Hey 👋

Quick question before we get into it:

If someone discovered your tool online tonight, and looked you up, what would they find?

Most likely a static listing. No founder name. No current status. No way to know if you're still building.

That's been the reality of tools.landin.page since day one.

→ Check if your tool is listed

Not anymore.

The directory just became something more

LandinTools started as a simple side project. A curated list of tools for people building landing pages. I'd add something, it sat there, end of story.

Over time it grew. Now there are 1000+ tools listed.

And here's the thing: the people who built those tools have no idea they're on there. Or they do, but they can't touch the listing. They can't update their description. They can't add their name to it. They just exist in a directory as a URL and a screenshot.

This week, that changes.

I've shipped the biggest update to LandinTools since launch:

• Claim your tool: Sign up and officially take ownership of your listing. One button. Yours.

• Edit in real time: Update your description, use cases, owner, etc. You know your product better than any scraper does.

• Upvote and discover: Logged-in users can vote for tools they actually use. Signal over noise.

Why this matters for you specifically

If you're reading this, there's a solid chance your tool is on the site.

A lot of people who find this newsletter come through tools.landin.page. That's not a coincidence. That's the directory doing its job.

And the owners of those 1000+ tools? They're in this list. You might be one of them.

Right now your listing is passive. It exists. That's it.

Once you claim it, it becomes active. You control what people see when they find you. You put a face to the listing. That small signal, "a real person built this and is still building it," changes how people engage with your product.

A static listing says: someone added this once.

A claimed listing says: someone is here.

Your move

This is the most direct ask I've ever made in this newsletter:

Go to tools.landin.page, find your tool, and claim it.

That's it. It takes 2 minutes.

If you're not sure whether your tool is listed, just search for it. If it's there and unclaimed, you'll see the claim button. If it's not there yet, submit it.

And once you've claimed it, update your description. Add your real use cases. Let the people finding you know what you actually built.

One more thing

If you're not a maker and you're just someone who finds and uses tools, the update is still for you.

You can now upvote tools you actually use. That creates a real signal for everyone else trying to find what works.

So either way, there's a reason to log in this week.

See you next Wednesday,

Yunus

P.S. Replied to last week's issue about running experiments in public, some really good responses came in. Might make that a full issue. Keep them coming.

P.P.S. Starting in May, I'm switching to a new system for how tools get published to the directory. More on that soon, but if you're a maker, you'll want to be claimed before it rolls out.

Hey 👋

This week is about distribution without a feed.

Not "how to grow on LinkedIn." Not content calendars. The other thing that actually impacts when you're building quietly, and you're not going to post every day.

I've been tracking this pattern across this community, through my own launches, and through a thread on Indie Hackers that surfaced the most honest founder confessions I've read in a while. Worth checking it out.

Five patterns below. Each one has one action attached.

1. You're building a shield, not a product.

Adding features feels like progress. It isn't. It's a way to avoid hearing "no" from a real person. Vibecoding made this loop faster, ship V1, it works, then "just one more thing." Meanwhile, no user has touched it.

Action: Before your next build session, write one sentence: "What feedback am I avoiding right now?" Name it. Then decide: build or conversation?

2. Passion for a tool burns out. Passion for a problem sustains.

Every abandoned project started with "this would be cool to build." The ones that survive start with "why does this cost $300/month when the underlying data is free?" Frustration is fuel, and it makes you talk about the problem in a way that attracts people with the same frustration. That's basically free marketing.

Action: Write the problem your product solves in one sentence. Not the feature. The frustration. If you can't do it in 30 seconds, that's your blocker.

3. Distribution is not amplification. It's validation.

Most builders treat distribution as the step after the product is ready. It's not. Distribution is how you find out if the product is ready. This reframe changes the whole game for quiet builders, you're not "putting yourself out there." You're running a test.

Action: Pick one channel this week. Not to grow. To get one signal. A reply, a comment, a DM. One signal is enough.

4. The messy middle is where most products die “silently”.

Months 3 to 6. Nobody talks about this. The beginning is exciting, the imagined exit is motivating, but the middle is slow progress, no novelty, no clear signal. It is where most quiet builders drift away. If you started something in January, you're in it right now.

Action: What does "this is working" look like for you? Not MRR. Not followers. One specific, observable signal. Write it down. If you can't, that's why the middle feels endless.

5. You don't need to post every day. You need one real conversation.

Build-in-public created a myth: visibility equals social media activity. For quiet builders, this becomes either forcing posts that feel fake, or doing nothing because "I'm not a social media person." There's a third option: show up where your user already is, say something useful, and let that do the work.

The channels that work for this don't require a following. They require showing up in the right room.

→ 8 no-feed distribution surfaces that generate a real signal

Each entry: what kind of product it works for, setup time, and what signal to expect.

📬 Which of these 5 hits is closest to home?

Reply with the number. That's it.

Yunus

"Niche too broad."

Those three words sum up the most common build-and-disappear story I see in 2026.

You build something. It works. You post about it. Silence.

Most of the time, the product isn't the problem. The niche is just too wide.

The wrong question: "What can I build?"

The right one: "Who's lying awake at night thinking about this problem?"

The Block - What You're Getting

The Boring Niche Scoring Template

5 criteria. Each scores 0-2. Total out of 10.

How to read your score:

• 8-10: Ship it and validate

• 5-7: Fix your lowest-scoring criteria, then reassess

• 0-4: Change the niche

👉 Copy the template on Notion and score your own niche - blank table, 2 filled examples, and the tie-breaker rule included.

When to Use This

• You have an idea but "will this even work?" keeps stopping you

• You're stuck choosing between 3-4 different ideas

• You already shipped but nobody showed up - use it as a retrospective

• You're entering a new niche and want a quick signal before you commit

How to Execute (15-20 minutes)

1. Write your niche in one line: "[X audience] with [Y problem]" - example: "Airbnb hosts who need guest message templates"

2. Score each criteria from 0-2. Max total is 10. This takes about 10 minutes.

3. Find your lowest score

4. Do one focused research task for just that criteria:

   • Pain Intensity: Search "[niche] problem" on Reddit. How many active threads come up?

   • Budget Signal: Look up similar products on AppSumo or Gumroad. Check prices and review counts.

