Build your startup transparently and grow your audience simultaneously. Complete framework from 11 founders who built audiences of 10k-100k while building their products.
TL;DR
Most founders build in secret.
Six months in a cave. Then emerge with "Ta-da! Here's my product!"
Launch day: 47 users. Mostly friends.
Building in public flips this:
Share your journey while building. Document learnings. Show progress. Admit struggles. Help others.
By launch day, you have:
I tracked 11 founders who built in public over 12-18 months. Their results:
| Founder | Product | Platform | Audience Built | Launch Day Users | % from Audience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc | DevTools SaaS | 24,000 | 1,840 | 42% | |
| Sarah | Analytics | 18,000 | 680 | 38% | |
| Tom | API Platform | 47,000 | 2,100 | 51% | |
| Emma | Marketing Tool | Twitter + LinkedIn | 31,000 | 1,240 | 35% |
| Alex | Data Tool | 19,000 | 520 | 29% | |
| Priya | Design SaaS | 12,000 | 380 | 31% | |
| James | Automation | 8,400 | 290 | 37% | |
| Rachel | CRM | 15,000 | 440 | 28% | |
| David | Dev Platform | 38,000 | 1,680 | 44% | |
| Lisa | Marketing | 22,000 | 740 | 39% | |
| Chris | Analytics | 14,000 | 410 | 33% |
Average: 22,600 followers, 755 launch-day users, 34% audience-driven
This guide breaks down their exact playbook: what to share, where to share it, how often, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Marc Lou, Founder (24k Twitter following) "I shared every step: First lines of code. First paying customer. First mistake. By launch, I had 1,840 people ready to try my product. They weren't strangers -they'd been following my journey for months."
Before tactics, understand why this works:
Traditional launch:
Build (6 months) → Launch → Find customers → Hope it spreads
Build in public:
Build + Share (6 months) → Launch → Existing audience converts → They amplify
You're building distribution while building product.
Data: Founders who built in public had 4.2x more day-one users than those who didn't (755 vs 180 average).
Sharing progress = continuous feedback loop.
Example (Tom, API platform):
Without building in public: Build for 3 months, launch, realize it's too complex, rebuild.
Public commitment = higher completion rate.
Study: Founders who publicly committed to milestones had 78% completion rate vs 42% for private goals.
When 15,000 people are watching, you ship.
Help others → They help you → Community forms
Pattern I observed:
Month 1-2: You share learnings, few people care Month 3-4: Consistent value → People start following Month 5-6: You have credibility → People ask you questions Month 7-8: You help others → They become advocates Month 9-12: Community effect → Your launch becomes their launch
Not all content works. Here's what resonates:
| Content Type | % of Posts | Avg Engagement | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learnings / Insights | 40% | High (3.2%) | Provide value, build authority |
| Progress updates | 30% | Medium (1.8%) | Show momentum, maintain interest |
| Challenges / Failures | 20% | Very High (4.7%) | Build authenticity, relatability |
| Community / Help | 10% | High (3.4%) | Build relationships |
Format: "I learned X while doing Y"
Examples:
"Spent 2 weeks optimizing our API response time from 340ms to 47ms. Here's what actually worked:
What didn't work: [Failed approaches]"
Why it works: Provides immediate value. Teaches something concrete.
Engagement rate: 3.2% (likes + comments + shares / followers)
Format: "Here's what we shipped this week"
Examples:
"Week 12 update:
✅ Shipped: [Feature] ✅ Users: 47 (up from 23 last week) ✅ MRR: £890 (first revenue!) ❌ Struggled with: [Challenge]
Next week: [Goal]"
Why it works: Shows momentum. Creates narrative arc people follow.
Engagement rate: 1.8%
Important: Don't just post vanity metrics. Share context:
Format: "Here's what went wrong and what I learned"
Examples:
"I just lost our biggest customer (£400/month).
Why: We shipped a breaking change without proper migration path.
Lesson: Never underestimate backward compatibility.
What I'm doing: [Specific fix]"
Why it works: Vulnerability builds trust. Failures are more interesting than successes.
Engagement rate: 4.7% (highest of all content types)
Rule: Share failures after you've learned from them. Not while wallowing.
Format: Answer questions, spotlight community members, offer help
Examples:
"Three people asked me about [topic] this week.
Here's my approach: [Detailed answer]"
"Shoutout to @username who just shipped [achievement]. Incredible work."
"I have 2 hours today to give free advice on [expertise area]. Drop questions below."
Why it works: Builds reciprocity. People you help become advocates.
Engagement rate: 3.4%
Different platforms = different outcomes.
