Affly
Short links for affiliates and analytics
After a few days of my “find the first users” challenge, I realized something important:
My current outreach strategy was producing exactly 0 traction.
Not a single real user, no meaningful conversations with the people I actually want to help (creators, affiliates).
At the same time…
I got an enormous amount of feedback — but from other Indie Hackers, not from my target audience.
And honestly, that feedback has been more valuable than I expected:
people questioned my positioning,
challenged my assumptions,
pointed out where the product story doesn’t land,
highlighted blind spots in the landing page,
and gave me a whole list of uncomfortable but necessary questions.
So instead of “pushing harder” on a strategy that’s statistically going nowhere, I’m pausing the challenge to do something smarter:
Digest the feedback. Rethink the positioning. Adjust the product story. Fix my outreach strategy.
This wasn’t a failure.
It was actually the perfect early signal:
If the approach gets zero response, the approach is wrong — not the effort.
So yes, I’m stopping the daily challenge —
but I’m not disappearing.
Think of this as the end of chapter one.
Next time I show up, it’ll be with:
sharper messaging,
a clearer value prop,
better targeting,
and a more focused plan for finding real creators who struggle with link performance.
The challenge did what it needed to do:
expose the gaps.
Now the next step is to fix them.
Thanks to everyone who left comments, even the hard ones — they’re pushing me in the right direction.
I’ll be back with Version 2 of this plan soon. 🚀
Day 2 of trying to get my first real users for Affly.
Today was very much a “quiet grind” day:
What I did
Left more value-based comments on Reddit (AffiliateMarketing + ContentCreators)
Reached out to more creators on Twitter with simple questions about how they track CTR/EPC
Still 0 replies from Reddit
Got a couple of impressions on Twitter but no conversations yet
Took notes on patterns: lots of creators post affiliate links, very few actually track performance
What I’m learning so far
Early outreach feels like shouting into a void —
but I guess this is the part everyone talks about.
People are busy. Nobody owes me attention.
And I’m slowly getting used to the idea that the only thing I control is consistency.
What I’ll do tomorrow
Double the number of Twitter searches for creators
Comment on 5+ new Reddit threads
Start tagging my own outreach links to see which channels actually bring traffic
Add a tiny feedback button to the site
Question for fellow founders
When you were starting out, how long did it take before someone finally replied?
Days? Weeks? I’m curious what “normal” looks like at this stage.
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Totally relate — the early days feel like shouting into the void, but consistency is everything. Took me a couple of weeks of steady outreach before the first real conversations happened. Keep documenting patterns like you are; those insights pay off faster than the first reply itself.
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It depends on the project. A few of mine have been same day as launch. Most everything else has been a grind. The best, long-term things always seem to be the grind.
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It's reassuring to read that I'm not the only one who feels like I'm "shouting into the void" these first bits are tough!
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I’m on the same grind just stick to it and hope to see you on the other side
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Patience is key! Sometimes it takes a while for responses to come, but staying consistent and visible can make a difference.
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Thanks — yeah, patience seems to be a big part of the early stage. Appreciate the reminder.
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Love the honesty here — this is the real early-stage grind. Most people underestimate how long it takes to get that first real reply, but showing up daily is exactly what creates momentum. Keep iterating, keep learning from the silence, and that first conversation will hit sooner than you think.
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Really appreciate that. You're right — the early grind is a lot more about showing up than anything else. Helpful perspective.
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Hang in there! Showing up consistently is half the battle. Sometimes it takes time for people to notice, but persistence and patience usually pay off.
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Thanks! Yeah, consistency definitely feels like the right long-term bet here.
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Hey man, i viewed your landing page.
You could improve on the general design.
Maybe add a demo video on the above the fold area.
All the best with your saas-
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Thanks for the look and the suggestion — always helpful to hear first impressions from outside.
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This is a super insightful angle — especially the part about shifting from questions to tangible value. Thanks for sharing that mindset shift.
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Interesting way to frame progress. The “evidence vs. activity” idea definitely gives something to think about. Thanks for that.
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That’s a smart observation — especially the thought about layers of the problem and where adoption naturally happens. Appreciate the perspective.
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Solid point about validating relevance directly — thanks for highlighting that; helpful to keep in mind.
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Interesting take on friction and behavior. The “one-click” angle is definitely worth thinking about. Thanks!