   • Underserved Segment: Google "[niche] tool" - are big players there? If yes, check their feature lists. Which sub-segment are they missing?

   • AI Risk: Ask ChatGPT "can you solve [this problem]?" and judge how good the answer actually is.

   • Distribution: Does r/[niche] exist? Is there a Facebook group? How many members?

5. Recalculate your score, then decide. If Reddit is going to be your main channel and your Distribution score is a 2, First Buyer System walks you through exactly how to structure that first post.

Failure Modes

• The "exciting" bias: You're skipping boring niches because they don't feel sexy. Those are often the best ones.

• Building before validating pain: You wrote code before finding a single complaint thread. No validation, just hope.

• Going too narrow: If your niche has fewer than 10,000 potential users, that's not a niche - that's a dead end.

• Fixating on one criteria: "There's a Reddit thread, I'm in." Score all 5 before you decide anything.

Filled Example

Niche: Automated weekly client report templates for solo accountants

Total: 9/10 - Ship it and validate.

Counter-example - why this doesn't work: "AI productivity tool for everyone"

Total: 2/10 - Change the niche.

Optional Test (15-30 minutes)

Got two ideas and can't pick? Do this:

1. Score both using the template

2. Compare totals

3. If the gap is 2+ points, go with the higher score

4. If it's 0-1 points apart, look at Distribution Clarity specifically - whichever is higher wins

The rule: always pick the niche with better distribution. Bad distribution kills a good product. The reverse almost never happens.

Decision Rule

Keep going: If you can find at least one active thread in a subreddit where someone is describing this exact problem, your niche is specific enough. Start.

Reddit is the channel? Then your next step is writing that first post without it looking like spam. First Buyer System is a 7-day playbook for getting your first paying user through Reddit. No cold DMs, no ads.

Stop: If a Reddit search can't answer "do people with this problem even exist?" - change the niche or go back to problem definition.

Got a niche idea sitting in your head right now?

Hit reply - just one line: "[X audience] with [Y problem]"

Send it and I'll take a quick look at it through the scoring template.

Personal Insight

A while back, I asked a friend: "Which subreddit are you going to post in?"

He was building a productivity app. The idea was solid. The product actually worked.

He paused. "r/productivity, I guess?"

We looked it up. 4 million members, hundreds of posts every day. You go in there and you just disappear.

That's when I realized we'd never asked the real question:

Who's lying awake at night thinking about this problem?

We sat down and figured it out. The answer: remote workers who lose focus in those 15-minute gaps between back-to-back meetings - specific, identifiable, and clearly frustrated.

We narrowed it. One subreddit: r/remotework. One problem. One audience.

First post went out. Comments came in. Users showed up. No ads, no cold DMs.

That's when it clicked for me: distribution problems are usually not channel problems. They're niche problems.

Find the right niche and the first post is enough.

Hey 👋

A few weeks ago I built a tool in one sitting.

Claude API connected. Scans what made top posts work. Replicates the pattern. 45 minutes. It works. Feels great.

Then I closed the tab and opened something else.

Not because the tool was broken. Because the next step wasn't code. It was payments, domain, analytics. The boring stuff. And I didn't want to do it.

This issue is for that gap.

The Real Trap

The trap isn't bad code. It's the loop.

I caught myself in it: built → works → "but what if I add..." → works better → "one more thing."

Three days later, the tool had 4 extra features. Still no domain. Still no analytics. Still no user.

Scope freeze isn't a software decision. It's a psychological one.

If the core value works “if the tool solves the user's actual problem” the code is done. Everything after that isn't a feature. It's procrastination.

🧪 The Block: Vibe-to-Ship Workflow

This isn't a "ship in 7 days" challenge. These are sequential steps — how fast you move depends on your bandwidth.

Step 1: Scope Freeze

Write yourself a "done" criterion. One sentence.

Mine was: "If a user enters a subreddit and a product description, and the tool returns a usable Reddit post, it's done."

Everything outside that; onboarding, dashboard, history, etc.. is V2.

The urge to add "just one more feature" is strong. Resist it. V1 is not your final product. V1 is your test.

Step 2: The Commercial Layer

Even if the tool is free, this step still applies — because you can't run GTM without knowing who shows up.

Minimum setup:

• Domain: Connect it. A tool on localhost:3000 isn't a product.

• Analytics: Any tool works, analytics, plausible, posthog, etc.. Both start free. Pick one, install it, move on.

• Payments: If you charge: LemonSqueezy, polar, stripe. Fewer friction points if you're outside the US. Exactly Stripe if you're US-based.

• Auth: I was already on Supabase, so I’m using Supabase Auth. Rule: don't add a new tool if your current stack already handles it.

One principle across all of these: don't increase your cognitive load. If a tool requires a tutorial before you can set it up, it's the wrong tool for V1.

Step 3: The Pre-Flight Message

Not the full landing page. Just the above the fold.

One question: "Who is this for, what problem does it solve, and what changes?"

That's Pain, Dream, Fix. If these three aren't clear, connecting a domain is pointless, because you don't know what you're measuring.

Here's how I got to mine. I kept asking: who is annoyed enough to search for this?

Not "who might use it." Who is actively frustrated.

The answer: a solo founder who just built something, wants to post about it on Reddit, and stares at a blank text box for 20 minutes. They don't need inspiration. They need a first draft that doesn't sound like spam.

That's the message. Everything on the landing page flows from that one sentence.

If you can't describe your user's frustration in one breath; without jargon, without "helps you" language. The tool isn't ready to ship. It's ready to keep building.

Step 4: The Quiet Launch

Not Product Hunt. A niche community.

r/SaaS, r/solopreneurs, or whichever subreddit your user already hangs out in: one value-first post. No pitch in the post body. Your profile points to the tool. That's the mechanic.

I broke this down in detail in Issue #22 (the calm GTM loop) and Issue #25 (the Reddit playbook). The short version: lead with the problem you solved, not the tool you built.

⚠️ Failure Modes

Watch for these; I hit all three:

• Adding "one more feature" before shipping. The loop. If you've been coding for 3 days after the core works, you're in it.

• Picking tools you've never used before. New stack = new problems. V1 is not the time to learn a new auth provider.

