Where to find your first customers: Dev tools

• UneedLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Curated daily launches with a lasting directory page.

• Peerlist LaunchpadLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○

  Weekly launch window that opens on Mondays. Audience is mostly developers and designers. Needs a verified profile.

• Dev HuntLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○

  Launch board aimed at developer tools.

• GitHub awesome listsDirectories & comparison · Free · effort ●○○

  Open a pull request to the curated list for your category. Readers there are your target users.

• Curated newsletters (TLDR, Console)Directories & comparison · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Many accept submissions, with a paid slot for guaranteed placement. Choose ones your buyers already read.

• r/SideProjectCommunities · Free · effort ●○○

  Friendly place to show a project and collect first reactions.

• Search Console and Bing WebmasterSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●○○

  Set up on day one so you can see which queries bring people in.

• VS Code MarketplaceStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○

  Developers search extensions from inside their editor.

• npm, PyPI and crates.ioStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○

  Package registries work as search engines for developers. Your README is the landing page.

• Warm intros from your networkDirect outreach · Free · effort ●○○

  Ask former colleagues and friends who know your buyers for one introduction each.

• OpenAlternativeDirectories & comparison · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Curated directory of open-source alternatives to popular SaaS.

• Hacker News (Show HN)Launch boards · Free · effort ●●○

  Technical readers who reward things they can try at once. Link to something that runs and skip marketing copy.

• Relaunch on every big releaseLaunch boards · Free · effort ●●○

  Several boards allow a new listing after a major update. Treat each version as a fresh announcement, and check each board's rules.

• AlternativeToDirectories & comparison · Free · effort ●●○

  Reaches people already searching for a replacement. Works best when you can name a clear incumbent.

• Indie HackersCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

  Home of bootstrapped founders. Milestone and revenue write-ups travel further than announcements.

• Discord and Slack groupsCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

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

• dev.to and HashnodeCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

  Write tutorials that solve a real problem. Readers arrive from the feed and from search.

• Case studies and customer storiesSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○

  One concrete result from a real customer helps every other channel convert.

• Get added to 'best X tools' roundupsSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●○

  Find articles that list your competitors and ask the author to include you, with a short reason.

• GitHub (README, topics, releases)Stores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Good topics, a clear README with a demo and tagged releases do much of the work.

• Answering questions where they are askedDirect outreach · Free · effort ●●○

  Search Reddit, forums and X for questions your product answers. Help properly and mention the product only when it fits.

• Customer interviews that lead to referralsDirect outreach · Free · effort ●●○

  End each call by asking who else has this problem.

• Newsletter swaps and cross-promotionPartnerships & loops · Free · effort ●●○

  Trade a mention with a maker who has a similar-sized list and a nearby audience.

• Pitching niche bloggers and newsletter writersPress & PR · Free · effort ●●○

  Small writers in your category often reply and are glad to cover a useful new tool.

• HomebrewStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Package manager for macOS and Linux. Command-line tools install with one command.

• GitHub MarketplaceStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Store for GitHub Actions and apps used inside repositories.

• Product HuntLaunch boards · Free · effort ●●●

  Biggest daily launch stage. Gives you a badge and a day of traffic. Competition is heavy, so line up supporters first.

• Niche subredditsCommunities · Free · effort ●●●

  Find where your users already complain. Read the rules, contribute first, and expect plain self-promotion to be removed.

• Build in public on XSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●

  Slow to start. The audience you build carries over from one product to the next.

• YouTubeSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●

  Tutorials and demos can rank in search for years.

• Your own newsletterSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●

  The one audience nobody can take away. Even a small list converts well at launch.

• Documentation, guides and tutorialsSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●●

  Good docs rank for the exact problems your users type into search.

• Personal DMs to people with the problemDirect outreach · Free · effort ●●●

  Message people who posted about the problem. Often the fastest route to your first ten customers.

• Free plan that does real workPartnerships & loops · Free · effort ●●●

  A free tier that solves a small problem fully spreads by word of mouth.

• FazierLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  A newer Product Hunt alternative. A cheap extra launch day.

• MicroLaunchLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○

  Small launch board built for indie makers.

• Tiny StartupsLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Directory and launch list for small, early products.

• TinyLaunchLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○

  Launch board for indie makers and small projects.

• PeerPushLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Launch platform with lasting product pages. Check its current visibility rules.

• SaaSHubDirectories & comparison · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Software directory with alternatives pages.

• StackShareDirectories & comparison · Free · effort ●○○

  Developers list the tools in their stack here. Add yours so it shows up in comparisons.

• awesome-selfhostedDirectories & comparison · Free · effort ●○○

  Curated list of self-hosted software. Fits open-source apps that people run themselves.

• LobstersCommunities · Free · effort ●○○

  Invite-only link board with a technical audience.

• Changelog and public roadmap postsSocial & content · Free · effort ●○○

  Every release is a reason to post, email and relaunch.

• Firefox Add-onsStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○

  Smaller store with loyal, privacy-minded users.

• Docker HubStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●○○

  Publish an image with a clear README to reach people who run software themselves.

• AMAs and live Q&AsEvents · Free · effort ●○○

  Host a question session in a community you already belong to.

• Local founder and coworking meetupsEvents · Free · effort ●○○

  In-person trust brings referrals and honest feedback.

• Launching NextLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Daily showcase of new startups.

