crany.ai

By Tangenix · Published

Build in public: how app founders turn progress into users

Short answer: building in public means sharing the real process of building your app (what you shipped, what broke, what you learned and what users said) while you build it. It gets users when the posts are about your buyers’ problem, not just your milestones. Pick one platform where your buyers read, post a few times a week, end posts with a question and point interested readers to the app.

Why it works for small apps

A solo founder has no brand and no budget, but has a story nobody else can copy. Followers who watched you fix their problem trust the product before they try it, and early followers often become the first testers and the loudest feedback.

What to share

Build-in-public topics and who they attract
TopicAttractsExample
The user’s problem and how you solve itBuyers“Freelancers lose a day a month to receipts. Here’s the 2-minute version.”
What a user said or didBuyers and builders“A user quit after 4 minutes. I watched the recording.”
Decisions and trade-offsBuilders, some buyers“I cut two of three pricing plans. Here’s why.”
Revenue and growth numbersMostly builders“Month 2: 40 users, 6 paying.”
MistakesEveryone“Three weeks on a feature nobody used.”

If you want users, most posts should sit in the first two rows.

What to keep private

User and customer data, security details, credentials, anything under agreement and anything that would let a competitor copy you before you ship. Share the lesson without the sensitive detail.

A simple weekly rhythm

Monday     The problem: one user pain in their words.
Wednesday  The build: what you shipped and one decision behind it.
Friday     The lesson: a number, a mistake or a user reaction.
Every post ends with a specific question. Answer every reply.
Once a week: one clear invitation to try the app.

For the full daily system, including a video script template, see founder-led content for app founders.

Turning followers into users

Where AI and Crany fit

The hard part of building in public is doing it every week while you build. Crany.ai, an AI marketing co-founder in development by Tangenix, is being built to turn your daily notes into posts and video scripts in your voice, run them with your approval and learn which topics bring users. It is not publicly available yet; join the free waitlist.

Questions founders ask

What does build in public mean?

Building in public means openly sharing how you build your product, including decisions, numbers, mistakes and lessons, while you build it. It turns your work into marketing and lets future users follow along and shape the product.

Does building in public actually get users?

It can, when the audience is your buyers rather than only other founders. Posts about your users' problem and how you solve it attract buyers; posts about revenue milestones mostly attract other builders. Aim most posts at the people who will use the app.

What should I not share when building in public?

Anything private about users or customers, security details, credentials, unannounced partner information and anything you would not want a competitor to copy before you ship. Share the lesson, not the sensitive detail.

Where should I build in public?

Where your buyers read. X, Threads and LinkedIn suit text updates; short video platforms suit screen recordings; communities suit occasional milestone posts where self-promotion is allowed. Pick one main platform and post consistently.