• Skipping analytics because "I'll add it later." You won't. And when you finally post about your tool, you'll have no idea if anyone came or where they came from.

✅ Decision Rule

If a stranger can go from your landing page to using (or paying for) your tool in under 60 seconds, you shipped.

If not, find the blocker and fix only that. Nothing else.

The Result

The tool is still live: tools.yunuserturk.com/first-buyer

The coding part took 45 minutes. Completing these 4 steps took longer.

But now it's measurable; who's coming, from where, what they do. Most of the traffic still traces back to a single Reddit post I wrote during launch week. That post is still bringing visitors.

Without analytics, I wouldn't know that. I'd be guessing and probably building the wrong V2.

🌟 Community Spotlight

Built something with AI coding tools recently? Shipped a tool with Cursor, Claude, Replit, or Lovable?

Reply with a link, I'll feature the best one next week. 📩

📬 Your Turn

Do you have a project sitting on localhost right now? Something you built but never shipped?

What's blocking you; payments, auth, domain, or the message?

Hit reply, one sentence. I'll tell you which step to do first.

See you next week,

Yunus 🚀

Hey, Yunus here 👋

Almost a year ago, in Issue #1, I wrote something that nobody was really talking about yet:

How to get your brand mentioned by LLMs.

Back then, I noticed traffic from OpenAI and Perplexity hitting my site. I shared a 4-step process to get visible inside AI recommendations.

That post became one of the most-read issues of this newsletter.

Since then? Everything moved faster than expected.

What changed in 11 months

Back in April 2025, I asked: "Are AI tools the new search engines?"

My answer was: "Not yet."

I was wrong. Here's what happened:

📌 ChatGPT launched in-app shopping. You can now buy products directly inside ChatGPT. Instant checkout, powered by Stripe. Millions of Shopify merchants are already connected.

📌 Google AI Overviews are eating organic clicks. A Seer Interactive study tracking over a year of data found that organic CTR dropped 61% on queries where AI summaries appear. Even on queries without AI summaries, clicks dropped 41%.

📌 Google launched AI Mode; and almost nobody clicks out. According to Ahrefs' analysis, 93% of searches in Google's new AI Mode end without a click to any website.

📌 AI-driven traffic to retail sites is exploding. Adobe Analytics measured a 4,700% year-over-year increase in traffic coming from generative AI tools to U.S. retail sites.

📌 AI agents are now buying on behalf of users. OpenAI released the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). AI agents compare prices, evaluate options, and complete purchases without the user visiting a single website.

That last part is the real shift.

Your product is either readable by these systems or it doesn't show up when they make decisions.

🧪 The Updated Playbook: 5 Steps to AI Visibility in 2026

My original 4-step framework from Issue #1 still holds. But some parts needed upgrading and there's a new layer that didn't exist before.

Here's the biggest change: how your content is structured matters more than how well it's written.

I'm putting that first because it's where the real leverage is now.

Step 1: Write for AI Extraction, Not Just Humans

This is the most important shift since Issue #1.

AI systems don't read your page like a reader. They scan, extract, and quote. If your content isn't structured for extraction, it won't get picked regardless of how good it is.

Old approach: Write a compelling blog post with personality.

New approach: Write a compelling blog post, but structure it so AI can grab the answer in seconds.

How to do it:

• Start each section with a direct 40-60 word answer, then expand

• Use clear H2/H3 headings that match real questions people ask

• Use bullet points for lists and comparisons

• Keep paragraphs to 2-3 sentences

Example:

❌ "After extensive testing over several months, our team discovered that the combination of factors including..."

✅ "The 3 factors that improve landing page conversion most: headline clarity, visible CTA, and social proof. Here's how each works..."

The first version reads better. The second version is what AI quotes.

Quick test: Open one of your key pages. Can you find a 50-word answer to your main question in the first paragraph? If not, rewrite that paragraph first.

Step 2: Check Your AI Visibility Score

In Issue #1, I said: Ask ChatGPT

"What's the best [your category] for [your target user]?" 

if you're not listed, that's your goal.

That still works. But now do it across four engines:

• ChatGPT (with search on)

• Perplexity

• Google (look at the AI Overview summary at the top)

• Gemini

Ask the same question on all four. Note:

1. Are you mentioned?

2. Which competitors are?

3. Which sources get cited?

If you're invisible on all four that's not an SEO problem. That's a positioning problem.

Step 3: Add Structured Data to Your Pages

Structured data (schema markup) is code that tells AI systems what your content is; product, review, FAQ, price, rating.

Without it, AI has to guess. With it, AI knows; and is more likely to cite you.

Where to start:

1. Product pages: Product schema (name, price, rating, availability)

2. Blog posts: Article schema (author, date, headline)

3. FAQ sections: FAQ schema (question + answer pairs)

If you use Shopify, Webflow, or WordPress; there are plugins that handle this without code.

Test your pages with Google's free Rich Results Test.

Step 4: Show Up Where AI Agents Look

AI agents don't browse like humans. They pull from databases, directories, and structured product feeds.

If your product isn't listed where AI looks, it won't get recommended — no matter how good it is.

Where AI finds digital products:

• Reddit: one of the highest-signal sources for LLMs. Real threads with real opinions get quoted. If people are talking about your product on Reddit, AI picks it up. If they're not that's the first gap to close. (First Buyer System is specifically for this: a 7-day playbook to get your first paying customer through Reddit without cold DMs or ads.)

• Gumroad / LemonSqueezy / Stripe product pages: keep your title, description, and pricing clear and specific. AI reads these.

• Product Hunt: launches get indexed by LLMs. Even an old launch helps.

• App stores: (iOS / Android) if you have a mobile app, your listing is already in AI training data. Make sure the description is accurate.

• Tool directories: (AlternativeTo, G2, Capterra, There's An AI For That) — list your product. These are high-trust sources for AI.

• Your own landing page: if it has clear pricing, features, and use cases, AI can extract it. If it's vague, AI skips it. (Not sure if yours passes? Run it through audit.landin.page)

If you sell physical products:

Shopify merchants are already eligible for ChatGPT's in-app shopping. Google Merchant Center feeds are used by Google's AI. Make sure your product data is live and accurate.

Step 5: Build Your Trust Signal Layer

In Issue #1, I talked about reputation: reviews, Reddit threads, YouTube mentions.

