r/Entrepreneur
Our community brings together individuals driven by a shared commitment to problem-solving, professional networking, and collaborative innovation, all with the goal of making a positive impact. We welcome a diverse range of pursuits, from side projects and small businesses to venture-backed startups and solo ventures. However, this is a space for genuine connection and exchange of ideas, not self-promotion. Please refrain from promoting personal blogs, consulting services, books, MLMs, opinions.
Self-promotion
Rule 1 explicitly bans promotion, sales, solicitation, URL dropping, and driving traffic to a profile or company, with free offers restricted to designated weekly threads only; violations can mean a permanent ban.
Patterns that work
Recurring patterns in the top 100 posts of the past year. Counts and scores are measured from those posts.
- Score lift1.1×About the same
Money milestone confession
12 of 100 top posts 12%
A post centers on a specific dollar figure reached, lost, or earned through the business.
Why it works: Concrete numbers signal authenticity and give commenters something tangible to react to or question.
Top posts using it- I made my first $1.... from farts719 upvotes
- Sold my business698 upvotes
- I made my first $300 online, and it completely changed how I see money.593 upvotes
- Score lift0.9×About the same
Loneliness or burnout confession
11 of 100 top posts 11%
Post reveals the emotional toll, isolation, or exhaustion of running a business.
Why it works: Vulnerability contrasts with typical hustle content and resonates broadly with practitioners feeling the same way.
Top posts using it - Score lift1.1×About the same
Ask-the-crowd wealth question
9 of 100 top posts 9%
Title poses a direct question to a wealth or income bracket asking how they did it.
Why it works: Open questions invite mass participation and personal stories, driving high comment counts.
Top posts using it - Score lift1.1×About the same
Contrarian truth-bomb framing
8 of 100 top posts 8%
Title asserts an unpopular or blunt opinion framed as a hard truth about entrepreneurship.
Why it works: Provocative claims trigger disagreement and debate, which drives engagement in comments.
- Score lift0.9×About the same
Nobody talks about this angle
7 of 100 top posts 7%
Title claims to expose an overlooked or hidden truth using 'nobody talks about' or similar phrasing.
Why it works: Framing as insider knowledge implies value and curiosity, encouraging clicks and comments.
Top posts using it- We're making money in the wedding industry and here's what nobody told us before we started551 upvotes
- [Requested] Nobody wants to talk about buying a septic business. Thats exactly why the margins are 60%+ and the multiples are 2.5x. Full breakdown inside.364 upvotes
- no one talks about how lonely entrepreneurship really is363 upvotes
- Score lift1.1×About the same
Concrete tactic reveal
4 of 100 top posts 4%
Post promises one specific tactic, script, or method that produced results.
Why it works: Specific, actionable-sounding tips feel practical and rewardable per the sub's stated standards.
Top posts using it
How top posts are laid out
Most top posts open with a short personal-status statement, move into a narrative or numbered breakdown of what happened, and close with a reflective or open-ended line that invites discussion.
- One or two sentence hook stating the situation or emotional stakes
- Brief background establishing credibility or context (job, years in business, revenue range)
- Chronological or thematic narrative of what happened, sometimes with numbered or bolded points
- Specific numbers, decisions, or turning points described in short paragraphs
- A reflective statement on lessons learned or unresolved tension
- Closing line or question that invites readers to share their own experience or opinion
Best times to post
- #1 Sat, 9–10am ET
- #2 Fri, 5–6pm ET
- #3 Thu, 4–5pm ET
When the top 100 posts of the past year were published, in US Eastern time.
What formats win
100%text posts. Nothing else made the top.
Share of the top 100 posts of the past year by post type.
What top titles have in common
- Confessional first-person hooks that admit embarrassment, failure, or emptiness, e.g. 'I built a business I'm too embarrassed to talk about'.
- Direct questions posed to the community asking for collective wisdom, e.g. 'People with a net worth of $10M+, how did you do it?'.
