Before you ship a feature, spin up an MVP, or build an entire app—validate on Reddit. Here's how top indie makers sense real demand.
Why Reddit Works
Reddit is where people ask for help and solve problems. Unlike Twitter (opinion) or TikTok (entertainment), Reddit is unfiltered.
The key insight: Problem statements on Reddit are raw. No marketing spin. Real friction.
The Validation Framework
Phase 1: Listening (Week 1)
Search for your core problem across relevant subreddits:
- r/getdisciplined (productivity)
- r/androiddev (developer tools)
- r/EntrepreneurRideAlong (indie business)
- r/TargetedBusinessHelp (specific niches)
What to look for:
- Posts with 100+ comments and 50+ upvotes = strong interest
- Multiple posts in 30 days on the same problem = recurring pain
- Posts asking "Does X exist?" = validated gap
Phase 2: Scoring (Week 2)
Not all Reddit demand is real. Some threads are aspirational.
High-score signals:
- "Our team wastes 4 hours weekly copying data from Slack to CRM" (85/100)
- Comments describing specific use cases
- People willing to beta test
Low-score signals:
- "I wish there was a tool..." (30/100)
- No one has mentioned this in 30 days
- When asked "Would you pay?", answer is "Maybe"
Phase 3: Conversation (Week 3)
Reply to high-score threads. Don't sell—ask.
- "I'm curious how you currently work around this?"
- "Would you pay for a tool that solved this in 5 minutes?"
Document the answers. These are your founding customers.
Red Flags
- ❌ No one has mentioned the problem in 30 days
- ❌ Existing solutions exist but no one recommends them
- ❌ Problem only affects 1–2 people
- ❌ When asked "Would you pay?", answer is silence
Green Lights
- ✅ Same problem posted 3+ times from different users
- ✅ Existing solutions exist but people complain they're too expensive or incomplete
- ✅ When asked "Would you pay $10/mo?", answer is "Yes, how soon?"
- ✅ People volunteer to be beta testers
Your Move
- Go to Idea Validator
- Enter your core problem
- It searches Reddit and scores demand 0–100
- If score < 50, try a different angle
- If score 50+, start conversations with people in those threads
Validation isn't about building something no one wants. It's about choosing which wants matter most.