All of that still matters. But now there's a clearer rule:

AI systems prioritize brands they see mentioned consistently across multiple trusted sources.

This is sometimes called your "brand knowledge graph"; the connected web of signals that tells AI: this brand is real and trusted.

What counts:

• Reviews on Trustpilot, G2, Product Hunt, or app stores

• Reddit threads where users mention your product by name

• Blog posts or comparisons where you're featured (not written by you)

• YouTube reviews (AI reads transcripts)

• Consistent name and description across all platforms

One practical move: Search your product name on Reddit and YouTube. Count genuine mentions. If the answer is zero; that's your next task. Not ads. Not SEO. Just making sure real people have talked about you where AI can find it.

Quick Recap: The 2026 Checklist

The Content Move
📌 Action: Restructure one key page for AI extraction
⏱ Effort: Medium

The Visibility Test
📌 Action: Search ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI, Gemini
⏱ Effort: Quick

The Tech Foundation
📌 Action: Add Product or FAQ schema to your main page
⏱ Effort: One-time setup

The Commerce Check
📌 Action: Check your product feed / merchant integrations
⏱ Effort: One-time setup

The Reputation Audit
📌 Action: Count real brand mentions on Reddit + YouTube
⏱ Effort: Quick

All five fit into a single focused session.

🧠 Personal Insight

11 months ago, I wrote "this shift makes AI visibility no longer optional."

That line still holds. But the stakes are higher now.

Back then, AI was recommending products. Now it's buying them.

If you built your product and your landing page but never thought about how a machine reads it, you've got a live blind spot.

The good news: most of your competitors haven't done this either.

The first movers get cited. The rest get skipped.

📬 Your Turn

Here's a micro-experiment you can run right now:

Ask ChatGPT (with search enabled):

"What's the best [your category] for [your target user]?" 

Then reply to this email with:

1. What it recommended

2. Whether your product showed up

I'll collect the results and share patterns in a future issue.

If your product didn't show up, I'll give you one specific move to start fixing that.

See you next week,

Yunus 🚀

Hey, Yunus here 👋

Your product is ready. Landing page is live. And? Nobody is buying.

You post once. Silence. You start wondering if the product is the problem.

It's not.

I wanted to dig a problem all we faced.

The problem is you don't have a system for getting in front of the right person, in the right community, at the exact moment they're frustrated with the problem you solve.

That's a targeting problem. Not a product problem.

First Buyer System is a 7-day Reddit + community playbook for solo founders who need their first paying customer without cold DMs, paid ads, or building an audience from scratch.

I ran the system on one of my own products yesterday.

Thousands of views and dozens of comments.

Not from followers. From strangers with the exact problem.

That's a signal. Signals turn into buyers.

The system includes a step-by-step guide + an online Post Generator.

You answer 5 questions about your product. You get 4 ready-to-post Reddit formats, personalised for your product.

No blank page. No guessing which community to post in. No "post more content" advice.

The tool works with a Gumroad license. $7. If it gets you one paying customer, it paid for itself before your next coffee.

Keep shipping.
Talk soon, Yunus 🚀

Hey, Yunus here.

Lately, I see X is full of App Store rejection screenshots.

Vibecoding tools are getting better fast. More people are shipping mobile apps as side projects or real businesses.

The good news: most of these are not “bad luck.”

If you do not run a preflight, review feels random.

I have shipped tens of apps. The same rejection loops repeat.

Below are the five I see most often, and the exact fix for each.

The 15-Minute App Store Preflight

This usually catches the most common rejections before review sees them.

The 5 Most Common Rejection Loops

1) Review access breaks (reviewer cannot verify the app)

If the reviewer cannot test the core flow, you get bounced.

Fix:

- If sign-in exists, provide a working demo account in App Review notes.

- If the app depends on a backend, keep services live and reachable during review.

- If your product is account-first, add a Preview Mode or a guided demo path.

- In review notes, write the exact path to the core feature in 4 steps.

2) Paywall clarity problems (billing terms are unclear or hidden)

Apple is strict on subscription clarity. Tricky paywalls get rejected.

Fix:

- State price and billing period.

- Make trial terms seen: what will charged and when.

- Show Restore Purchases on paywall screen.

- Include Terms links in the paywall screen.

- Avoid confusing trial toggles or “fake free” language.

3) Privacy disclosure mismatch (policy, labels, and SDK reality do not match)

If you collect data and your disclosures do not match, reject is possible.

Fix:

- Your privacy policy must be accurate and reachable from your App Store listing.

- Your privacy labels must reflect what the app and SDKs actually collect.

- If you use tracking, tell it clear and how.

- Audit third-party SDKs. Remove anything you do not use, or tell why.

4) Screenshots

Screenshots and description must reflect the real app experience.

Fix:

- Use real in-app UI. No fake illustrations.

- Do not promise features you cannot reach in the build.

- Keep screenshots aligned with the current app flow.

5) Missing account deletion (only if you support account creation)

If your app use accounts, users must be able to delete it.

Fix:

- Add a visible “Delete Account” function.

- Make deletion remove user data.

- Do not hide it behind support emails or external flows.

How to execute (15 minutes)

- Fresh install test

- Reach core value in under 30 seconds

- Paywall and restore check (if applicable)

- Privacy disclosures double-check

- App Review notes with the exact test path

Decision rule:

- If access fails, do not submit.

- If paywall is not clear, fix copy and restore flow before submitting.

- If privacy mismatch exists, do not submit.

---

I am thinking about publishing the full one-page preflight checklist.

If you want it, hit reply with one word: STORE

I will send you the checklist when I publish it - free.

See you next week!

Hey!
Yunus here.

Today, we will dig more into our content.
You do not need more posts. You need better openings.

Most content dies in the first line.
Not because the idea is bad, but because the opening is soft.

So here is a low-risk swipe file you can use today:

• 30 ready hook patterns (copy, tweak, post)

• A simple "how to use" guide

• A 15-minute test to validate patterns in your channel

No input required. Just a hook bank.

Same hook, different contexts. Copy the structure.

The Block: 30 Ready Hooks

Replace the brackets and post.

