How a simple press release helped my tiny SaaS get its first burst of visibility
I’ve been building Leado for a month now, an AI agent that monitors Reddit and alerts you when someone is asking for what you offer.
As a solo founder, visibility has always been my main challenge.
I don’t have a big audience, I’m not a known name, and most of my launches barely moved the needle.
Last week, I tried something new:
I wrote a simple press release explaining what I built, why it matters, and the problem it solves.
Today it got published on OpenPR.
Nothing crazy… but for a small indie project, it feels like a milestone.
More importantly, here’s what I learned from the process:
What worked:
writing a story, not a sales pitch
keeping the language simple and founder-driven
focusing on a single angle (AI Reddit lead gen)
including only 2–3 backlinks
making it genuinely informational
Why I think it’s helpful:
Press releases still get indexed by Google → meaning they can help early-stage products show up in searches you’d never rank for yet.
For indie founders without big audiences, this can be a nice visibility boost.
If you’re curious, here’s the press release.
I’ve built a platform that helps businesses understand how visible they are in AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. It shows a clear visibility score, tracks where and how a brand is mentioned, and compares performance against competitors. As AI becomes a primary discovery channel, this gives companies a way to measure and improve their presence where traditional SEO no longer applies.
I had never thought of a press release, I automatically relate them to big companies, but it makes plenty of sense for indie projects, especially at the very early stages. Thanks for sharing!
Hi,
thanks for sharing your experience. But publishing press releases and posting on directories is very old technique, the question is what is the outcome? Can you also share the changes in number of visitors, customers, etc. after this publication?
Best
Congrats on getting the press release published! Love how you focused on storytelling.
One quick idea: you could turn that press release into 3 simple LinkedIn/Reddit posts, each highlighting a single pain point your AI solves. That way, more potential users see your product without extra effort.
Hi
I can really relate to this. For founders in small teams with a unique perspective, visibility isn't just about “getting noticed”—it’s about getting understood.
The product I’m building has an underlying concept that isn’t immediately obvious, and I’ve learned firsthand that if I don’t communicate the story clearly, people compress it into whatever familiar category they already know.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m thinking of trying OpenPR as well.
Rie
Focus on being where your audience already talks. Monitor conversations, identify buying intent, and respond with value first, not a pitch. Small, precise moves—like targeted press releases, AI agents, or timely replies—can generate early traction even in saturated markets. Iterate based on real feedback, simplify to what truly matters, and leverage automation to scale efficiently.
hello your story are amazing but curious did you already have personalized funnel for this? it is a fast way to get more visibility and all
Crazy how the smallest moves end up being the loudest wins. Press releases feel old-school but they still hit different when you’re a solo builder trying to get that first spark. Respect for sharing the playbook. I'm cooking my own tiny SaaS right now, and this just unlocked a new lever I didn’t even consider.