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That’s a cool strategy — focusing on proof over outreach. Appreciate the insight.
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Good point about passive feedback — thanks for the suggestion, it’s useful to hear how others think about this.
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Makes sense — positioning is definitely a big piece of the puzzle. Appreciate the reminder.
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That’s a strong insight: leading with value instead of extracting information. Thanks for sharing it.
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Fair point — unique insight really is what stands out. Thanks for the nudge.
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Good call — focusing on the right people instead of just more people makes a lot of sense. Appreciate you pointing that out.
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Today’s progress:
User research
• Found 10 creators on Twitter and sent them a short question about how they track clicks/CTR/EPC
• Got 1 thoughtful answer — insight into how affiliates check stats manually
Community engagement
• Posted 6 value-first comments on Reddit (AffiliateMarketing + ContentCreators)
• No replies yet, but early traction always starts slow
Visibility
• Shared 1 small observation on Twitter to stay consistent
Today I learned:
Creators don't use tools for monitoring metrics, they use the tracking tools inside each affiliate dashboard and check them two times a day - that is how Affly can help them!
Tomorrow’s plan:
• Find 10 more creators using improved Twitter search
• Leave 3–5 niche comments on Reddit
• Work on landing page - make it more clear and describe differences from others
Quick question for the community:
How did you approach your “0-user phase” before you had traffic or audience? What actually worked?
I launched my SaaS recently — Affly — and so far I have… 0 real users.
Not “friends testing,” not “visitors.”
Actual users.
At first it was discouraging.
Now I realize it’s actually a good moment to stop pretending and start being intentional.
So for the next 7 days, I’m giving myself a challenge:
every day I’ll take one concrete action to get my first real users — and I’ll share the result here.
Here’s the strategy I’m going to follow 👇
1) Choose 2–3 channels and go deep, not wide
I used to think I should post everywhere: Twitter, Reddit, Product Hunt, LinkedIn, etc.
That just spreads attention too thin.
For this challenge, I’m focusing on:
• Reddit (niche subreddits)
• X/Twitter
• IndieHackers (weekly progress posts)
These platforms have the highest density of people who actually talk about tools, analytics, growth, and affiliate workflows.
2) Provide value first (and relevance second)
The plan is simple:
→ Look for real discussions
→ Give real help
→ Mention the product only when it’s truly relevant
Not "hey check out my tool",
but something like:
“I built something recently because I hit the same problem — here's what I learned.”
People smell sales a mile away.
But they appreciate experience and context.
3) Talk to people directly
Over the next 7 days, I’ll DM 1–2 creators or affiliates per day.
Not pitching.
Just asking how they track links, what hurts, what’s broken, what they manually check every day.
If the conversation naturally flows toward my tool — great.
If not — I still learn something.
4) Build in public (but with purpose)
Each day I’ll share:
what I did
where I posted
what engagement I got
any insights from conversations
one thing I improved in the product as a result
No polished stories — just real data and small steps.
5) Don’t expect users — look for conversations
The goal of this challenge isn't “get 50 users.”
The goal is:
talk to 5–10 people who actually have the problem I’m solving.
Users come later.
Understanding comes first.
🔥 The next 7 days
Every day I’ll come back here and post a short update.
Even if the progress is tiny.
Especially if it’s tiny.
If you’re also at 0 users, feel free to join me — hard mode unlocked 😅
And if you’ve been through this phase, I’d love to hear:
👉 What was the first real action that actually moved your SaaS forward?
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Really like how structured your 7-day plan is. Most early-stage builders try to chase users everywhere, but going deep on a few channels creates way clearer signals.
Talking to people directly is underrated — those 1:1 conversations often reveal more than analytics ever will.
Excited to follow your daily updates. Even tiny progress compounds fast when the feedback loop is tight. Good luck with the challenge!
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Thanks a lot — really appreciate it.
You’re absolutely right: 1to1 conversations reveal things no analytics dashboard ever will.
I already see how talking to real creators changes my assumptions about what matters and what doesn’t.I’ll keep posting daily updates — even small wins feel huge at this stage.