1. After [time / attempts], I got [specific result] (without [common tradeoff]).

2. I tried [approach] [N times]. The part that finally worked: [specific step].

3. For [X months], I did [common tactic]. It produced [unexpected outcome]. Here is what I changed.

4. I reviewed [N examples] and found [X patterns] that explain [problem].

5. I analyzed [N posts / pages / funnels]. The same [X mistakes] kept showing up.

6. I looked at [N winners]. They all do [one thing] before [common step].

7. Why [common advice] pushes you away from [desired outcome].

8. Why [best practice] backfires when you are [audience / constraint].

9. Why "just do more" is the wrong move if your issue is [bottleneck].

10. As a [role], I kept doing [mistake] for years. It never worked.

When to Use This

Use this hook bank when:

• Your posts are getting views but no replies

• You are rewriting the same intro 10 times

• You want consistency without sounding salesy

• You need a repeatable posting loop, not a burst

How to Use It (without sounding hype)

Step 1) Pick one primary signal for 7 days

Choose one:

• Replies

• Clicks

• Saves / bookmarks

• Profile visits

• Email signups

• DMs

If you do not pick a signal, you will optimize for vibes.

Step 2) Match hook type to intent

• Teaching: "I reviewed / analyzed [N]..."

• Lesson learned: "As a [role], I kept doing [mistake]..."

• Debate: "Why [common belief] backfires..."

• Action: "Stop doing X. Do Y."

Step 3) The anti-bait rule

Before you post, write one line:
"The reader will get [specific takeaway] in [format]."

If you cannot write that line, the hook is too vague.

Failure Modes

• Overclaiming proof you do not have

• Vague nouns ("better", "growth", "more")

• Spicy hook, bland body (trust drops fast)

• Wrong subreddit / wrong audience (distribution mismatch)

Optional 15-Minute Validation Test

1. Write one post body (keep it identical).

2. Write 2 openings using two different hook patterns.

3. Post them 48 hours apart.

4. Track your primary signal.

Decision rule:

• Keep a pattern if it produces clearly higher signal than your usual baseline.

• If baseline is unknown: keep it if you get 3-10 meaningful interactions (replies, saves, DMs, or click-throughs).

Hit reply with:

1. Your channel (Reddit, X, LinkedIn, email)

2. What you sell (one sentence)

3. Your primary signal

And I will tell you which hook pattern to start with.

Most builders don’t fail loudly. They fade out. I’ve done it too.

Not because the product is bad, but because there’s no repeatable go-to-market loop. Just bursts, then silence.

Here’s the calm loop that usable for quiet builders:

The Calm GTM Loop Checklist

1. 1 Channel

2. 1 Message

3. 1 Weekly GTM action (under 30 minutes)

4. 1 Written feedback trigger (define the signal)

5. 4-week no-switch rule

If you want the step-by-step execution (with a Reddit example you can copy), it’s here:
Copy the 30-minute Reddit workflow

Rule: If you can’t repeat it weekly, it’s not a system.

Quick Question: What channel do you keep avoiding?

Hey,
Everything in this issue is for you.

I worked with Anything.com to get 30K pro-level credits for Inbox Experiments readers.

Completely free. No catch.

Why does this matter?

Traffic is expensive. Tools are free distribution.

I built this in less than 2 hours:

http://foldmeter.created.app → AI analyzes your landing page's above-the-fold section.

It's called "Engineering as Marketing": instead of chasing ads, you build a useful tool and let it bring you traffic.

I tested it. Hundreds of people used it in the first week. Zero ad spend.

Now it's your turn.

30k credits = roughly 10 tool prototypes or 10+ experiments.

Two actions:

1. Get Your 30k Credits →
   Auto-loads to your account. Exclusive to this newsletter.

2. See the Playbook Live →
   Working "Engineering as Marketing" example.

First is capital. Second is blueprint.

Yunus
P.S.: 500 codes left. Once they're gone, this deal is closed.

Hey, Yunus here 👋

We obsess over getting more traffic. We pay for ads, write threads, and chase SEO.

But here’s a math reality check:

If you have a 1% conversion rate and you hustle to double your traffic, you double your sales. If you have a 1% conversion rate and you optimize it to 2%, you also double your sales.

One costs money and burnout. The other costs smarter design.

Last month, I chose the second path.

I took one of my mobile apps and completely redesigned the onboarding experience. I didn’t add features. I didn’t run ads.

I just changed how users started.

The result? A 22% increase in conversion in just 30 days.

Here is the psychology behind the change and how you can steal it.

The Insight: "Don't Explain the Value. Simulate It."

Goal → Stop asking users to "imagine" how good the app is. Make them feel it before they sign up.

Time → 2 days to design, 3 days to implement.

Most SaaS and app onboarding flows are boring:

1. Sign up (Create account)

2. Paywall / Free Trial

3. Empty State

This is high friction. You are asking for a marriage proposal on the first date.

I realized: People don't buy software. They buy the outcome.

So I asked: "Can I give them the outcome within 30 seconds, without a signup?"

🧪 The Experiment: Interactive Onboarding

I replaced the standard "Sign Up" screen with a "Simulator".

Before: User opens app → Generic landing screen → "Sign Up to Start" button.

After: User opens app → "Let's set up your profile" (Interactive Question) → "Here is your potential result" (Simulated Dashboard) → "Unlock to Save" (Sign Up).

It wasn't a real account yet. It was a "sandbox" mode using pre-filled data that adapted to their answers.

Why It Worked (The Psychology)

This isn't just "better UI". It hacks three powerful psychological principles:

1. Zeigarnik Effect: Humans hate unfinished tasks. By starting the setup before the signup, the user feels a psychological need to "close the loop" and save their progress.

2. Endowed Progress Effect: By the time they hit the paywall/signup, they haven't done "0 work". They have done "50% of the work". Abandoning it feels like a loss.

3. The "Aha!" Moment: Instead of reading about the features, they are using them. They see the value immediately.

Companies doing this right:

• Duolingo: You don't sign up. You do a lesson. Then you commit.

• Wise: You don't create an account. You type in money and see the real exchange rate. Then you send.

• Canva: You design a flyer. Then you download.

The Impact

• Conversion Rate: +22%

• User Momentum: Users who signed up were 3x more active in their first week because they already knew how the app worked.

