and curious. A page about your product that can rank for your brand name.

Treat it like a conversation, not an announcement. Leave the pitch for your landing page. Bring a story with figures to the community.

## Set up your product page so it can rank

Create your Indie Hackers account and your product page before you post. The page should match your brand name and link to your site. Keep the one-liner clear and concrete.

- Use the exact product name in the page title. If your domain is your brand, include it once: YourProduct, yourproduct.com.
- Write a one-liner with a job and a target: "Email warmup for B2B cold outreach" beats "AI-powered email".
- Link to the homepage at yourproduct.com, not a URL with UTM codes.
- Add a short description with the core use case and a screenshot that shows the UI, not a billboard.
- Fill the revenue and milestone fields when you have them. If you do not, leave them blank and use the post for the story.

Why it matters. People will Google your brand after they see your post. Your Indie Hackers product page often ranks on that name. A good page answers who you are and what stage you are at.

A fixed page looks like this: title "YourProduct, yourproduct.com", one-liner "Invoicing for freelancers", link to your site, and an image of the invoice screen. Short and useful.

## Write the numbers post: a story with figures

The numbers post works because it gives context and risk. Readers want revenue, lessons and mistakes. Make it a story with turning points and figures, not a feature list.

- Start with one sharp line. "From idea to $580 MRR in 90 days, here is what worked and what did not."
- Write the arc: spark, build, launch, sell, stumble, fix, next step.
- Add the key figures: revenue, users, churn, one cost that hurt, one decision that paid off.
- Name one mistake with a number: "We spent 3 weeks on a dashboard no one used."
- End with a question that invites replies: "If you were me, what would you ship next?"

Cut the pitch. Link your product once near the top. Use plain language. Use real dates and amounts. If a figure is early or messy, say so. Honesty gets comments you can use.

Example skeleton you can adapt for "/blog/indie-hackers-launch": title, three-sentence summary with your best figure, the build story in four short sections, a table with monthly revenue to date, and a short list of what you will try next.

## Where to post on Indie Hackers

Launch posts are accepted in the right place. Bare promotion is not. Share your story in a thread where launches and milestones belong. Link your product page in your profile and in the post body once.

- Post the numbers story in a launch or milestone discussion area.
- Add a short headline that carries the hook and the number.
- Paste the first two paragraphs in full. Do not make people click to your blog to get the point.
- Reply to early comments within an hour if you can. Keep the thread active.
- Update the product page with the same figures the same day.

> Lead with the numbers, not the link.

If you only have a landing page and a waitlist, you can still post the story and the lessons. Be clear about what can and cannot be tried today. Readers accept early, they avoid hype.

## Your launch day plan

Keep it small and focused. Indie Hackers first, then one or two more places that fit your stage. Each has its own rules as of 2026. Follow them and you will keep the account you need long term.

| Place | What it is for | Your move that day | Expect |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Indie Hackers | Community of founders, reads numbers and lessons | Post the numbers story and update the product page | Thoughtful feedback, a few users, a page that can rank |
| Hacker News | Show HN is for something people can try, not a landing page, newsletter or reading material | If you have a usable thing, submit "Show HN: YourProduct" linking to the thing, and add a first comment | Traffic is large and brief, comments are candid, do not ask for votes, reposts may happen from the second-chance pool |
| Product Hunt | A ranked, day-long launch for products with a page and media | Publish with a tagline, description, images or video, and a first comment, never ask directly for upvotes | A day of visitors and a listing that keeps ranking for your name |
| BetaList | Pre-launch and recent launch listings with a landing page that takes signups | Submit and wait in the queue or use a paid option to expedite, write a clear one-liner | Early signups from people who browse launches |
| Reddit | Subreddits have their own rules, many ban self-promo, some have weekly share threads | If you have been active and disclose who you are, post in the allowed thread like r/SideProject or r/startups | Threads can rank in Google and be cited by assistants, spam gets removed and accounts banned |

Post only where your post belongs. A thin cross-post across twenty places looks like spam and is ignored. Two good threads beat ten dead ones.

## Keep momentum with milestone posts

One post does not make a presence. Keep posting milestones on your product page and in the right threads. Do it when the number or the lesson is real, not on a schedule for its own sake.

- First paid user, first churn, first refund, first inbound review. Each is a milestone with a lesson.
- Naming, pricing, and onboarding changes with before and after screenshots.
- A mistake and the rollback: "We hid pricing on /pricing for a week, signups fell and we reversed it."
- Hiring your first contractor and what it changed.
- A modest revenue step that proves retention: 3 months at $500 MRR is more interesting than a one-off spike.

A fixed milestone post looks like: a headline, one figure, three bullet points on what changed, one screenshot, and a question for peers. Link once to the page that changed, for example "/pricing" or "/guides/getting-started".

## Ask for feedback the right way

You will get better comments if you shape the ask. Tell people your goal and your constraint. Give two or three specific questions. Offer to repay with a review or a look at their page.

- "We aim for solo founders. Does the first screen make that clear?"
- "We charge $19 a month. Where would you bounce?"
- "If you use 'email warmup' today, what would make you switch?"

Follow up in public. Summarise what you will change. Thank people by name. If a DM turns into a useful thread, ask to quote it and post the takeaways. You are building a record others can learn from and find later.

## Measure what your Indie Hackers launch did

You care about three things: branded search, signups, and the Indie Hackers page ranking for your name. Track them for 28 days. The spike is short. The mentions and the page are what lasts.

