I'll be honest with you: zero sales.
I spent months building ReelNox Studio — a Windows desktop video compressor
with GPU acceleration (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel), batch processing, trim, merge,
and format conversion. Python + FFmpeg, no cloud, no subscription.
Pay €19.90 once, own it forever.
Launched May 3rd. Product Hunt day 1: 2 upvotes, 0 sales.
Today: still 0 sales.
I'm not giving up. But I clearly haven't figured out distribution yet.
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So I'm trying something different.
I'm opening 20 early access spots at 75% off (€4.97 lifetime) for people
who want to:
- Actually use the app and tell me what's broken
- Give me honest feedback before I build v1.0.1
- Share it if they genuinely like it
No pressure on that last point. But if you compress videos on Windows
and want a no-subscription tool for basically nothing — this is for you.
Code: EARLY at sublimearts.io/shop/reelnox
First 20 only. Then it's gone.
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I'm an indie dev from Italy, this is my first paid product.
If you've been here, I'd love to hear how you broke through zero.
Hey. this is familiar for me too.
I also made a small Windows desktop app (also python + ffmpeg). building it was fine. distribution is where i got stuck.
Did your early access discount actually get you any real users, or still quiet?
I think the issue may be less “distribution” and more that ReelNox is currently positioned around features instead of a painful use case.
“Windows video compressor with GPU acceleration, batch processing, trim, merge, format conversion” is technically clear, but it makes the buyer do the work of figuring out when they need it.
The sharper first-sale angle is probably one specific situation:
“I need to shrink large videos fast without uploading them to the cloud or paying a subscription.”
That could map to a few clearer buyers: YouTubers with huge exports, course creators, gamers clipping footage, freelancers sending client videos, or privacy-conscious users who do not want cloud tools.
For the next test, I would not push a general 75% discount broadly. I’d pick one segment and write the offer around their exact pain.
For example: “Compress huge gameplay clips on Windows without uploading them anywhere.”
That is easier to sell than a general desktop utility.
Happy to put a tighter version in writing if useful. The main thing I’d map is the first buyer segment, the sharper offer, where to find them, and a simple 7-day plan to get the first few paid users.
Aryan, this is exactly the kind of feedback I needed to hear.
You're right — I was describing the tool, not the moment someone reaches for it. "GPU acceleration + batch processing" is a spec sheet, not a reason to buy today.
The reframe you suggested is genuinely clarifying. I'm going to pick one segment first (leaning toward gamers/content creators with huge clip exports) and write the offer around their exact pain rather than pushing a general discount broadly.
If your offer to map out a tighter version still stands — I'd genuinely appreciate it. Happy to share what I learn back here.
Thank you.
Yes, it still stands.
The key thing now is not more feature polishing. It’s choosing the one buyer situation where ReelNox feels immediately useful enough to pay for.
Gamers/content creators with huge clip exports could work, but the offer has to be written around that exact moment, not around the full toolset.
Drop your email and I’ll send over a tighter version. I’ll keep it focused on the first buyer segment, the offer angle, and how I’d test the first few paid users without turning this thread into a full plan.
I think I am not allowed to paste my email here; it detects it as a link :(
You can pick it up directly from my website though :)
I'd be happy to receive a feedback from you on that one too :D
Just sent you a note.
Kept it focused on the first paid-user angle for ReelNox, so the test does not get spread too broadly across different creator segments.