One Reddit comment delayed my MVP by 3 weeks and made it 10x better
I had an MVP. I had a plan. I was this close to launching Quala, a feedback tool for SaaS trials. The concept was simple: ask users how their trial is going on day 1, day 3, day 7, etc. Classic playbook.
But before pulling the trigger, I soft-launched in a few Reddit communities, Product Management, Customer Success, etc. not to promote, but to learn.
Instead of generic praise or silence, I got real feedback like:
“You’re chasing the right problem, but post-churn surveys are like sending flowers after the breakup.”
Another person said:
“Trigger micro-prompts during friction. Contextual, not generic. Make the ask feel like help, not homework.”
That one comment, and others like it, made me stop everything.
I spent the next 3 weeks rethinking the entire product. I rebuilt Quala from time-based feedback forms to contextual, behavior-driven micro-prompts:
User stuck on a setup step? Trigger a simple “Was this clear? 👍👎”
Leaving before finishing onboarding? Show: “Still looking for something?”
Abandoned an upload? Ask why, while it’s still fresh.
This version captures rich behavioral context, so the feedback is not just honest, it’s actionable.
The launch could still flop. But honestly, I already feel like I “won” by discovering a deeper problem and building a more focused solution.
Replies
That's a good step, Helton. Sometimes we are so deep into our products that we miss out on subtle points. The earlier we get the feedback, the better it is.
Generally, it is advised that feedback is taken at idea stage even before you start building ...and that is important but it is also important to take a feedback at later stages and pivot if required.
In my case, one product got 50% positive feedback and other got 100% big positive feedback...it made it easier for me to decide on which route to take.
Curious from a product perspective, how are developers expected to define the triggers?
Lots of variables here. Elements, user events, one-time vs repeat actions, etc.
Is there a predefined model, or are teams expected to wire it up manually?
I think that people on Reddit can roast you well so it can help but wouldn't rely on it completely because some are toxic and that can discourage you from launching. Thankfully, this was not your case but be careful there :D