And yeah, going deeper instead of wider is already helping me stay focused.Thanks for the encouragement — means a lot during the early days 🚀
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Hi! I also launched my app and have 0 real users (although the statistics say 7, in reality it's me and 6 test accounts). So I hope that you will be able to implement your plan and attract users and I hope I can do it too 😁. By the way, can you tell me which subreddits you plan to publish in? I was also thinking about Reddit, but I'm worried about the possibility of getting banned for promoting my product due to non-compliance with the rules, so I'm trying to make a list of "risk-free" subreddits for solo founders, and I'd be happy if you shared your list (if you have one, of course).
By the way, this is purely my subjective opinion, but I hope it will be useful to you. I would consider adding some kind of explicit button or feedback form directly on the site. Now I see that there is a section with contacts, but I think not everyone will want to write an email. In addition, this approach can significantly simplify tracking feedback. For example, in order not to follow the comments from users on all platforms immediately, you just leave a link to the form and ask everyone to fill it out if possible, thereby routing all feedback into one channel.
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Hey, thanks — I feel the same. Having 0 real users is definitely humbling 😄
But yeah, hoping the plan works for both of us.About Reddit: I’m mostly sticking to “safe” discussion-based communities, not self-promo ones. Things like r/ContentCreators, r/AffiliateMarketing, r/SideProject — but only leaving helpful comments, no links. That keeps the account safe from bans.
And great point about adding a feedback form — you’re right, not everyone wants to email.
I’ll add a simple form/button soon so it’s easier for early users to share thoughts.Good luck with your launch too — rooting for you! 🚀
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I'm also trying to find my first users, and your acquisition plan looks super clear and well thought out. Nice work! Keep going—excited to see what you build next.
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Affly's 7-day challenge to find its first users is a bold, focused approach — great for quickly testing product-market fit and building momentum, while engaging early adopters in a highly structured, time-bound way.
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“Love this approach. Focusing on conversations instead of chasing signups is exactly what gets those first meaningful users. The 7-day challenge is a smart way to stay intentional and avoid the ‘post everywhere but learn nothing’ trap. Keep sharing the daily updates — this is the stage where the best insights show up.”
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This mindset is gold. I like how you’re treating user discovery as a challenge rather than waiting for luck to kick in. Talking to people directly and tracking what actually happens each day feels like the right kind of discipline most of us skip.
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Cool! I tried doing a similar thing with daily updates on Instagram. The best thing for me was it just helped me stay focused, knowing I had to have something to share by end of day - there was always this accountability that pushed me to keep going. It made a difference, particularly when I was just learning to code and not actually producing a product yet. Been reading a book called 'The Mum Test' by Rob Fitzpatrick which talks about how to talk to users and identify problems without directly pitching, which is interesting. Most of the downloads on my app are family and friends - finding it hard to do marketing too!
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Thanks! Yeah, the daily updates really help with discipline — even just knowing someone might read it forces me to actually finish something instead of endlessly polishing.
Totally agree about the accountability part.And “The Mom Test” is great — I’m trying to apply the same idea now: asking creators how they track links or notice CTR/EPC drops without pitching anything. It’s surprisingly hard, but the answers are way more honest.
Same here about friends/family users — feels good for morale but doesn’t really count as market validation 😅
Marketing is definitely turning out harder than the coding part.
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Love the transparency in your process — this kind of steady, hands-on outreach is exactly what actually gets those first users. Talking directly to creators is underrated, but it’s the fastest way to shape the product in the right direction. Excited to see how Affly evolves over the next few days!
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Thanks a lot — appreciate it!
I used to think marketing was about ads or fancy landing pages, but I’m starting to realize it’s really just… talking to the people who actually deal with the pain every day.Even the small conversations already shaped a few features I didn’t expect to build, so I’m trying to stay close to creators and affiliates as much as possible.
Will definitely keep sharing the process — hoping that a few consistent days like this finally lead to those first real users.
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Affly Media is a digital marketing agency specializing in affiliate and influencer marketing. They run performance-driven campaigns using micro‑influencers, data analytics, and real-time insights to help brands scale effectively.
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Oh, that’s a different company — funny coincidence with the name.
My Affly is not an agency at all.
It’s a micro-SaaS I’m building solo — a link tool specifically for affiliates and creators who need CTR/EPC analytics and offer management.Affly Media is an agency working with brands,
and Affly (my project) is an analytics tool for creators.And it seems that they are not active now - site is not opening and the last post in instagram was on 2 August.
