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Is "Stealth Mode" ruining your startup before it even launches?

Hey Indie Hackers,

I keep seeing founders on X and LinkedIn posting things like: "Working on something big in stealth mode. Can't share details yet!"

Let’s be brutally honest: Stealth mode is a luxury reserved for companies with $10M in VC funding. For indie hackers, stealth mode is just an excuse driven by the fear of rejection or the irrational fear that someone will "steal" the idea.

Here is the truth: Execution is everything. Ideas are cheap. By keeping your project secret, you are missing out on:

  1. Early user feedback that completely pivots your product for the better.
  2. Building a waitlist of people who feel invested in your building journey.
  3. Attracting the right co-founder who complements your skillset.

When we started working on startives.com (a platform for data-backed idea validation and co-founder matching), our first rule was absolute building in public. We wanted to make sure the framework actually solves the co-founder mismatch problem before scaling.


Let's open the floor 👇

If you are currently building something, stop keeping it a secret. Use this post to get out of stealth mode.

  1. What is your SaaS/Product idea? (In simple terms)
  2. Who is your target user?
  3. What is the #1 reason you haven't launched a public waitlist yet?

Drop your answers below. I am actively online right now and will give honest, constructive feedback on every single pitch!

on July 1, 2026