Indie Hackers & Techies: How are you building your marketing skills prepping for a launch?
Early on, marketing is just as important as building the product, especially if you want a successful launch.
Some say the “fit” in Product-Market Fit is really about marketing. I tend to agree.
For me, when I founded my first company, I was more comfortable writing code than copywriting. When I started trying to sell the first product I developed, I realised just how much I didn’t know about Go-To-Market (GTM) and marketing.
I’ve tried everything from cold outreach to reading all the books I could find. After my second company failed, I actually went back to being an operator and only took "business" roles to try and learn as much as possible from doing.
So, if you don’t have an MBA or business background, how are you tackling this side of things?
Are you talking to mentors, reading books, taking online courses, using LLMs, or something else entirely?
Would love to hear what’s working (or not) for other technical founders and indie hackers.
Or if you are a non-technical founder, what would you recommend to the folks that do not necessarily have the skills yet?
Replies
minimalist phone: creating folders
I need to admit that a good product really makes a difference (it is easier to convince people to jump on).
But when it comes to the "promo" part, you need to be seen, you need to be "loud."
What usually works:
From my own experience, when other people talked about you, that was the best possible scenario to have some social proof. It always has been like that... you have a friend who recommends your services/products to his friends and so on.
Education:
Talking about education. Try to follow really good accounts on social media, subscribe to marketing newsletters, listen to videocasts with founders and what worked for them. If possible, join a workshop, course or just watch YouTube videos.
Hope it helped. :)
Thanks @busmark_w_nika . I think Social proof is indeed crucial. In particular if the product is related to AI. I am starting to see how much resistance or lack of trust there is when people know there is an LLM behind the product...
For the education part, what do you think of using CHatGPT or Claude?
minimalist phone: creating folders
@dg_ I have always been using ChatGPT instead of Claude. It was the first player on the market, and I am somehow used to OpenAI. :)
@busmark_w_nika that makes sense :)
Totally resonate with this - getting your first 100 users is easily the hardest part. It’s not just about marketing skills, it’s about earning trust without existing proof.
One strategy I believe works is build in public + value first outreach. Share behind-the-scenes updates, small wins, even the occasional failure, not to go viral, but to build credibility over time. Then reach out to people who engage with a simple, honest message like, “Hey, I think this thing I’m building might actually help you. Want early access?”
@chaosandcoffee this is great advice. In particular looking for ways to earn trust when you have n"nothing" to show for. I really like it.
Kalyxa
For me, leveraging LLMs to draft copy and test messaging variations has been a game-changer. It’s like having a marketing partner on demand. Still, nothing replaces genuine conversations with your target audience to refine your pitch. Balancing AI tools with direct user feedback is key.
@parth_ahir that makes sense.
And where are you finding folks from your target audience that are willing to have genuine conversations?
Thanks for sharing your journey, DG! I completely resonate with the challenge of balancing product development and marketing—especially for technical founders who might feel more comfortable coding than crafting messaging. For me, a combination of hands-on experimentation and leveraging resources has helped a lot. Talking directly to potential users early on provides invaluable insights that no book or course can fully capture. I’ve also found that using large language models like ChatGPT to draft and refine copy speeds up the learning curve tremendously. Additionally, joining communities like Indie Hackers and Product Hunt offers ongoing support and real-world feedback. For non-technical founders, I’d recommend pairing up with someone who has marketing expertise or dedicating time to learn the basics through practical projects. Ultimately, marketing is a skill that improves with practice and iteration—embracing that mindset makes all the difference. Would love to hear what approaches others have found most effective!
#1 - finding a mentor that's credible and trustworthy (ideally through your network), and PAYING them to teach you how to build the critical lever in your GTM strategy.
this is MUCH cheaper in the long run (and in the medium run, honestly) than toiling around trying to figure it out.
I have separate consultants/mentors for:
paid ads / copywriting
cold email
delegation / systems
worth it's weight in gold!
@emikes919 Thanks!
Do you have nay advice on how to choose mentors? What to look for in prticular?