How I got my first Reddit subscribers (and what actually worked)

Running ToolSignal — free weekly AI tools newsletter, now 10 days in.

Everyone told me to focus on LinkedIn. Reddit drove all my growth.

Here's what actually worked:

Specific tool comparisons perform better than general advice. "Fathom vs

Granola — tested both for 2 weeks" got 3x more engagement than any generic AI post.

Honest criticism builds trust faster than praise. The "what annoyed me" section in every review gets more comments than everything else combined.
Asking a question at the end drives comments. "What tools are you relying on that don't get enough credit?" generated real discussion.
No direct promotion. I mention ToolSignal naturally at the end when relevant.

People click through to the profile and subscribe.

Current stats: 9 subscribers, 3.8k Reddit post views, 33% open rate.
For other newsletter founders in early stage — what's been your most surprising growth channel?