1. **Watch branded queries in Search Console** Open the Performance report and filter by your brand and your domain. Compare the 7 days before and after. Look for more impressions on "yourproduct" and clicks to your homepage.
2. **Check what ranks on your name** Search for your brand in an incognito window. Your site should rank first. Your Indie Hackers product page often ranks in the top results. Click it and make sure it reads well.
3. **Tie signups to the day** Annotate the launch day in your product analytics. Note the number of signups and trials from that date range. Look for retained users two weeks later.
4. **Record feedback themes** Copy the two or three themes that repeat in comments. Put them in your backlog with a link to the thread. Close the loop with a follow-up post when you ship the change.

> Directories with no editorial value are low-quality links under Google’s spam policies. List for the audience and the mention, not for the link.

## Common mistakes and quick fixes

- Posting a pitch, not a story. Fix: lead with a figure and a lesson, then the link.
- Linking everywhere. Fix: one link near the top, one at the end, none in every paragraph.
- Hiding the bad. Fix: include one mistake with a number. It builds trust and invites help.
- No follow-up. Fix: reply the same day, post a next step within a week, and one milestone within a month.
- Vague product page. Fix: tighten the one-liner and show one real screenshot.
- Chasing votes elsewhere. Fix: respect each site’s rules as of 2026. Your account is an asset.

If you already launched and it flopped, post a "what I learned" with numbers. People respect the second try. You will get better questions and better users the next round.

## How Indie Hackers fits with other listings

Use Indie Hackers for the story and the ongoing thread about your build. Use Product Hunt for a one-day ranked launch. Use Hacker News Show HN when people can try your thing. Use BetaList when you are pre-launch with a waitlist that takes signups. Each plays a different role, and each has clear rules as of 2026.

Also set up buyer intent places when you can. G2 and Capterra let you create a free vendor profile and collect verified reviews. AlternativeTo lists apps and orders alternatives by likes. These pages rank on "best X" and "X alternatives" and are read by buyers and by AI assistants. They are not a launch, they are proof when people search.

## A short example you can copy

Here is a compact template you can paste into your Indie Hackers post. Adjust the figures and the lessons. Keep it short and specific.

```en
Title: From zero to $580 MRR in 90 days building YourProduct

Link: yourproduct.com

What we built: A simple [what it does] for [who it is for].

Numbers: $580 MRR, paid users, 8 churned, hosting last month. (Example figures for a template, not measured.)

What worked:
- Cold emails to 120 targets, 9 replies, 3 trials, 1 paid.
- Replaced [feature] with [simpler thing], activation rose the next week.

What did not:
- Spent 3 weeks on a dashboard no one used.
- Hid pricing on /pricing for a week, signups fell, we reversed it.

What’s next: Ship [one thing], try [one channel]. If you were me, what would you ship next?

Happy to review your product page in return.
```

## Questions

### Do I need revenue to post on Indie Hackers?

No. Share the stage you are in and the figures you do have. Users, waitlist size, costs, time spent, and one early lesson are enough. Be clear about what can be tried today.

### Where should I put my Indie Hackers link?

In your profile and once in the body near the top. Add one more link at the end if it fits. Do not paste the link in every paragraph. The story should carry the thread.

### Should I also post on Hacker News or Product Hunt?

Yes, if you match their purpose and rules as of 2026. Show HN is for something people can try, with a title that starts with "Show HN:" and a first comment. Product Hunt is a day-long ranked launch where asking directly for upvotes is against the guidelines. If you do not match, wait.

### How often should I post milestones?

Post when you have a real step or lesson. A monthly cadence works only if something changed. A small but honest post beats a padded one. Keep your product page in sync.

### Will an Indie Hackers page help my SEO?

It can rank on your brand name and give searchers context. Treat it as a page people will read, not as a link for ranking. The value is the presence, the proof and the feedback.

### What if my launch gets little attention?

Reply to the comments you did get, then post a follow-up with what you changed. Add more numbers and a sharper hook. Most launches are quiet. The thread you build over months is what people find.

## Read next

- [How to write a launch post people read to the end](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-write-a-launch-post): Use one structure that works on Hacker News, Product Hunt, Indie Hackers and your newsletter. With a worked example and the lines to cut.
- [How to launch on Hacker News with a Show HN that survives the comments](https://porteur.ai/guides/launch-on-hacker-news): Plan a Show HN that earns clicks, survives feedback and leaves a durable thread. Title, first comment, site readiness, timing, answers and follow‑up.
- [Launching on Product Hunt: a checklist that fits a week](https://porteur.ai/guides/launch-on-product-hunt): What a Product Hunt launch is worth, how to prepare in a week, what to do on the day, and what to fix after to turn visitors into users.
- [How to get listed on BetaList](https://porteur.ai/guides/get-listed-on-betalist): Who BetaList is for, how to submit, how to write your one‑liner, what to expect, and the pages to have ready before your listing goes live.
- [Reddit for founders: how to talk about your product without being removed](https://porteur.ai/guides/reddit-for-founders): How to promote a startup on Reddit without removals: where launches are allowed, what to write, how to disclose, and how to build trust first.
- [How to do SEO for a product site, in the order that pays](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-do-seo-for-a-product-site): Follow the order that pays: fix indexing, improve pages you rank on, win within-reach queries, ship comparisons, add new demand pages, then earn links.
- [SEO for indie hackers: one person, one hour a week, real pages](https://porteur.ai/guides/seo-for-indie-hackers): A simple SEO plan for indie hackers: one hour a week, ship one page per pain, early comparison pages, first links from launch sites, and what to skip.

Paste your URL and get a free check in about thirty seconds that reads your site, the searches around it and the rivals on them, and shows three findings. Free check: https://porteur.ai/