I built the product. Now I need to solve distribution.
I’ve been building DiscountHub as a solo founder, and the project has reached an important stage.
The product is no longer just an early prototype.
Today, DiscountHub has:
• 35 partner stores and brands
• 4 indie developer partners with exclusive offers
• A working website and iOS app
• Dedicated pages for deals, promo codes, stores, and partner offers
• An AI assistant that searches DiscountHub’s own database
• Automatic filtering of outdated and low-quality offers
• Access without registration
The AI assistant helps users describe what they are looking for and find relevant discounts, promo codes, and special offers available on the platform.
I have also finished and tested the main website sections. The deal pages, store directory, promo-code pages, partner pages, legal pages, and mobile download pages are all working properly.
From a technical perspective, the product is becoming stable.
But now I’ve reached the harder part: distribution.
A deals platform only becomes valuable when it has enough active users. More users create more clicks and sales, which makes the platform more valuable for stores and partners. But growing that initial audience without a large marketing budget is difficult.
I’ve already experimented with startup communities, launch platforms, social media, direct outreach, and partnerships. Some channels brought useful feedback, but I still haven’t found a predictable source of user growth.
My current options are:
• SEO and content
• Partnerships with creators
• Reddit and online communities
• Direct partnerships with stores
• Short-form video
• Product directories and launch platforms
For founders who have grown a consumer product without a large advertising budget:
Which channel brought you your first consistent users?
DiscountHub:
https://discounthub.uz
This is the classic solo-founder wall. Product is solid, partners are there, but the user side isn’t moving yet.
From what I’ve seen with consumer / marketplace-style products, the first consistent users usually come from one narrow channel you can actually own (a specific subreddit, a creator niche, or very targeted short-form content) rather than trying everything at once.
Have you tested any one of those options deeply for a couple of weeks, or are you still spreading across all of them?
Still haven't found that perfect channel for promotion.
Yeah, that’s the tough part — most of us are still searching for that one channel that actually compounds.
I’ve been in a similar spot with a couple of lifestyle products (one is a Barcelona itinerary tool, the other an AI photo curator). So far the only things that moved the needle a bit were very specific communities + short-form video showing the actual result, not the product itself.
Curious — of the options you listed (SEO, creators, Reddit, short-form, directories), which one have you tested the deepest so far, and what did the early signals look like?
The hard part with marketplaces like this is that supply and demand have to grow together.
Getting 35 partners is a strong foundation, but the next challenge is finding the first repeatable user acquisition loop that also creates value for those partners.
Curious if you’re currently seeing more traction from the store side or the consumer side — which one is pulling the other right now?
Personally, I'd probably focus on creator sponsorships and partnerships combined with SEO. From what I've seen, similar products have been promoted very successfully by content creators, especially those covering tech, shopping, or personal finance.
Also, do you plan on adding a browser extension or a cashback feature? If you do, I'd definitely give the app a try.
Yes, there are plans for browser extensions, but I need to give some thought to the cashback aspect.