• StartupBaseLaunch boards · Free · effort ●○○

  Launch and discover new products every day.

• Open LaunchLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Platform to discover and upvote new tech products daily.

• r/indiehackersCommunities · Free · effort ●○○

  Subreddit for indie hackers. Feedback and peer attention.

• Telegram and WhatsApp groupsCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

  Smaller private groups where members answer fast. Join as a member first.

• Bluesky and MastodonCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

  Developer and open-source circles have moved here in part. Reach is smaller but friendly.

• QuoraCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

  Long answers to questions your buyers ask can keep sending traffic for years.

• Podcast guestingSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○

  Pitch shows your buyers listen to with a specific story, not a product plug.

• Medium and Substack NotesSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○

  Borrow an existing readership for essays about the problem you solve.

• AI-assistant visibilitySearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●○

  Assistants lean on docs, comparison pages and third-party reviews when they recommend tools. Make yours clear and easy to quote.

• YouTube comparison and review channelsSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●○

  Reviewers who cover your category often accept a free account or a short briefing.

• JetBrains MarketplaceStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Plugin store for IntelliJ-based editors.

• Raycast StoreStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Extensions for a popular Mac launcher with an active community.

• Unity Asset StoreStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●○

  Sell tools and assets to game developers.

• MCP and AI assistant directoriesStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Publishing a server or plugin lets people use your product from inside their AI assistant.

• Maker bundles and swapsPartnerships & loops · Revenue share · effort ●●○

  Join other indie makers in a bundle or shared launch week.

• Journalist-request platforms (Qwoted, Featured)Press & PR · Free + paid options · effort ●●○

  Answer reporters' questions as an expert. A few mentions give you press links and credibility.

• Newsletter sponsorshipsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○

  Small niche newsletters often convert better than big general ones.

• Hackathons (Devpost)Events · Free · effort ●●○

  A forced deadline, a built-in audience and sometimes press from sponsors.

• Online summits and virtual conferencesEvents · Free · effort ●●○

  Speak on a niche panel and reuse the recording as content.

• ThreadsSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○

  Meta text-first feed. Few published growth benchmarks, so treat results as unknown until you test.

• Stack OverflowCommunities · Free · effort ●●○

  Q&A for developers. Helpful, disclosed answers can bring steady visits; promotional answers are removed.

• Microsoft StoreStores & marketplaces · Free + required fee · effort ●●○

  Windows app store. Good for desktop apps, with a developer fee and certification.

• Apple PodcastsSocial & content · Free · effort ●●○

  Podcast directory. Free to list a show. Listeners build slowly.

• Discord App DirectoryStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●○

  Directory of apps and bots for Discord servers.

• Guest posts on niche sitesPress & PR · Free · effort ●●○

  Write for blogs your buyers read, with a byline and a link.

• Run your own communityCommunities · Free · effort ●●●

  A small Discord or forum for your users. It turns customers into support, feedback and referrals.

• Twitch and live buildingSocial & content · Free · effort ●●●

  Stream your build. Viewers become testers and early users.

• Programmatic and alternative-page SEOSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●●

  Pages for 'X alternative', 'X vs Y' and templates. Pays slowly, so start before you need it.

• Free tools and calculatorsSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●●

  A small free tool that answers a question your buyers search for, with a link back to the product.

• Stripe App MarketplaceStores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●●

  Apps used inside the Stripe dashboard. Good for finance and billing tools.

• Integrations and co-marketingPartnerships & loops · Free · effort ●●●

  Build for a bigger product your buyers already use, and appear in its directory or newsletter.

• Open-source a useful piecePartnerships & loops · Free · effort ●●●

  Release a free component. The paid product sits next to it.

• Agency and consultant partnersPartnerships & loops · Revenue share · effort ●●●

  Freelancers who set up your product for clients can bring steady referrals.

• Original data studiesPress & PR · Free · effort ●●●

  Publish numbers nobody else has. Journalists and bloggers cite and link to them.

• Meetups and conference talksEvents · Free · effort ●●●

  Speak about a problem you solved. People remember the talk and look you up afterwards.

• ChatGPT Directory (apps and plugins)Stores & marketplaces · Free · effort ●●●

  Public directory of apps and plugins inside ChatGPT. Needs a plugin and a review.

• SEO blog contentSearch & discovery · Free · effort ●●●

  Articles on your own site that answer the searches your buyers make.

• Carbon AdsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●○○

  Ad network aimed at developers and designers.

• Sponsor open-source projects your users depend onPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●○○

  Your name appears where developers look. Choose projects used by your target users.

• SideProjectorsCommunities · Free · effort ●○○

  Marketplace and community to show, buy and sell side projects.

• twelve.toolsLaunch boards · Free + paid options · effort ●○○

  Daily list of twelve tools.

• Reddit AdsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○

  Targets by subreddit. Test with a small budget and a post that reads like a post.

• Podcast sponsorshipsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○

  Host-read ads work when the show fits your buyers closely.

• X AdsPaid & sponsorship · Paid · effort ●●○

  Promoted posts and follower ads on X. Best used to boost posts that already work.

• SetappStores & marketplaces · Revenue share · effort ●●●

  Subscription bundle of Mac apps. Selective, but it brings a ready audience if you get in.

Each channel links to its own guide. Check each platform's current rules before you post. Browse every channel.