🛠 How to Apply This (Even if You Don't Have an App)

You don't need a mobile app to do this.

• If you have a SaaS: Build a "playground" on your landing page. Let them click buttons that actually change or fake something.

• If you have a Service: Create a "ROI Calculator" or an "Audit Tool" as step 1. Give them the diagnosis before you sell the cure.

🧠 Personal Insight

We are often scared to give value away for free. We think, "If I give them the best part, why would they pay?"

But uncertainty is the biggest conversion killer.

By simulating the outcome upfront, I replaced uncertainty with confidence. I didn't give the full product away, but I let them feel the value they would receive.

Confidence sells.

A paywall at Step 1 says: "I hope you trust me enough to pay." A paywall after they've seen the result says: "I know you want this."

📬 Your Turn

Look at your own onboarding.

Where are you asking for a "marriage proposal" (signup/credit card) before you've even bought them dinner (shown value)?

Reply and tell me: What's ONE way you could "simulate" value for your user this week?

As always, I read every reply.

See you next Wednesday,

Yunus 🚀

Hey, Yunus here 👋

Two weeks ago, I shared how I finally tackled a problem that has been slowing me down for months. A problem you may have run into too: AI keeps losing context.

If you’re running multiple projects like apps, newsletters, products, etc.. each assistant only understands a fragment. None of them hold the full picture.

A lot of you replied with "SYSTEM" to my last email. So here it is: the full, detailed breakdown of how I give AI a single, unified brain to operate from.

⏩ Shortcut: In a hurry? Grab the Second Brain Starter Kit → and start building now.

📁 The Architecture: Folder-Based Context

Most people use AI via a web chat. But for this to work, you need an AI that lives inside your file system.

I use a modified PARA folder structure. Every time I start a session, I point the AI to this root directory:

YunusSecondBrain/
├── 00_Meta/              ← The "Brain Layer" (AI reads this first)
│   ├── Identity_Context/
│   │   └── Business_Map.json   ← The Master OS
│   ├── System_Prompts/
│   │   └── Agent_User_Manual.md ← How thoughts are processed
│   └── History_Log/
│       ├── Decision_Log.md     ← Strategic Memory
│       └── Changelog.md        ← Technical Memory
├── 10_Projects/          ← Active Projects
│   ├── P_Inbox_Experiments/
│   │   ├── brand_guide.md
│   │   └── posts.md
│   ├── P_Project_X/
│   │   └── context.md
├── 20_Areas/             ← Ongoing Responsibilities
│   ├── A_Finance/
│   └── A_Health/
├── 30_Resources/         ← Knowledge Bank
│   ├── R_Marketing/
│   └── R_Coding_Snippets/
└── 40_Archives/          ← Completed/Paused Projects
    └── P_Old_Portfolio/

📄 The 3 Strategic Files

1. Business_Map.json — The Operating System

This is the single source of truth. It’s not a task list; it’s a structured map of how your business actually works. AI parses JSON perfectly, navigating meaning instead of isolated tasks. It tracks:

• Your legal and financial structure.

• Revenue patterns and project portfolios (apps, products, services).

• Active Focus Zones: Exactly what matters this week.

2. Agent_User_Manual.md — The Instruction Set

Your "Second Brain" needs to know its role. This file defines:

• Interaction Protocols: "Read 00_Meta first."

• Update Rules: "Always log strategic changes in Decision_Log."

• Writing Style: Ensuring the AI speaks your language, not "AI-speak."

3. Decision_Log.md — Strategic Memory

Ever have an AI suggest a strategy you already tried and hated? This file stops that. It captures the deeper layers AI usually misses: what we decided, why we chose it, and what we rejected. Now, when AI helps me, it navigates based on past lessons, not generic advice.

🛠 Which Tool Should You Use?

To use this system, your AI must have direct access to your folder structure.

🚀 The "Session Start" Prompt

Once your folders are set up, you don't "chat" with AI. You "onboard" it. In Antigravity or Cursor, I use this:

🔄 3 Habits for Permanent Context

1. Update the Map: If you start a new project or change a revenue model, it goes in Business_Map.json immediately.

2. Log the 'Why': When you decide to pivot, write 3 lines in Decision_Log.md. The AI will never suggest the "old way" again.

3. Project-Specific Context: Every project folder must have its own context.md or brand_guide.md. AI should know as much about your brand as you do.

🎁 Download the Starter Kit

I’ve stripped out my private details and created a Second Brain Starter Kit for you to copy. It includes the blank JSON structure, the Manual, and the Log templates.

→ Get the Second Brain Starter Kit (Notion & Zip)

📬 Quick Test (Do This Now)

Open your AI tool. Paste this exact prompt:

If the answer is empty or wrong → the Starter Kit above fixes that.

If it's accurate → I want to hear from you. Seriously.
Reply and tell me what system you're using. You figured out something most people haven't, and I'm genuinely curious how you did it.

Talk soon,

Yunus 🚀

Hey, Yunus here 👋

The last few weeks weren’t quiet because nothing happened. They were quiet because I finally tackled a problem that has been slowing me down for months. A problem you may have run into too.

AI kept losing my context.

Not because the tools are bad, but because I rely on them across too many surfaces: the apps I’m building, digital products, client work, experiments, and this newsletter. Each assistant only understood a fragment. None of them could hold the full picture. And since most of you here are indie hackers or solo creators, I know you wear multiple hats every day. You’re switching contexts constantly. So this isn’t just my problem; it’s very likely yours too.

So I started building a structure that gives AI a single, unified brain to operate from.
Here’s what I actually did:

PS: If you want me to share the full setup, reply with SYSTEM. I’ll consider turning it into a simple, easy-to-use framework.

1. I migrated everything into a PARA-based folder system

→ Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.
→ Simple, but grounding.
→ Every ongoing project has a real home now.

2. I created a file called business_map.json

This became the “core brain” layer of my entire operation.
It’s not a task list. It’s a structured map of how my business actually works.

Instead of tracking to-dos, it captures the deeper layers that AI usually misses:

• the legal and financial structure

• how money flows across mobile apps, info products, services, and hosting

• monthly revenue patterns and insights

• the full project (and products) portfolio (mobile apps, web products, info products, services, media brand, customers, etc…)

• each project's status, tech stack, constraints, priorities, and recent achievements

• a brain hub with ideas, active focus zones, sprints, and knowledge areas

In other words, it’s the unified story AI never had:
what I run, how it fits together, what matters now, and what is on hold.

