Robin posted his dashboard tool on r/RoastMyStartup.
Zero upvotes, 95 views.
He tried r/EntrepreneursRideAlong.
One upvote, 688 views, zero comments.
He kept posting to different subreddits—five failures, six attempts total.
Most founders would've quit.
Robin posted one more time on r/Internetisbeautiful.
That seventh post exploded to 112,000 views, 84 upvotes, 57 comments, and brought 90 signups on launch day.
Same product, same pitch, seven different outcomes.
The lesson?
Your first Reddit post isn't a test of your product—it's a test of which subreddit wants it.
📍 What It Is
The Multiple Subreddit Launch Strategy: Instead of betting everything on one subreddit, systematically posting your launch to 7-10 related communities to discover which one catches fire, treating each post as an experiment rather than a final verdict on your product's viability.
🎯 Why It Works
Each subreddit has different dynamics - Same post performs wildly differently based on community culture, timing, and mod activity
Reduces launch risk - One failed post doesn't kill your launch; you have 6 more chances
Discovers unexpected audiences - The subreddit you think will perform best often doesn't
Compounds reach - Even "failed" posts generate hundreds of views; 7 posts = thousands of cumulative views
Algorithm lottery - Reddit's front page is partially luck-based; more attempts = more chances to win
Most founders post once, get disappointing results, and conclude "Reddit doesn't work for us."
Winners understand that finding the right subreddit-audience fit requires testing multiple communities systematically.
⚙️ How It Works
Robin's Launch Playbook:
Step 1: Identify 7-10 Target Subreddits
Don't just pick the biggest communities. Create a diverse list:
Niche-specific: Communities focused on your exact category (r/Microsaas, r/SideProject)
Launch-focused: Subreddits designed for sharing new products (r/AlphaandBetaUsers, r/IMadeThis)
Broader interest: Larger communities where your product might resonate (r/InternetIsBeautiful)
Feedback-focused: Communities that roast or critique products (r/RoastMyStartup)
Robin's list: r/RoastMyStartup, r/EntrepreneursRideAlong, r/AlphaandBetaUsers, r/Microsaas, r/SideProject, r/IMadeThis, r/InternetIsBeautiful
Step 2: Craft Your Hook Using a Proven Formula
Robin analyzed top posts and found 3 hooks that consistently work:
"I made..." → Personal story angle (builds connection)
"I worked at [Big Company]..." → Authority/credibility
"I got 100K views..." → Specific impressive numbers
His winning hook: "I made this free app to build your personal dashboard with snapshots of any apps or website, that stay up to date automatically"
Why it worked: "I made" (personal), "free" (removes barrier), specific benefit (dashboard with auto-updating snapshots)
Step 3: Create Two Post Formats
Text posts: Traditional detailed explanation with examples Video posts: Short demo showing the product in action
Robin discovered video posts significantly outperformed text posts (14 upvotes vs. 1-2 upvotes on similar subreddits).
Create both formats and test which works better for each community.
Step 4: Post Systematically, Not All at Once
Space out your posts to avoid looking like spam. Robin posted to 7 subreddits over launch day, customizing slightly for each community's rules and culture.
Step 5: Engage Strategically
Robin's engagement hack: "Answer every comment, but leave 2-3 unchecked.
When replies slow down, comment on those unchecked ones to revive the thread."
Reality check: Robin admitted he replied to everything instantly because he prioritized feedback over virality.
Both approaches work—choose based on your goal.
Pro Tips:
Video format dramatically increases views (Robin's data: 112K views for video vs. 710 max for text)
The subreddit you expect to perform best often doesn't—test everything
Don't stop after 2-3 failed posts; Robin's breakthrough was post #7
Track metrics for each: upvotes, views, comments, actual signups
One viral post can generate more signups than 6 mediocre ones combined
Warning Signs:
Getting banned from multiple subreddits (you're too promotional or posting too fast)
Zero comments on any post (your hook isn't compelling enough)
Similar poor performance across all subreddits (product-market fit issue, not subreddit issue)
🏆 Real Example
Founder: Robin Saulet
Product: Kaptr.me (tool to create personal dashboards with auto-updating snapshots of any app or website)
Goal: Get signups on launch day
The Launch Strategy:
Robin didn't bet everything on one subreddit. He created a list of 7 communities where his target users might hang out, crafted two post formats (text and video), and systematically posted to each one.
His Post Structure:
Hook: "I made this free app to build your personal dashboard..."
Body:
Brief intro of the tool
5 specific use cases (sales reporting, crypto monitoring, productivity dashboard, project updates, surf spot monitoring)
Question to spark engagement: "What would you use it for?"
Call-to-action: Link to try the free version
The Results (By Subreddit):
r/RoastMyStartup (text) - 0 upvotes, 95 views, 0 comments
r/EntrepreneursRideAlong (text) - 1 upvote, 688 views, 0 comments
r/AlphaandBetaUsers (text) - 1 upvote, 196 views, 0 comments
r/Microsaas (text) - 2 upvotes, 710 views, 0 comments
r/SideProject (video) - 14 upvotes, 3,000 views, 4 comments
r/IMadeThis (video) - 1 upvote, 188 views, 0 comments
r/InternetIsBeautiful (video) - 84 upvotes, 112,000 views, 57 comments ⚡
Total Impact:
116,977 total views across all posts
90 signups on launch day (primarily from the r/InternetIsBeautiful post)
~0.08% conversion rate (90 signups / 112K views from top post)
What The Data Reveals:
Video crushed text: Posts with video got 115,188 views. Text-only posts got 1,789 views. Video format generated 64x more views.
One breakout post drove everything: The r/InternetIsBeautiful post alone generated 96% of total views and likely 80%+ of signups.
Early "failures" weren't actually failures: Those first 6 posts generated 4,977 cumulative views—not viral, but not nothing. Combined, they likely brought 10-15 additional signups.
Persistence paid off: If Robin had stopped after post #3 (common quitting point), he would have gotten 979 total views instead of 116,977. That's a 119x difference from simply continuing.
Key Insight:
Robin's takeaway: "If I had stopped at the first post, I would have ended up with approximately 95 views."
The winning subreddit wasn't predictable. r/Microsaas seemed like the perfect fit (SaaS product for a SaaS community), but it generated only 710 views.
Meanwhile, r/InternetIsBeautiful—a broader, less targeted community—exploded to 112K views because the "cool internet tool" angle resonated perfectly with their audience.
You can't predict which subreddit will work. You have to test them all.
Robin's Honest Reflection:
"I'm a beginner at this. Don't take my words for granted. Experiment on your own... And keep trying!"
Despite the incredible results, Robin acknowledged luck played a role.
But luck favors those who post seven times, not once.
💡 Your Turn Make a list of 7 subreddits where your target customers hang out. Check the rules of each one. Plan to post to all 7 this week—don't stop after the first 3 "fail."
Reply with your subreddit list—best strategy gets featured next edition!