How to Build in Public
The Complete 2026 Guide for Indie Hackers
The most successful indie hackers of the last decade have one thing in common: they built in public. From Pieter Levels to Jon Yongfook, transparency became their unfair advantage.
This guide will show you exactly how to do it—without feeling like a fraud or oversharing.
In this guide
What is Building in Public?
Building in public is the practice of openly sharing your journey as you create a product, company, or project. Instead of working in stealth mode and revealing a finished product, you share:
- Revenue numbers — MRR, ARR, growth rates
- User metrics — signups, active users, churn
- Decisions and reasoning — why you built X, why you pivoted
- Failures and setbacks — what went wrong and lessons learned
- Daily progress — what you shipped today
Think of it as reality TV for startups. People follow along not just for the information, but for the story. They become invested in your success because they've watched you struggle and grow.
Why It Works (The Psychology)
Building in public taps into several powerful psychological principles:
The IKEA Effect
When people watch you build something, they feel ownership over it. They've "helped" by following along, giving feedback, or just rooting for you. This makes them more likely to buy, recommend, and defend your product.
Parasocial Relationships
By sharing regularly, followers feel like they know you personally. This one-sided relationship creates loyalty that traditional marketing can't buy.
Accountability & Motivation
When you commit publicly, you're more likely to follow through. The audience becomes your accountability partner.
Built-in Marketing
Every update is content. Every milestone is news. You're marketing your product while building it—not as an afterthought.
The Daily Update Framework
Consistency is key to building in public. Here's a framework for sharing daily updates that keeps your audience engaged without burning you out:
What I Shipped
Lead with what you accomplished. Features, fixes, content—anything tangible. Screenshots and demos work best.
Key Metrics
Share one relevant number. Revenue, users, conversion rate—pick what matters today.
Challenge or Learning
Share something you struggled with or learned. This humanizes you and invites engagement.
What's Next
End with tomorrow's focus. Creates anticipation and accountability.
Pro Tip: Build Streaks
Platforms like Builders.to track your posting streaks. A 30-day streak becomes content itself: "Just hit 30 consecutive days of shipping!" People love following streak builders.
Best Platforms for Building in Public
Builders.to
Purpose-built for indie hackers. Daily updates feed, milestone tracking, streak system, and a community that actually cares about your journey. Your updates get seen by other builders.
X (Twitter)
The original home of #buildinpublic. Great for reach and connecting with other founders. Threads work well for longer updates.
Personal Blog / Newsletter
Long-form content you own. Weekly or monthly deep dives work best here. Great for SEO and building email list.
YouTube
Video build logs have massive engagement potential. Weekly vlogs showing your screen, face, and process. High effort, high reward.
Multi-platform strategy: Post daily on Builders.to (your home base), share highlights on X for reach, and write monthly deep-dives on your blog for SEO.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Only Sharing Wins
If every update is "we hit a new milestone!" people will tune out or stop believing you. Share the struggles too—they're often more valuable and relatable.
2. Being Inconsistent
Posting daily for a week, then disappearing for a month kills momentum. Better to post 3x per week consistently than daily for a burst.
3. Treating It Like Marketing Copy
"Excited to announce..." language feels fake. Be real. "Shipped X today. Took longer than expected but learned Y."
4. No Call to Action
Building in public should drive business outcomes. Occasionally ask for feedback, beta testers, or point to your waitlist. Don't be shy.
5. Comparing to Others
Someone else hit $10k MRR in 3 months? Good for them. Your journey is yours. Comparison kills consistency.
Real Examples from Successful Builders
Pieter Levels (@levelsio)
Built Nomad List and Remote OK while sharing everything publicly. His transparency about revenue ($2.7M/year) and approach inspired thousands of indie hackers.
Key tactic: Revenue transparency + contrarian opinions
Jon Yongfook (@yongfook)
Documented building Bannerbear from $0 to acquisition. Monthly transparency reports and honest reflection on what worked.
Key tactic: Monthly detailed reports + focus on one product
Tony Dinh (@tdinh_me)
Left his job and built multiple products publicly. Regular updates on X with exact revenue numbers and genuine reflection.
Key tactic: Relatable journey + multiple product experiments
Common thread: All of them share real numbers, admit failures, and maintain consistency over years—not weeks.
Getting Started Today
Ready to start building in public? Here's your action plan:
Create Your Builders.to Profile
Set up your profile with your current project. The milestone tracking and daily updates feed make it easy to maintain consistency.
Post Your First Update
Right now. Share what you're working on today. It doesn't have to be perfect. The first update is always the hardest.
Set a Streak Goal
Commit to 7 days of updates. Then 14. Then 30. The streak gamification helps maintain consistency when motivation fades.
Engage with Other Builders
Comment on other builders' updates. Build relationships. The community aspect is what makes building in public sustainable.
Start Building in Public Today
Join thousands of indie hackers sharing their journey on Builders.to. Track your progress, connect with builders, and grow your audience.