- Contrarian or myth-busting statements that challenge common startup beliefs, e.g. 'The truth is most of you shouldn't be entrepreneurs..'.
- Concrete numbers or dollar milestones in the title to signal real stakes, e.g. 'I made my first $300 online'.
- 'Nobody talks about X' or loneliness/isolation framing used repeatedly to surface an unspoken truth.
The culture
The community leans toward candid, often emotionally raw storytelling about the real experience of running a business, mixing wins, failures, and existential doubt rather than polished success narratives; it prizes specificity and lived experience over generic advice or hype.
It rewards posts with concrete numbers, blunt honesty, contrarian takes, and open questions that invite crowd participation, while it ignores or removes vague inspirational content, get-rich-quick framing, and anything that reads as promotional or AI-generated.
Do
- Lead with a specific, verifiable detail such as a dollar figure, timeframe, or outcome in the first two sentences.
- Frame posts around a genuine lesson, failure, or tension rather than a pure success story.
- Engage in other threads' comments before posting, since the sub requires prior participation.
- End with a question or open invitation for others to share similar experiences.
- Keep language plain and personal, avoiding polished marketing tone or buzzwords.
Don't
- Don't include links, DMs requests, or profile mentions anywhere in the post.
- Don't post vague 'how do I get rich' or opinion-only content with no concrete grounding.
- Don't reuse or repost content from blogs or other subreddits.
- Don't use AI-generated text for the post or comments.
- Don't turn the post into a pitch for a service, book, or consulting offer outside the designated threads.
Rules (5)
01No promotion, sales, or solicitation
Do not use this community to sell, promote, recruit, hire, job-seek, solicit investment, or drive traffic to your profile, company, or external content. No dropping URLs, asking users to DM you, telling people to check your profile, or offering private resources. No crypto or investment pitches. Free offers and promotions belong only in the designated weekly threads. Violations may result in a permanent ban.
02Civility and inclusivity
Be civil and professional to those around you. Personal attacks, hostility, harassment, discrimination, or unprofessional conduct are not tolerated. Treat others like colleagues. If someone is abusive, report them. Do not escalate or engage.
03Posting requirements and contribution standards
You must participate in the comments of other posts on this subreddit before posting yourself. Engage meaningfully first and get to know the community. Posts must be specific, practical, and grounded in real entrepreneurial effort. “How do I make $X?” or get-rich-quick style posts will be removed. Low-effort, vague, diary-style, or purely opinion-based posts are not a fit here.
04Original and human content only
Posts must be original to this community. Do not repost content from blogs, other subreddits, or duplicate common threads. AI-generated posts or comments are not permitted. If your content is generated by AI, it may be removed and may result in a ban.
05AMAs must be approved
Amas requests can be sent directly to modmail. Users must have a positive history of contribution on Reddit, have a story to tell that would specifically appeal to the subreddit, and meet our posting standards. In your message to the moderation team, please detail how your AMA will uniquely benefit the community.
Top posts this month
- Is it impolite to use gift cards asap for an acquaintance's failing business?1,050 upvotes346 commentstext
- Stop using AI to make your flyers and social posts421 upvotes273 commentstext
- Business is failing. No idea what to do next.299 upvotes300 commentstext
- 2008 Crash. What business booms in economy downturn? Was your business affected?253 upvotes159 commentstext
- Why do people sell startups that are already making decent money?213 upvotes106 commentstext
- You left your 8-5 for your business, was it worth it?210 upvotes314 commentstext
- How did I accidentally ended up making a successful startup...!197 upvotes81 commentstext
- What’s an employee appreciation gift people actually liked?191 upvotes231 commentstext
- Do most successful founders end up without a family life139 upvotes95 commentstext
- Now that anyone can build a web or mobile app, what's the real competitive advantage?139 upvotes262 commentstext
Similar subreddits
- r/smallbusiness
- r/startups
- r/EntrepreneurRideAlong
- r/business
- r/SideProject
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