Example subreddit analysis

r/SideProject

r/SideProject is a subreddit for sharing and receiving constructive feedback on side projects.

852,069 membersAnalyzed on September 25, 2026

Self-promotion

Relaxed

There are no published rules, and the sub's entire premise is people posting their own builds for feedback, but recurring rant and petition threads (e.g. calls to ban AI-wrapper posts, complaints about 'useless apps') show real friction toward low-effort or purely promotional posts.

Patterns that work

Recurring patterns in the top posts of the past year. Counts and scores are measured from those posts.

Based on 97 top posts. Left out 3 moderator, pinned or recurring posts.

Score lift
1.1×
About the same
Whimsical over-engineered niche build
6 of 97 top posts 6%
A project solving a trivial, oddly specific, or absurd problem with real engineering effort behind the joke.
Why it works: The sub rewards novelty and humor over utility, and absurd-but-well-executed ideas stand out in a feed full of generic apps.
Top posts using it
- Automated pigeon defense system3,402 upvotes
- I built a speed/distance tracker for my hamster wheel, which automatically records the data and uploads it to our hamster's own Strava account1,692 upvotes
- Nobody asked for a nail sorting simulator. So i made one.1,308 upvotes
Score lift
1.2×
Milestone with a concrete number
6 of 97 top posts 6%
Post highlights a specific quantified result such as downloads, visitors, stars, or revenue.
Why it works: Numbers give the community a tangible marker of progress or success to react to and validate.
Top posts using it
Score lift
0.9×
About the same
Personal hardship narrative tied to the launch
6 of 97 top posts 6%
The post ties the act of building or shipping to a difficult life event like job loss, breakup, or grief.
Why it works: Vulnerability generates empathy and engagement beyond what the product itself would earn on its own.
Top posts using it
Score lift
1.1×
About the same
Update on a previously posted project
4 of 97 top posts 4%
A follow-up post reporting progress, traction, or a finished version of something shared before.
Why it works: Continuity rewards posters who already built goodwill, and the community likes seeing a story's next chapter.
Top posts using it
- Update: 1 month ago I posted my prototype here and went viral. Today I have the finished product1,531 upvotes
- I built an offline survival AI [Update]1,515 upvotes
- UPDATE: I built a job search engine out of spite (Indeed fired my pregnant wife)941 upvotes

How top posts are laid out

Top text posts typically open with a one-line statement of what was built and a link, follow with a short personal or motivational paragraph, sometimes list pain points or features in bullets, and close with an invitation for reaction or feedback.

One-line intro naming the built thing plus a link
Short paragraph explaining the personal motivation or backstory
Bulleted list of problems being solved or key features
Brief mention of technical approach or build process
Closing line inviting feedback, reactions, or discussion

Best times to post

What formats win

Format of top posts

Video
63%
Image
26%
Text
8%
Link
3%

Share of the top 97 posts of the past year by post type.

Typical text post

274words

Middle half: 186–393 words

Median comments

173

Per top post

What top titles have in common

Declarative first-person builder statement, e.g. "I built an app that..."
Problem-to-solution framing that states the annoyance before the fix, e.g. "I got tired of X so I built Y"
Self-deprecating or absurdist framing that undersells the project, e.g. "a dumb browser game" or "nobody asked for this"
Titles that quantify a result or milestone directly, e.g. "56 days off" or "11k visitors in 48h"
Titles that reference a life event (job loss, breakup, family member) as the reason the project exists

The culture

This is a builder-first community of solo developers and indie hackers who post finished or in-progress side projects for reaction and feedback, with a strong preference for personality, humor, and visible effort over polish alone. There's a visible undercurrent of fatigue toward generic AI-wrapper apps, expressed through recurring rant and petition-style posts, showing the community cares about authenticity and craft.

It rewards projects with a clear personal story, a demo people can watch, and either genuine novelty or a relatable everyday problem, especially when framed with humor or vulnerability; it largely ignores dry feature announcements, generic SaaS pitches, or projects that read like ad copy without any human context.

Do

Open with a single clear sentence stating what you built and include a video or gif demo
Explain the personal motivation or story behind the project before describing features
Use plain, conversational language rather than marketing language
End with an open question or invite for feedback to prompt discussion
Reply actively to early comments since discussion volume drives visibility

Don't

Don't lead with sales language, pricing, or calls to action before showing the actual product
Don't post a generic AI-wrapper style app without a clear differentiator or story
Don't bury the demo or screenshot below a wall of text
Don't ignore the comment section after posting
Don't inflate or fake traction numbers, since the community calls this out quickly

Rules (0)

r/SideProject has no published rules.

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Self-promotion

Patterns that work

Whimsical over-engineered niche build

Milestone with a concrete number

Personal hardship narrative tied to the launch

Update on a previously posted project