Build in public, then let your audience pay you before launch

Building in public means sharing your progress, numbers and decisions openly while you build, on X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, Indie Hackers or a newsletter. It earns trust and an audience. On its own, it doesn't turn that audience into revenue.

Why followers don't become customers by themselves

Following someone is free. Plenty of followers enjoy the story and never need the product. To find out who wants to use what you're building, give them something to buy before launch and see who does.

When to ask

Ask once you can show it: a working prototype, a demo video, a mockup people can click through. Ask too early and it feels like a donation request; wait until launch and you've wasted months of attention.

What to offer

A founding seat: lifetime access for a one-time price, limited to a fixed number of people, and only available before launch. The people who've watched you build for months are the ones most likely to want it.

How to announce it

• Show the product working in a short video.
• Say what founding backers get, how many seats there are and when it closes.
• Use one link.
• Post again halfway through and before it closes, with real progress.
• Thank your backers publicly, with their permission.

On Day Zero

Day Zero is made for founders who build in public. Your campaign page shows your video, roadmap and updates, and backers ask questions in a public discussion. Every backer has a public portfolio with First Backer badges, so your earliest supporters get credit for finding you first. Share your own Day Zero link: sales from it have a 0% Day Zero margin.

Each Thursday, Day Zero picks one founder for the drop. Their campaign becomes the Day Zero home page for the week, with a countdown before it opens and an email to everyone waiting for it.