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Just started building in public on TikTok. Do I have to dance?

Right now I am wandering in the dark.

What am I doing?

I am immensely inspired by everyone here building and shipping products. I wanted to do the same. Start #buildinginpublic.

But I thought: "Why not do it a bit differently?"

So I am starting posting progress updates on TikTok. I have no idea if the audience there is right or how to make good content for that format, but I'll probably learn a thing or two, and that's cool.

TikTok account: tiktok.com/@larskarbo

Or see this tweet for one of the posts: ↓

Does anyone have experience with TikTok? What kind of content could work on that platform?

Or maybe it won't work at all? 😅

My plan is to experiment with different types of content:

  • Technical progress updates (mentioning programming languages, etc...)
  • Explain topics (ex: "What is MVP?")
  • Do some live stunts (validating a product by talking to someone)
  • Find situations and happenings and put them in a funny TikTok format (ex: jokes about digital nomads)

I'll figure out which of these works. It is going to take some time, but hopefully I'll come out on the other side with a bunch of new learnings about this new and fast-growing platform.

  1. 8

    Dancing is mandatory on TikTok.

    (Everyone please upvote this comment so we can see Lars dance!)

  2. 5

    TikTok is the next big video platform and most effective brand-building platform. Many influencers have switched to TikTok for more audience and reach. Using TikTok for B2C product is great, but I'm afraid to use it for B2B products or services. The target audience on TikTok is anywhere between the age of 13 to age 22 who may not have the budget to invest in your brand. I would recommend you try exploring Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and see the change.

    1. 1

      It's true about the age, but I am thinking it might change soon? Expand?

      Definitely focusing on twitter and instagram if this TikTok thing doesn't work out 😅

      1. 3

        I have heard from several people that Instagram has a surprising number of business creators that are effectively using the platform to grow b2b audiences, though I have not explored this myself.

  3. 2

    No you don't need to dance.

    There are lots of small businesses on tiktok doing well. A lot of them have a visual component, so break out the pens and sketch your ideas etc.

    1. 1

      Good idea! Will look at artists and UI designer tiktoks for inspiration

  4. 2

    Interesting idea!

    I did something "similar" back in the day of anchor.fm (pre acquisition). The goal was to have a 20 second "Podcasts" where I discuss certain technical concepts. It didn't really resonate with the audience on that Platform and it was hard to compress a technical topic in 20 seconds.

    Excited to see how your attempt on TikTok shakes out.

    I'm not a TikTok user myself and I'm not entirely sure if there's an Indie Hacker / Bootstrapper audience on TikTok but I'll follow your process as I think it's a really interesting approach.

    +1 for live stunts. Those are things I'd enjoy consuming. More so than explanatory topics (e.g. "Whats an MVP").

    1. 1

      Definitely aggree with that it is hard to fit technical things in a short time.

      Hmm... Yes, I think live stunts could be something. Give more value than what you can already find/already know.

      The challenge with technical topics is that people have vastly different skillsets. Maybe the best is to find aspects of building/launching that is more human and universal? Or just find the right niche with technical people similar to me.

      Are they still accessible your anchor.fm experiments?

      1. 1

        The challenge with technical topics is that people have vastly different skillsets. Maybe the best is to find aspects of building/launching that is more human and universal? Or just find the right niche with technical people similar to me.

        That's a good point. Given that I consider myself as a being one of the technical audience I'd be super interested in the "building a business" side of things. I'd expect that that's something new Bootstrappers / Indie Hackers would be really interested in because it's so different from the technical work one is already familiar with.

        Are they still accessible your anchor.fm experiments?

        Unfortunately not. For some reason they got removed once they got acquired. I mostly rambled about serverless. TBH I had no clear script or plan. Just talked about a topic 30 - 60 seconds. Not sure if it was valuable at all 😅

        1. 1

          Will try some content like that! Still unsure of specificly how it would look like, need to test some different things.

          Right now I am talking about an app I am making, slapper.io, aimed to musicians, so I am thinking of calling semi-famous artists and pitch it to them. Would that be cool?

          1. 2

            so I am thinking of calling semi-famous artists and pitch it to them. Would that be cool?

            That would be super interesting. Basically cold calling artists!

  5. 1

    How did you go with this Lars? I’ve just started my journey building in public and so have have just used twitter. Was Tik Tok worth it? Thanks, Rich

  6. 1

    Kinda. You can sing your progress as well :p

  7. 1

    Also you need to remind people what you do because nearly all view come from the FYP. So do a 5 second, 'I quit my job to build a startup that lets you XYZ'

    Add that at the beginning of each video.

    1. 1

      Time is so scarce on tiktok, don't know if I should do that at every beginning.

      Interesting about the FYP though. Will test the #fyp hashtag some time soon

      1. 2

        Check out this creator.

        When he started a series, ever single main video had the intro.
        https://www.tiktok.com/@isaiahphoto/video/6867271491218607366
        https://www.tiktok.com/@isaiahphoto/video/6874706886902484229
        https://www.tiktok.com/@isaiahphoto/video/6871774437557931269
        https://www.tiktok.com/@isaiahphoto/video/6870186835495177477

        https://www.tiktok.com/@isaiahphoto

        And don't waste your time typing in the #fyp hashtag. Doesn't do anything. All video get put on the fyp for 100 views. If they do well they spread, if they don't, they die. Hashtag doesn't help.

        1. 1

          Ahh, ok, thanks!

          That's some good inspiration I can take from that guy.

          Makes sense with the #fyp hashtag, was what I thought to, but people was telling me all the time

  8. 1

    You don't need to dance. Check out what Gary Vee does, or a guy like Startupdoc, or an account like Planetmoney.

    You do you. All of the ideas you mentioned could work, or they might not. I you don't try, you won't know.

    1. 2

      Thanks for suggested accounts!

      Definetely this strategy I do, experiment with different stuff until I find something that works.

  9. 1

    I like the idea of TikTok as I never have time to watch videos, but TikTok's could be fun and easy to consume. 🤣

    It would be cool to tag anything building in public related with #indiehackers, it would make it easier for us all to find, I think. I'm no expert. 😬

    1. 1

      Yeah, right? I hate videos that takes minutes to get "to the point". I predict videos will be shorter and more like TikTok in the future.

      Are you gonna post videos there too? I'm following you now!

      1. 2

        I'd love to, but I don't know what about. And I'm gutted there is someone else with my normal username. I'm officially too old, slow and no longer a trend setter. 😭

        I have no intention on being funny or playing tricks, I figure there's room for serious people like me too 😂

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