Communities

Discord and Slack groups

Niche servers full of your users. Be useful in a channel for weeks before sharing anything.

Visit discord.com
Cost
Free

Free to use. No paid tier is needed to list or post.

Verdict
works

Works: members who trust you bring real users, but it takes weeks to earn that trust.

Difficulty
Medium

Needs preparation, a review, or a steady habit before results.

Effort
Medium

About 5 to 10 hours a month.

First result
2 to 8 weeks

A rough range for one person working on it part-time.

Payoff
Compounds

keeps growing while you keep at it.

Best for

Products used by a tight community.

Not for

Products with no community to join.

Pros

  • Tight communities that trust each other
  • Fast, direct feedback

Cons

  • Weeks of participation before sharing
  • Hard to measure

The full guide

Last verified 2026-10-30

Links checked 2026-10-30 · All links answer

01What it is and who is there

Discord servers and Slack groups are private or semi-private communities around a topic, such as a framework, a profession or a hobby. Members talk daily, ask for help and share tools. A server where your users already gather can become a source of trusted users, but only after you have been a helpful member for a while.

02Cost and what you actually pay for

Joining is usually free. Some communities are paid. Your real cost is time: weeks of genuine participation before sharing your own work.

03Is it right for you?

It fits developer tools, AI products, games, creator tools and open-source projects with active communities. It fits poorly for products with no community around their topic. If you are not willing to help others first, skip it.

04Before you start

  • Find two or three communities where your users already talk. Ask users where they hang out.
  • Read each server's rules, especially channels for self-promotion.
  • Set a real name and avatar so people recognize you.

05Step-by-step: how to distribute here

  1. Join and read for a few days.
  2. Answer questions in your area of knowledge, without mentioning your product.
  3. After a few weeks, share your product only in the channel the rules allow, such as "show-and-tell".
  4. When someone asks a question your product answers, mention it and say you built it.
  5. Offer early access or help to members who show interest.

06What to post or submit

Show-and-tell post:

Hi all, I've been building [product] for [who]. It [does job]. I'd love feedback from people here, since you [relevant reason]. Link: [URL]. Happy to set anyone up personally.

Reply to a question:

[Direct answer]. I also built [product] for this, so I'm biased, but it [specific help]: [link].

07Common mistakes and do-nots

  • Do not join and post your link on day one.
  • Do not send unsolicited direct messages to members. Most servers ban it.
  • Do not post in channels where promotion is not allowed.
  • Do not post the same message in many servers.

08How to measure it

  • Use a UTM link per community.
  • Track sign-ups and direct conversations.
  • A realistic test: a month of participation per community.

09Time budget

  • Ongoing: 2 to 4 hours a week across a few communities.

10Pair it with

11Sources

Sources