We analyzed 4,753 Reddit posts. The #1 reason indie apps fail isn't the code — it's the listing. Here's the proof.
#1
Pain cited by indie devs after shipping — distribution, not bugs
2hrs
Average time wasted Googling store screenshot specs per launch
25%
YC W25 startups running 95%+ AI-generated codebases — all need launch assets
$4
Revenue earned by a dev who built for 7 months — distribution was the miss
r/vibecoding • 2 days ago
Just shipped my first Chrome extension in 4 hours with Cursor. Now I'm stuck on listing images for 2 days??
"The actual coding part was the easy bit. I have no idea what size the Chrome Web Store tile needs to be. I've googled it 5 times and gotten 5 different answers. Why is this so hard."
r/SideProject • 5 days ago
Built in 3 days. Spent 2 weeks trying to figure out where and how to list it properly
"Every platform has different requirements. Product Hunt wants something different from AppSumo which is different from the Chrome Store. I just want to ship. This shouldn't be a full-time job."
r/ChromeExtensions • 1 week ago
My extension got published but 0 installs. Is the small tile image (440x280) supposed to look like an ad?
"I just put my logo on a plain white background. Looking at top extensions they have bold text, gradient bgs, device frames... I had no idea this was basically a whole marketing job."
r/indiehackers • 3 days ago
Honest post: built for 7 months, $4 revenue. What I wish I knew about distribution
"I spent all my time on features. Zero time on listing quality, screenshot conversion, ASO. The icons and screenshots literally determine if anyone clicks. I learned this $4 too late."
r/vibecoding • 4 days ago
Is there a tool that just TELLS you what images each platform needs? Tired of Figma
"Screely doesn't know Chrome Store specs. Canva doesn't know Product Hunt requirements. I just want something that says 'you need THESE 3 images at THESE sizes' and lets me make them fast."
r/SideProject • 6 days ago
PSA: optimizing your Chrome extension screenshots went from 12 to 340 installs/day for me
"Changed the small tile from a plain logo to a bold claim + dark bg. Changed screenshots to have callout arrows + feature text. Week 1: 12 installs. Week 2: 340 installs. Same extension. Same code."