Happens more often than you’d think when naming products 😄
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"Manage Your Affiliate Links Like a Pro" that headline doesn't say anything. What does a "Pro" mean in the link management field? Don't use buzz words; describe exactly how your tool separates from the other 200 already existing link management apps.
If you can't tell why your tool is different, then stop developing right now.
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Thanks for the honest feedback — that’s actually super helpful.
You’re right: “Pro” is meaningless without context.
And yeah, there are 200+ link tools out there… but almost all of them were built for generic marketers, not affiliates.What makes my tool different is pretty specific:
it tracks CTR, EPC, revenue and offer performance — not just clicks
it lets affiliates swap offers behind the same link without losing traffic
it supports A/B testing for different offers
it triggers alerts when CTR/EPC suddenly drop, so you can fix a bad offer before losing the whole day
it’s focused on creators who monetize through Amazon, LTK, Pinterest, blogs, etc. — not corporate analytics teams
You’re right that I should say this upfront instead of hiding behind buzzwords.
I appreciate the push — messaging is definitely something I’m iterating on.-
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I think something like “Maximize Your Revenue with Smart Link Tracking & Testing” would resonate more.
I’ve been exploring Affly, and I genuinely love the product's direction, especially the analytics and A/B testing features. I noticed a few UX and conversion opportunities that, if refined, could significantly increase sign-ups and user engagement.
As a UI/UX designer, I specialize in turning strong products into high-converting, friction-free experiences. I can help Affly:
sharpen the hero messaging to make the value instantly clear
reorganize the feature hierarchy for easier scanning
add visual storytelling to guide new users
improve CTA clarity to drive more sign-ups
introduce subtle design patterns that boost trust and retention
If you’re open to it, I’d love to share a quick, actionable redesign outline, no long meetings needed.
Affly has huge potential, and a few UX improvements can push conversions even higher.Happy to support if you’re interested.
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Great initiative
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Thanks! Hope it will work)
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Fair point.
Daily posts keep me accountable, but you’re right — volume matters in early discovery.
I’m planning to scale outreach and diversify channels instead of relying only on a few DMs.Appreciate the direct feedback — it helps.
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Agree completely.
Right now I'm only collecting basic usage, but not enough to understand where people drop. Adding session recording + small micro-surveys after inactivity makes a ton of sense.This is going on my implementation list. Thanks.
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You’re right — the hero is too generic right now.
I’m working on adding real screenshots + actual alert examples + a “before/after” scenario. Stories like the one you described build 10x more trust than vague claims.Thanks for pushing on this.
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This is a great reminder.
I’m tagging some channels manually, but not consistently — and you’re right, early-stage acquisition needs proper activation tracking.I’ll start tagging outreach links with src= and measure which channels produce actual engaged users, not just visits.
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That’s fair.
Right now alerts use a simple short-term vs baseline comparison, but I fully agree that seasonality matters. A rolling 7-day model with deviation thresholds seems like the right next step.Thanks for the concrete numbers — that actually helps a lot.
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Good point.
Affly resolves the destination at request time — so the redirect isn’t cached globally — but I agree that cache-control and edge behavior need to be documented clearly.I’ll review the redirect headers and make sure updates propagate instantly without stale responses. Appreciate the heads up.
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Thanks — this is super useful.
Right now Affly intentionally keeps attribution simple (click-level, last touch), since most small creators don’t have multi-touch funnels.But you’re right: UTM persistence + 30-day window is something I want to add later as a “Pro” feature. I’ll definitely look into your suggestion about building the referral chain — that’s a great call.
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When I started building Affly, I wanted to add A/B testing for affiliate links.
It sounded simple: send half of the clicks to one offer, half to another, see who wins.
Then reality hit me.
1️⃣ CTR lies — EPC takes time
With ads you can judge results in a few hours.
With affiliate links, early numbers are noise.
You might see 10 clicks and one conversion on variant A and zero on B — and instantly assume A is better.
But give it 300 clicks and the story flips.
The only way to know which target performs better is to let enough data accumulate.
That means your system has to track and show confidence, not just percentages.
2️⃣ Manual control beats fake “auto-optimize”
A lot of tools pretend to be “smart”, shifting traffic automatically after 20 clicks.
That’s gambling, not testing.