Now, when AI helps me, it can navigate meaning instead of isolated tasks.
It can understand the difference between a mobile app sprint, a freelance client, a digital product, or a newsletter goal, because the map explains the context behind each.

Here is a blank starter template if you want to explore the structure without any private details:
→ View business_map.json (starter template)

3. Each project got its own project_context.md

Inside each project folder I wrote down only what actually matters:
why the project exists, what I’m trying to achieve, the constraints, the blockers, and the key notes that shape decisions.

For example, in Inbox Experiments, I keep both brand_guide.md and old_issues.md inside the project folder.
This way, whenever I ask AI for help about the newsletter, it has the full context, tone, strategy, past issues, and current direction. At minimum, it knows as much as I do.

No more re-explaining the same story to AI over and over.

The outcome

Once AI had a unified structure to work from, things shifted immediately:

• Better continuity

• Fewer resets

• More relevant answers

• Decisions felt connected instead of isolated

And most importantly, I didn’t need to “remind” the assistant who I was or what I was doing every day.

I’m curious about you.

Do you use anything like this?
A system, a file, a note, a folder structure that helps AI keep track of your world?

If you want, I can go deeper and share the entire structure I’m using.
Just hit reply and tell me you want it.

Talk soon,
Yunus

Hey, Yunus here 👋

Last week, I texted with a startup founder. He said, “I got 100+ upvotes and 50+ comments, but still didn’t get Featured.”. What did the PH team say about this? They didn’t know either.

At first, it felt like a small failure.
Then it clicked: Product Hunt’s 2025 algorithm is completely different.

🧪 This Week: Reverse-Engineering PH’s New System

Start using Overtracking's free privacy-friendly analytics.

The problem:
If products with lots of upvotes aren’t getting Featured, something changed. From 2013 to 2023, upvotes = ranking. Not anymore.

The new reality:

• Traffic is down 50% (2018 → 2025)

• Upvote requirements are up 50%

• Net effect: you get 3x fewer visitors per upvote

Why?
The editorial team now makes manual calls. They score launches on:

• Useful

• Novel

• High-craft

• Creative

But the weight of each is hidden.
That means even with great engagement, if the PH team doesn’t like your product, you’re invisible.

In other words, the selection process now depends on a lot more people, and it’s become much more subjective.

⚡ 3 Quick Tactics

Tactic 1: Pre-Launch Forum Threads (3 weeks before launch)
Flexprice hit #1 Product of the Day.
Their secret? Consistent participation in the forum.
Before chasing upvotes, they built a reputation.

Do this:

• Join relevant discussions in the PH Forum

• Leave 2–3 thoughtful comments on other launches

• Build a small supporter base (real people, not bots)

Tactic 2: Launch Timing (Tuesday or Wednesday, 00:01 PST)
The leaderboard is randomized in the first 4 hours.
If you hit top 5–10 during that window, you’re basically guaranteed homepage visibility.

Timing won’t save a weak product, but for a strong one; it multiplies your odds.

Tactic 3: Treat Launch Day Like a Full-Time Job
Reply to every comment. Morning to night.
PH rewards participation.

Sora got 500 upvotes but stayed #2. Why?
Low engagement. They posted, then vanished.

Do this:

• Hours 0–6: Soft notify supporters

• Hours 6–18: Comment and engage actively

• Hours 18–24: Post momentum updates (Twitter, LinkedIn)

💡 Sponsor Insight: The Real Problem

A founder messaged me on launch day:
“What’s happening right now? Where’s the traffic coming from? Why’s bounce rate so high?”

Technically, Google Analytics can show this, but not in a way that helps when you’re in launch chaos.
You jump between tabs, filter views, fight with cookie banners… and still don’t get a clear picture.

So I tested Overtracking.

Here’s what changed:

• Everything on one dashboard, no setup headache. It’s very easy to set up for the first time.

• Instant, real-time view of traffic sources.

• Heatmaps that show exactly which CTAs users click.

• No cookies, so pages load faster and cleaner.

Here’s what I found:
PH visitors clicked the demo 52%.
Reddit visitors went straight to pricing (65%).

That simple visibility helped me adjust my pricing page the same day.

Free tier covers 50K pageviews - zero launch risk. Setup takes about 10 minutes.

⚠️ Do’s & Don’ts (Quick List)

Product Hunt's new, editorial-focused system rewards success only with authentic engagement. The rules below are vital for boosting your launch visibility.

➡️ Access the Full PH Success Playbook: Get the Extended Do's & Don'ts Checklist.

Including ban risks, algorithm penalties, and an hour-by-hour action plan, here:

Product Hunt Do’s & Don’ts -> EXTENDED VERSION

🎯 Closing

Being featured isn’t success. Being a niche leader with authentic users is.

Flexprice didn’t just win Product of the Day; they built a recurring user base through real reputation.

Product Hunt has evolved into a community platform, not a launch lottery.
One-day hype fades. Consistent engagement compounds.

Launching in November? I’d love to hear your story; just hit reply.

I’m also an active Product Hunt user. I genuinely enjoy discovering new tools, trying them out, and getting inspired by other makers.
If you’re planning a launch and could use a bit of support, feel free to reach out.
And if you’d like to connect there, here’s my PH profile: producthunt.com/@yunuserturk

See you next week,
Yunus 🚀

Hi, Yunus here!

Ever wondered how some remote workers are quietly earning $500k+ by juggling 5 full-time jobs? While you're grinding 60-hour weeks on your startup or small business, there's a whole community of 450,000+ "overemployed" workers on Reddit who've figured out how to deliver maximum value in minimum time.

Last week, a viral story broke about workers making $3,000+ per day from multiple jobs. My first reaction? "That's undoable!" But then I dug deeper into their strategies, and honestly, there's gold here for solo founders who want to work smarter, not harder.

Here's what I learned from studying their playbook.

The Insight: Results-Only Mindset Beats Hours-Worked Every Time

Goal → Learn productivity systems from workers who've mastered multiple high-stakes roles.

Time → 10 minutes to understand, 1 week to test the framework.

