We hit 1.3K Chrome extension installs in 5 weeks. Here's what actually moved the needle (and what was a complete waste of time).

When we launched Clico — an AI writing assistant that lives inside every browser text field — I had a list of 12 distribution tactics I was confident would work.

Four of them did. Eight were a waste of time. Here's the honest breakdown.

What didn't work:

Posting in random Slack communities → zero installs, lots of "cool!" replies
Cold DMs to productivity influencers → ignored or politely declined
Writing a launch blog post → 200 views, 3 installs
Submitting to AI tool directories → trickle of traffic, low intent
What actually worked:

1. Showing the exact problem before showing the product.
   Our first posts that got traction weren't about Clico. They were about the tab-switching tax — the 6-step ritual of open ChatGPT → copy → paste → get output → copy → switch back. People recognized themselves immediately. The product came second.

2. Specific use cases over general claims.
   "AI writing assistant" got ignored. "Press ⌘+O in your Gmail reply box and it drafts the email for you" got clicks. Specificity converts.

3. IndieHackers and niche communities over broad platforms.
   Our best week came from two posts in communities where people were already frustrated with their AI workflow. Not from Product Hunt, not from Twitter.

4. Free with no friction.
   No API key. No account required. Install and it works in 60 seconds. Every extra step we removed doubled our install-to-try rate.

We're still early. But the pattern is clear: distribution wins when you lead with the problem your audience already feels, not the solution you're proud of.

If you're curious what the product actually does:
🔗 https://tryclico.com/?utm_source=indiehackers&utm_medium=referral

What's been your most surprising distribution win? I'm genuinely collecting data on this.