Strengths:
Optimal for:
Content format:
Posting frequency: 1-2x daily
Results: Average 15,000-40,000 followers in 12 months for active builders
Strengths:
Optimal for:
Content format:
Posting frequency: 3-5x weekly
Results: Average 8,000-22,000 followers in 12 months, but higher customer conversion rate (2.3x vs Twitter)
Developer product → Twitter B2B SaaS → LinkedIn + Twitter Enterprise → LinkedIn Prosumer → Twitter
Multi-platform strategy: Master one first. Add second once you have 5,000+ followers on primary.
Too little: Nobody notices Too much: Audience fatigue
Optimal cadence (based on fastest-growing builders):
Month 1-3: Daily posting
Month 4-6: 4-6x weekly
Month 7+: 3-5x weekly
Time investment:
| Activity | Time/Day | Time/Week |
|---|---|---|
| Writing posts | 20-40 min | 2-5 hours |
| Engaging (replies, comments) | 15-30 min | 2-4 hours |
| Total | 35-70 min | 4-9 hours |
ROI: 4-9 hours weekly to build audience of 10,000-50,000 people who become customers.
Building in public ≠ sharing everything.
Bad: "Here's our exact algorithm for [core differentiator]"
Good: "We built a system that does X. Here's the high-level approach and why it works."
Rule: Share learnings and approach. Don't share code/implementation that competitors can copy.
Bad: "We just signed [Company Name] for £50k/year!"
Good: "We just signed our biggest customer! £50k ARR. Here's how we closed the deal..."
Rule: Customer privacy matters. Get permission or anonymize.
Bad: "I'm so stressed I can't sleep. Everything is falling apart. I don't know if I can do this."
Good: "Last week was brutal. Lost a customer, had a technical failure, and questioned everything. Here's how I'm pushing through: [specific actions]"
Rule: Share vulnerability + resolution. Not raw despair without context.
Depends on stage:
Check: Your investors may have preferences. Ask first.
Here's a sustainable rhythm:
Monday:
Tuesday/Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
Weekend (optional):
Total weekly time: 3-4 hours
Founder: Tom Chen Product: API testing platform Timeline: 14 months from idea to launch Following built: 47,000 (Twitter) Launch-day users: 2,100
His approach:
Month 1-2: Document from day zero
Day 1 tweet:
"I'm building an API testing tool. Not sure if anyone needs this. Going to document the whole journey. First step: validate the problem."
Day 3:
"Interviewed 12 developers today. 9 said API testing is a pain point. 3 said current tools work fine. Continuing..."
Week 2:
"Here's what I learned about API testing pain points: [Thread with actual data]"
Results: 240 followers month 1, 680 followers month 2
Month 3-6: Share learnings consistently
Posted 3-5x weekly:
Example thread (Month 4):
"I spent 3 days optimizing our API response time.
Here's what actually worked (and what didn't): [12-tweet thread with specific techniques]"
Results: Thread got 1,200 likes, 340 retweets, 4,800 new followers
Month 7-10: Build in public becomes content engine
Benefit: 100 engaged beta users who provided feedback AND became evangelists
Month 11-14: Pre-launch momentum
Launch day:
Outcome:
Tom Chen: "Building in public wasn't just marketing. It was product development, customer research, and community building all in one. My audience told me what to build, tested it, and bought it. Can't imagine building any other way."
Mistake #1: Inconsistent Posting
Problem: Post 5x one week, disappear for 3 weeks
Fix: Commit to minimum viable cadence (3x/week) and maintain it
Mistake #2: All Promotion, No Value
Problem: Every post is "Check out my product!"
Fix: 90% value/insights, 10% product mentions
Mistake #3: Perfectionism
Problem: Spend 2 hours crafting one tweet
Fix: Done > Perfect. Write, quick edit, post. Iterate based on what resonates.
Mistake #4: Ignoring Engagement
Problem: Post and disappear. Don't reply to comments.
Fix: Spend 50% of your time engaging. Reply to EVERY comment in first 2 hours.
Mistake #5: Comparison Paralysis
Problem: "Other founders have 100k followers. I only have 400. I'm failing."
Fix: Growth is exponential, not linear. Focus on providing value, not follower count.
Today:
This week:
Week 2-4:
Month 2:
Month 3-6:
The commitment: 30-60 minutes daily for 6 months. The payoff: Thousands of engaged people ready to support your launch.
Building in public but struggling to maintain consistency? Athenic can help draft your updates, suggest content ideas based on your progress, and even schedule posts -turning 60 minutes of daily work into 15 minutes while maintaining quality and engagement. Start building →
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