I spent time diving into the r/overemployed subreddit (450k+ members) after reading about workers earning $800k+ from 5 concurrent jobs. These aren't lazy scammers but they're hyper-efficient professionals who've cracked the code on outcome-based work.

Here's their secret: They position themselves as "consultants" who deliver results, not warm bodies filling meeting chairs.

One overemployed worker shared: "I tell them up front that I'm a 'consultant.' I won't be at the all-hands meeting. I skip daily stand-up calls. They know how to reach me if I'm needed, but I keep distance from the organization. I'll get a few tough things assigned in a sprint and solve them at some point over two weeks."

Try this

Pick one recurring task this week. Instead of daily check-ins, batch it into 2-3 focused sessions and communicate only the results.

What I Learned

Here's how the overemployed mindset can transform your solo founder workflow:

Outcome-focused communication: These workers don't report on hours worked, they deliver completed milestones. As a founder, this means updating clients/customers on achievements, not activities.

AI-powered efficiency: Many use AI tools to compress 8-hour tasks into 2-hour deliverables. One Reddit user noted: "With AI, the walls of tech are coming down."

Strategic availability: They're responsive when needed but protect deep work time. No Slack notifications during focus blocks.

Sprint-based planning: Instead of endless daily tasks, they work in 2-week sprints focusing on high-impact deliverables.

Example: A solo SaaS founder I know adopted this approach. Instead of being "always available" to customers, he now has defined response windows and batches customer support. His productivity jumped 40% while customer satisfaction stayed the same.

Source: Fortune - "Overemployed workers making $500k+ infiltrate tech startups"

Why This Matters

The average overemployed worker delivers the same quality output in fewer hours by focusing on systems over hustle. For solo founders, this means:

You can compete with bigger teams by being more efficient, not just working more hours

Energy preservation: avoid burnout by working in focused bursts rather than constant availability

Value-based pricing: when you deliver results faster, you can charge for value, not time

Better work-life balance: efficiency creates space for strategic thinking and personal time

The catch? This requires upfront system-building and clear communication about expectations. But for solo founders, investing time in this structure is really worth it.

Tool

Check out Clockify's time-blocking features to see exactly where your hours go. Many overemployed workers discovered they were only productive 2-3 hours per day anyway.

Got a productivity system that's working for you? Hit reply and share. I love featuring your workflows.

Your Turn

One-click question: What's your biggest productivity killer right now? Reply with just a number:

1. Too many meetings

2. Constant interruptions

3. Perfectionism on small tasks

4. Poor time estimation

5. Something else (tell me!)

Each reply helps me understand what productivity challenges you're facing. And yes, I read every single one.

See you next Wednesday,
Yunus 🚀

Hi, Yunus here!

Ever thought AI was just for big companies with deep pockets? I did too. The idea of using fancy AI models like ChatGPT or Claude for my small projects felt like renting a private jet to grab coffee. Overkill and way too expensive.

Then I stumbled across small language models (SLMs) in a blog post last week. These are lightweight, affordable AI tools that can do a ton for small businesses, without needing a supercomputer or a fat wallet. I dug into them, and wow, they're a game-changer for solo founders like us.

Here's what I learned in just an hour of poking around.

The Insight: Small Language Models Are Your Budget-Friendly AI Sidekick

Goal – Discover AI tools that small businesses can actually afford and use.

Time – 5 minutes to understand, 1 hour to start experimenting.

I started researching small language models (SLMs) after reading about them on Netguru's blog. Unlike massive models like GPT-4, SLMs are designed to be lean. They use less computing power, cost less to run, and are compact, efficient solutions that can still handle tasks like writing marketing copy, analyzing customer feedback, or powering a simple chatbot.

Here's a quick example: I imagined using an SLM for my newsletter's content creation.

What I tried: I looked into an SLM like Google's Gemma (a lightweight AI model).

What I found: Google's Gemma models range from 4B to 27B parameters and have been downloaded over 150 million times, showing their popularity. Tools like Hugging Face offer free or low-cost SLM integrations that small businesses can use for generating social media posts or email drafts in seconds, and it's way cheaper to integrate than a full-scale AI model.

Try this: Check out Hugging Face's model library for free SLMs you can test for basic tasks like text generation.

What I Learned

Here's how SLMs can help a small business like yours:

Write better copy: I tested an SLM to draft a product description for a fake coffee shop. It churned out an interesting, customer-focused copy in 10 seconds; better than my first draft!

Analyze feedback: SLMs can summarize customer reviews or survey responses, spotting trends without you manually sifting through data.

Automate replies: Imagine a simple chatbot for your website that answers FAQs, powered by an SLM, for a fraction of the cost of a premium AI.

Example: A small e-commerce store can use an SLM to auto-generate personalized thank-you emails for customers. Case studies show retailers can cut email prep time by up to 80% using SLMs.

Source: Netguru - 5 Small Language Models Examples Boosting Business Efficiency

Why This Matters

Big AI models like GPT-4 rely on hundreds of billions of parameters, while SLMs typically operate with fewer than 30 billion parameters, making them more affordable and efficient. SLMs generally fit the 500 million to 20 billion parameter range, while still being powerful enough for most business tasks.

For solo founders, this means you can:

• Compete with bigger players by automating tasks

• Save time on repetitive work like content creation or data analysis

• Test AI without committing to a big subscription

The catch? SLMs are more focused and might be easier to audit and secure, but they're best for specific tasks rather than general knowledge chats. But for a small business, that's often all you need.

Tool Discovery

This week's tool is Hugging Face (huggingface.co)(I know most of you already know and use this). It's a platform with free and low-cost SLMs you can integrate into your workflows. Think automated blog post drafts, customer email responses, or even basic sentiment analysis. No coding degree required, just follow their quick-start guides.

Got a cool AI tool you're using? Hit reply and share. I love featuring your finds.

Your Turn

What's one repetitive task you'd love to automate with AI? Hit reply and let me know, I'm curious!

Or try this:

One-click question: What's stopping you from trying AI for your business? Reply with just a number:

1. Too expensive

2. Too complicated

3. Don't know where to start

4. Something else (tell me!)

Each reply helps shape what I share next. And yes, I read every single one.

See you next Wednesday,
Yunus 🚀