So instead, I built a small, clear workflow:
Create 2–3 targets for one short link.
Choose what metric to watch (CTR, EPC, revenue).
Let Affly collect data until you decide the sample size is meaningful.
Then switch manually — with full context.
Simple, transparent, and statistically sane.
3️⃣ Seeing significance visually helps
Numbers alone don’t help much.
So I’m adding visual feedback: a small confidence bar under each variant.
No AI, no mystery — just a reminder that 80 clicks ≠ a conclusion.
🧠 What I’ve learned
Building “responsible A/B testing” is harder than it looks.
Not because of code — because of restraint.
The trick isn’t to automate faster decisions, it’s to prevent wrong ones.
I’m curious:
👉 How do you handle A/B tests in your own SaaS or campaigns?
👉 Do you automate, or wait for statistically solid data before acting?
💬 Sometimes, the smartest feature isn’t “auto-optimize”, it’s “don’t fool yourself yet.”
When I started building tools for affiliates, I thought analytics was simple:
more clicks = more revenue.
But once I began tracking real campaigns, I realized the math hides deeper truths — the kind that separate random luck from consistent income.
Here’s what I’ve learned from hundreds of links, campaigns, and dashboards 👇
💡 1. CTR isn’t just a “marketing metric”
It’s actually a trust metric.
The click rate doesn’t just show ad quality — it reveals how believable your message is to the audience.
Sometimes a 10% CTR ad makes less money than a 5% one… because the first one attracts the wrong kind of curiosity clicks.
💰 2. EPC (Earnings Per Click) tells the real story
EPC = Total Revenue / Number of Clicks.
It’s the most underrated metric in affiliate marketing.
Why?
Because it balances both quality and quantity.
High CTR with low EPC = people click but don’t buy.
Low CTR with high EPC = the few who click really want it.
The sweet spot? Stable EPC + growing CTR = trust + scale.
🧮 3. Small technical details change the math completely
Redirect speed: add 300ms latency → CTR drops 5–10% on mobile.
Broken UTM → EPC analytics die.
Offer downtime → kills revenue for hours before you even notice.
Most affiliates never see it, because they track only “clicks.”
But those micro-frictions quietly destroy profit.
⚙️ 4. The biggest ROI isn’t in more traffic — it’s in faster feedback
Once I started getting instant alerts (“CTR dropped 42% today”), I could fix issues before they became expensive.
The earlier you notice CTR/EPC changes, the more money you save — not just earn.
🧠 5. Affiliate math ≠ guesswork
It’s a living system of cause and effect:
CTR reflects attention,
EPC reflects conversion,
Together they reveal trust.
And once you start treating them like signals, not vanity numbers, affiliate marketing starts feeling a lot less random.
I’m curious:
👉 Do you track CTR and EPC separately, or just focus on clicks/conversions?
👉 Have you ever noticed small technical things (like redirect delays or URL changes) affecting your performance?
Would love to hear how others analyze their affiliate data — what patterns have you discovered?
Hey Indie Hackers 👋
I launched my first SaaS — Affly — a smart link shortener for affiliates and creators.
It works great technically… but the real lessons started after launch.
Here are 10 things I wish I knew earlier 👇
1️⃣ Nobody finds your product automatically.
Even great tech means nothing without visibility.
2️⃣ Marketing is a skill, not an afterthought.
It’s another craft — takes time, experiments, and daily practice.
3️⃣ You can’t outsource clarity.
If you can’t explain your product in one sentence, users won’t either.
4️⃣ Talk to users before you have them.
DMs, communities, small convos — that’s where early traction starts.
5️⃣ Good UX beats new features.
Polish what’s there before adding more buttons.
6️⃣ Analytics matter from day one.
You’ll never fix what you don’t measure.
7️⃣ Launch is not an event — it’s a process.
You don’t “launch once,” you keep showing up everywhere.
8️⃣ Silence after launch is normal.
Most of us start at zero — it’s not failure, it’s calibration.
9️⃣ Consistency beats hype.
Post, share, iterate — even when nobody’s watching.
🔟 Community > algorithms.
Real conversations build trust faster than ads ever will.
If you’ve launched something before —
👉 what’s your biggest “wish I knew this earlier” lesson?
