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Ask HN: How to get developers to try your product (in a non-spammy way)?

by zevir on 7/17/22, 7:53 PM with 5 comments

Everyone knows that developers hate it with a passion when people try to sell stuff to them.

But many developers are also very generous in testing new products and offering candid feedback to the makers.

My question is - what is the cheat code for striking that balance? What gets developers to sign up and try your dev-oriented product in an authentic way? - Are there specific platforms or communities where developers are more receptive to these requests? - Maybe a specific type of pitch that is more effective? - Perhaps a specific medium that most developers prefer?

I'm very interested to hear what's worked well for you.

Thank you!

  • by togaen on 7/17/22, 8:41 PM

    “Developers” is a huge, very heterogeneous group. No single strategy is going to work. Talk to individual developers first, and find some who are receptive to what you’re doing. That will give you a starting point to define what the larger market looks like.

  • by gregjor on 7/17/22, 9:21 PM

    Looks like you’ve found one way: asking a meta question.

    Show, don’t tell. Show how your product will benefit me. Make it clear and short. Persuade me to invest my time in your product and that you’ll support it.

  • by Djrichsjdjdnxkd on 7/17/22, 10:37 PM

    Are you trying to get devs to just give you feedback on the product? Or are you using dev testing as a marketing tool?