“It's impossible to hide here behind directory submissions or Product Hunt launch or viral X launch — you'd need to find a real human who would benefit from what you created.”

Skip Product Hunt — Find One Real Human Who Benefits and Obsess Over Them

Nick argues that directory launches and Product Hunt give founders a false sense of progress — they generate activity but not signal. His own launch generated zero dollars for 10 days. The inflection came only after identifying real users, implementing their feedback same-day, and turning them into fans who referred others.