Would love to read your stories in the comments 👇
#buildinpublic #microSaaS #indiehackers #founder #saas
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Excited to see this! A 7-day challenge sounds like a smart way to stay focused and actually get results.
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Great breakdown especially #1 and #2. A lot of SaaS founders build amazing products but struggle with visibility and community traction
I’ve worked with founders who discovered that consistent Reddit engagement and the right community strategy can bring their first real wave of users even before running paid ads
Love that you emphasized consistency and conversation. That’s exactly how long term traction is built
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Thanks! Yeah, I’m starting to realize that “community traction” is a whole different skill set from building a product.
It’s wild how much just showing up consistently in the right spaces changes everything.Curious — when you say Reddit engagement, did you find certain subreddits or posting styles worked best for early traction?
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Absolutely it depends on the niche, but subreddits where your target users actively share problems perform best. The key isn’t just posting it’s positioning your product as a solution within real discussions
I’ve helped several SaaS founders get their first wave of signups through this method. Happy to share a few proven subreddit examples if you’d like
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Hey IH 👋
I’m a developer who finally built and launched my first SaaS — Affly (a smart link shortener for affiliates and creators).
For weeks, I was obsessed with code, performance, architecture, deployment — the fun stuff.
I really believed that if I just made something good enough, people would somehow find it.
They didn’t.
I have a working product… and 0 users.
Now I’m in a completely new world — figuring out how to get anyone to care.
And honestly, it feels harder than building the whole thing from scratch.
I’m learning what “marketing” actually means — not ads, not SEO, but:
understanding who the product is really for,
explaining the pain clearly,
being visible, consistently, every day,
talking to people instead of hiding behind commits.
It’s humbling.
And weirdly exciting — like learning programming all over again, but in another language.
If you’ve been through this phase — how did you start getting your first real users?
What worked before you had traffic or audience?
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Great concept! Our products share many similarities, yet remain quite different. I'm confident your user base will grow over time since you're already putting yourself out there. That said, I did notice that many of your sites aren't fully functional. I'd recommend prioritizing the usability and stability of your public-facing pages, users tend to lose trust quickly when things don't work as expected.
Looking forward to following you in your journey :)
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Same here. Thought building was hard… turns out getting users is harder. What’s helping me: picking one platform/community and focusing there instead of spreading myself thin.
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Focusing on one is better
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Same boat. Built an AI chatbot, spent a year on it, have 0 customers. The marketing paralysis is real. What's your plan for getting your first user?
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I'm trying to fix this problem right now by connecting people to micro creators. Anyone interested?
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me too!!!
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Totally feel this.. I’ve built a few micro-apps lately, and every single one reminds me that distribution is 10× harder than building 😅
I’m experimenting with ways to make small tools stand out (especially AI-native ones built with Avery). Curious what channels you’ve found the most traction on so far?
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We’ve all been there — great product, but tough to get eyes on it.
I’m exploring a solution using micro creators to help indie projects get noticed. Anyone interested?
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Been there. Launched my first thing thinking "if I build it well, they'll come." Spoiler: they don't.
What helped me: pick one channel and go deep. For me it was Reddit — found 2-3 subreddits where my users actually hung out, commented genuinely for weeks, then eventually shared what I built. Felt slow but got me my first 10-20 users who actually gave feedback.
Also, talk to users before you have them. DM people who fit your target profile and ask about their workflow. You'll learn what actually resonates vs. what you think matters.
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That’s super helpful, thanks! I’ve mostly been lurking on Reddit but haven’t gone deep in any niche yet — will try that approach.
DM’ing potential users sounds scary but also smart 😅 Appreciate you sharing that.
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I am in the same boat as you!!!
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Glad I’m not alone in this 😂 Let’s keep pushing — feels like we’re all figuring out the same puzzle from different angles.
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Yes, I agree with you.
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Thanks! It’s oddly comforting to see how common this is. Makes me feel a bit less crazy for struggling with it.
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This hit hard af. Every founder who’s ever built something great and then faced the “no users” wall can relate.
What you’re describing is exactly where a lot of the early SaaS teams we work with get stuck , the “product is done, but messaging and traction aren’t.”
One thing that’s helped our startup clients is running a micro-validation sprint right after launch — not to code more, but to test messaging, landing-page flow, and onboarding copy. It’s wild how 2–3 small UX or narrative tweaks can double conversions without spending on ads.
