Why every ShipDesk launch is also posted on Reddit, and why you should post there too
George · 5 min read
The short answer: every launch on ShipDesk.dev is also posted in our Reddit community, r/shipdesk. Reddit threads often appear in Google results when people search for a product, a problem or "alternatives to" something, so a good Reddit post can keep bringing visitors long after launch day. Post where your users already are, add something useful, and follow each community's rules.
Most founders think about launch day: the board, the upvotes, the first visitors. But launch day ends. The places your product is mentioned do not. Reddit is one of the best of those places, and that is why we post every ShipDesk launch there too.
What we do: every launch goes to r/shipdesk
When a launch goes live on ShipDesk.dev, it is also posted in r/shipdesk, our community on Reddit. Each post has the product's name, what it does, and a link to its launch page.
That gives every launch a second home: one on ShipDesk, and one in a Reddit thread where people can ask questions, give feedback and come back to it later. You do not have to do anything for this. It comes with every launch, free or paid.
Why Reddit matters for getting found
Reddit shows up in Google
Search for a product, a problem, or "best tool for" almost anything, and you will often see Reddit threads on the first page of Google, sometimes in their own section of discussions and forums. People add "reddit" to their searches on purpose, because they want real opinions from real people instead of marketing pages.
That means a Reddit thread about your product can be found by someone searching for your product's name, its category, or the problem it solves, weeks or months after you posted it.
It lasts longer than launch day
A launch board gives you a week of attention. A Reddit thread stays online, keeps its comments, and can keep showing up in search. Old threads are still read, linked and answered long after they were written.
It is what people trust
Many people trust a discussion more than an ad or a landing page. A thread where other users ask honest questions and you answer them is the kind of proof a homepage cannot give you.
AI assistants read it too
AI assistants that search the web often draw on discussion sites like Reddit when people ask for recommendations. Being part of those discussions, honestly, is one more way for your product to be known.
One thing to know about links
Links in Reddit posts are usually marked so that search engines do not count them as a vote for your site, the way a followed backlink would. So the value of Reddit is not the link itself. It is being found: the thread showing up in search, and the people who read it and click through. Your ShipDesk launch page is where you get a followed link to your website.
How to post your own launch on Reddit
The r/shipdesk post is a start. The bigger opportunity is the communities where your users already spend time. Here is how to post there without being removed as spam.
Find the right communities
Look for communities about your product's topic, not just about startups. A budgeting app belongs in personal finance communities, a design tool in design communities. Founder communities like r/SideProject, r/indiehackers and r/SaaS are good for feedback from other builders.
Read the rules first
Every community has its own rules about self-promotion. Some only allow it in a weekly thread, some want links only in comments, and some do not allow it at all. Read the rules and the pinned posts before you post anything.
Be part of the community first
Accounts that only ever post their own links look like spam, to people and to moderators. Comment, answer questions and help people for a while before you share your own product.
Write a post, not an ad
The posts that do well on Reddit tell a story or share something useful:
- What problem you had and why you built this.
- What you learned building it, including what did not work.
- Real numbers, if you are comfortable sharing them.
- A clear question for the community, like what they would change.
Put the link at the end, or in a comment if the rules ask for that.
Use the words people search for
Reddit threads show up in Google for the words in the title and the post. Use the plain words someone would search for: what your product is, the problem it solves, and the category it belongs to. "A free budgeting app for freelancers with irregular income" is easier to find than "Introducing Moneyflow 2.0".
Stay and answer
The first hour after you post matters. Answer every comment, thank people for feedback, and take criticism calmly. A thread full of good answers from the founder is the kind of thread people keep finding later.
What not to do
- Do not post the same text to many communities at once.
- Do not ask friends to upvote your post. Reddit can detect it, and it can get your account banned.
- Do not argue with people who criticize your product. Thank them and ask what would make it better.
- Do not delete a post that did badly and post it again the next day.
A simple Reddit plan for your launch
- Join r/shipdesk and see your launch there when it goes live.
- Pick two or three communities where your users already are.
- Spend a week commenting and helping before you post.
- Write one honest post per community, following its rules.
- Stay for the first hour and answer every comment.
- Link your Reddit thread from your other posts, so the conversation grows.
Your launch week ends. A good Reddit thread can keep working for you long after it.