If you ever want to jam on quick experiments to turn early visitors into first users, happy to share what’s been working for other solo founders.
Either way, huge congrats on shipping Affly — building it is the hardest part, and you’re already ahead of 90% of people who talk about launching but never do.
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This is gold — “micro-validation sprint” is such a great idea.
I’ve been tweaking features instead of copy, which is probably backwards 😅
Would love to hear more about how you structure those quick experiments!-
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Appreciate that! Honestly, the biggest wins usually come from aligning product flow and story , not adding new features.
I’d love to check out what you’ve built and see if anything’s bottlenecking sign-ups.
Mind if I DM you a few quick ideas?
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Totally get this — I felt the same after launching my first SaaS. What helped was treating marketing like debugging: talk to real users, join small communities where they hang out, and share your progress publicly. Skip ads for now — just focus on real conversations. That’s how my first few users found me.dooflix for pc
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Totally relatable — shipping is exciting, silence after launch is humbling.
Marketing really is another language, but once you start treating it like debugging user attention, it gets fun again. Keep going 💪-
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Yep, exactly that! I’m slowly learning to enjoy the “debugging attention” part.
Thanks for the encouragement 💪
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I'm working on trying to develop a user base and topic authority with my site as well.
I've found the easiest visitors come from one to two quality directories, and that's a start, you know, at least getting one or two eyes on your product.
After that it's turning those visitors into users.
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That’s a smart move — directories are such underrated channels.
Any specific ones that worked well for you? I’m just starting to explore that side.-
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Yep, I'd say Peerpush is a go to, I got a solid amount of visitors from there after product launch, but the queue list is like 250 to 300 right now, - products they have to review before yours goes up.
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You have a nice, clean site. Have you considered a short explainer video in the hero section? Have you done free beta testing for feedback and reviews on Reddit? Have you tried a micro-influencer? I've been thinking of trying SamCart when I'm ready to promote my app.
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Completely agree! I’ve been working in SEO and outreach for a few years, and it’s crazy how often great products fail simply because no one knows they exist. This really hits hard, man.
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Every developer goes through this exact moment. You spent months building something that works beautifully, and then realize that nobody knows it exists. The good news is you're already doing the hardest part by showing up here and being vulnerable about it. Start with the communities where your ideal users already hang out and solve their problems publicly. Share what you're learning about link tracking and analytics. The users will come from being genuinely helpful, not from perfect marketing.
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That’s a great way to frame it — “solve their problems publicly.”
I’ll start sharing more about what I’m learning from building link analytics. Thanks for that perspective 🙌
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Hey there!
Man, I feel this so hard—building the thing is the thrill, but marketing? It's like learning a new language overnight. I launched my first tool last year and spent weeks staring at zero users, thinking "if it's this good, why isn't anyone biting?" What finally clicked for me was just talking to people on Twitter and Reddit, sharing my own pains instead of features—got my first 10 users from genuine convos. How are you planning to test the waters with Affly—cold DMs, or starting with your network? Can't wait to hear what sticks for you!
Cheers!
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Totally relatable 😅 I’m leaning toward starting with Reddit + small creator communities before doing any cold outreach.
Love that “share your own pain, not features” idea — definitely taking that to heart. Thanks!
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This comment was deleted 10 months ago
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This comment was deleted 10 months ago
Hey everyone 👋
After launching the MVP of Affly last week, I spent a few days polishing the analytics and added a small but powerful feature — performance alerts.
Now, when CTR or EPC suddenly drop, Affly sends a notification —
so affiliates can catch problems early instead of discovering them days later.
This came from my own experience:
one of my links went from 12% CTR to 6% overnight,
and I only noticed it because I was manually watching stats.
Next up:
Team collaboration
A/B testing
👉 Demo still live at affly.biz
Would love feedback — what kind of analytics would you personally want to get alerts for?
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This is the kind of feature that shows you're actually using your own product and thinking like an affiliate marketer. Most link shorteners just track clicks and call it a day. The fact that you noticed your own CTR drop and built a solution for it is exactly how the best products get built. For alerts, I'd want to know about unusual traffic patterns too - like sudden spikes that might indicate bot traffic or viral shares.
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That’s a great point — unusual spikes are a big one I hadn’t automated yet.
Bot traffic or sudden virality detection could make alerts 10× more useful.
I’ll experiment with that next — thanks for the idea 🙌
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Would love to get alerts for hourly/daily/weekly growth!
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Great idea, thanks! Will take it work!
And also I’m curious: when you look at your campaigns, which metric do you pay most attention to — CTR, EPC or revenue?
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👋 Hey Indie Hackers!
I’ve just launched Affly — a smart alternative built specifically for affiliates, bloggers, and creators.
The problem: affiliate links are long, ugly, and hard to manage. Simple shorteners only track clicks, not CTR, EPC, or revenue.
💡 What Affly does:
• Create short links with automatic UTM tracking
• Measure clicks, CTR, EPC, and conversions
• Change target offers without changing the link
• Get alerts (e.g. “CTR dropped 42% today”)
🧭 Who it’s for:
Affiliates who want better link analytics
Influencers who need smart bio links
E-commerce and growth marketers tracking campaigns
🚀 Try it: https://affly.biz
I’d love feedback from this community —
👉 What kind of analytics or automations would you want in a tool like this?
#microSaaS #affiliatemarketing #analytics #saaslaunch
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That’s an awesome launch — congrats! 🎉 Affly sounds like a real time-saver for affiliates who want deeper insights beyond just clicks. I really like the alert feature for CTR drops; that’s something most shorteners miss. Tools like this one also help creators manage and visualize their content, so pairing both could make campaign management even more efficient. Great work!
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Thanks a lot 🙌 I totally agree — merging link analytics with lightweight content management is where this could head next.
I’ve been thinking about adding a simple “link groups” or “campaign board” view to visualize performance across offers.
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That’s an awesome launch — congrats! 🎉 Affly sounds like a real time-saver for affiliates who want deeper insights beyond just clicks. I really like the alert feature for CTR drops; that’s something most shorteners miss. Tools like this one also help creators manage and visualize their content, so pairing both could make campaign management even more efficient. Great work!
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You've identified a real gap in the market. Most affiliate marketers are stuck using either generic shorteners that only count clicks or expensive marketing platforms built for enterprises. The fact that you can change the target URL without changing the shortlink is huge for testing different offers with the same audience. The EPC tracking is what really sets this apart though - that's the metric that actually determines profitability, not just clicks.
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100% — EPC is the number affiliates actually care about, not raw clicks.
That feature came straight from my own frustration switching between multiple dashboards 😅
I’m curious — do you usually track EPC manually or through your affiliate network’s reports?
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I really like what you’ve built — great work!
I’ve also created a product called TWT Community, which helps people quickly build their own communities.
Maybe there’s a chance for us to collaborate sometime?-
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Thanks for your reply!
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This is honestly the best kind of pivot — not the dramatic one, but the strategic one that comes from actually listening.
A lot of people underestimate how valuable “no traction” is as a signal.
It’s easy to assume the idea is wrong, when most of the time it’s just the positioning, messaging, or targeting that’s off.
You did the right thing:
You tested a hypothesis
You got fast, honest feedback
The data told you your outreach wasn’t aligned with the audience you want
And you’re adjusting before wasting weeks pushing in the wrong direction
That’s exactly how it’s supposed to work.
Creators and affiliates are notoriously hard to reach with cold outreach — their patterns and motivations are totally different from the IH crowd — so refining the story before hitting them again is the smart move.
Curious to see what “Version 2” looks like.
This kind of self-correction usually leads to a much sharper product angle.
Keep going — this was progress, not pause. 🚀
Bro, honestly I felt this so much. Kabhi-kabhi hum full effort laga kar outreach karte hain, lekin real users bilkul respond nahi karte — bas silence hi milti hai. Aur phir feedback ka popup indie hackers ki taraf se aa jata hai, not from the audience we actually want to serve. But don’t worry. phase is nomral. just the market telling you to realign your approach. Keep going, refine your message for creators/affiliates, aur thora patience rakho — the right users will show up. You’re already learning the most important part: where NOT to spend your energy.
So familiar story and I'm in the same situation now after my launch before launch. We're a bit blind while we're building, but then the reality comes in. Good luck with your efforts. Building products is easy, selling is hard. I'm also pivoting after rethinking what I've built. The hardest thing is to find energy for the next iteration when you've spent so much time and effort on building something.