· FeedbackJar Team

The 5 Deadly Mistakes Indie Hackers Make When Collecting User Feedback

Stop wasting time on feedback that doesn't move the needle. Learn from real X and Reddit threads how solo founders turn user insights into revenue-driving decisions.

indie hackers user feedback saas product development bootstrapping

The 5 Deadly Mistakes Indie Hackers Make When Collecting User Feedback

You’ve been grinding for months. Late nights, solo coding sessions, endless debugging. Finally, you launch.

Then… crickets.

Or worse—users sign up, poke around, and vanish. No angry emails. No feature requests. Just silence.

So you post on r/indiehackers: “How do I get feedback from users who won’t talk to me?”

The replies flood in. Some say, “Just ask!” Others suggest surveys, email campaigns, or even cold-calling users. You try it all. And still—nothing actionable. Just vague comments like “it’s fine” or “needs more features.”

Here’s the brutal truth: The problem isn’t your users. It’s how you’re collecting feedback.

After analyzing hundreds of threads on r/indiehackers, r/SaaS, and X (Twitter), I’ve identified the 5 biggest mistakes indie hackers make when gathering user insights. These aren’t edge cases—they’re systematic failures that kill growth, burn time, and lead to feature bloat.

The good news? They’re fixable. And once you fix them, feedback becomes your superpower.

Let’s dive in.

Mistake #1: Waiting Too Long to Collect Feedback (a.k.a. “Launch First, Cry Later”)

The Trap

Picture this: You spend 6 months building your SaaS in stealth mode. No landing page. No beta testers. No pre-launch interviews. Just you, your code, and a vision.

Launch day arrives. You post on Product Hunt, X, and Reddit. Users trickle in. Some sign up. Most bounce.

Then someone drops a comment: “This is cool, but I’d never pay for it. I use [competitor] for this.”

Your heart sinks. That competitor does the exact thing you just spent half a year building—but better, cheaper, and with 10,000 users.

If only you’d asked before writing a single line of code.

Why It’s a Problem

On X, developer Cory House tweeted:

“The best feedback comes from people who aren’t yet your users. They’ll tell you why they wouldn’t use your product—and that’s gold.”

Early feedback is cheap. Building the wrong thing is expensive. Yet indie hackers delay validation because:

  • “I need a working product first.”
  • “People won’t understand my vision from a prototype.”
  • “I’m embarrassed to show something unfinished.”

Meanwhile, on r/indiehackers, a founder posted:

“I built a tool, launched it, and realized nobody wants it. How do I find demand BEFORE I waste months building?”

The comments? A graveyard of similar stories.

The Fix: Validate Before You Build

Here’s the process:

  1. Create a landing page in 2 hours. Tools like Carrd, Webflow, or even a Google Doc work. Describe the problem you’re solving and the solution.
  2. Find 20 people in your target audience. Use Reddit, X, indie hacker communities, or even LinkedIn. DM them directly.
  3. Ask for 15 minutes. Say: “I’m building [thing]. Can I ask a few questions about how you currently solve [problem]?”
  4. Listen for pain, not politeness. If they say “sounds cool,” dig deeper: “What would stop you from using this? What do you use now? What frustrates you about it?”
  5. Build a quick MVP only if 15+ people say they’d pay. Otherwise, pivot or kill it.

Real example: A founder on r/SaaS shared how they interviewed 30 devs before writing code. Turned out, their original idea (a deployment tool) was a non-problem. But during interviews, devs kept complaining about monitoring dashboards. Pivot. Build that instead. $10K MRR in 6 months.

Validation isn’t just feedback—it’s de-risking your entire product.

Mistake #2: Not Listening Properly (or Worse, Arguing with Users)

The Trap

User feedback rolls in:

“Your onboarding is confusing.”

Your immediate thought: “No, it’s not! I spent weeks on that flow. They just didn’t read the instructions.”

So you reply: “Did you check the tooltip? It explains everything.”

Boom. You just killed future feedback from that user.

Why It’s a Problem

On X, indie dev Javi Lopez nailed it:

“When someone gives you feedback: Listen. Ask questions. Thank them. Filter later. Never argue.”

But here’s what actually happens:

  • Defensiveness: “They’re using it wrong.”
  • Dismissiveness: “That’s just one user’s opinion.”
  • Justification: “Here’s why we built it this way…”

On r/indiehackers, a founder asked:

“How do you know when user feedback is actually misleading?”

The top comment? “All feedback is misleading if you take it at face value. Your job is to dig deeper.”

Users don’t always articulate the real problem. They say “add dark mode” when they mean “your UI is too bright for late-night use.” They say “needs more features” when they mean “the core feature doesn’t work well enough.”

If you argue or dismiss, you’ll never uncover the underlying issue.

The Fix: Adopt the “Therapist Mindset”

Here’s your new playbook:

  1. Acknowledge, don’t defend. Say: “Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell me more about what felt confusing?”
  2. Ask follow-up questions. Use the 5 Whys technique: Keep asking “why” until you hit the root cause.
  3. Thank them, no matter what. Even if the feedback is harsh or wrong, say: “I really appreciate you taking the time.”
  4. Filter later, alone. After the conversation, decide if it’s actionable. But never argue in the moment.

Real example: A bootstrapped founder on r/SaaS shared that a user said their pricing was “too expensive.” Instead of justifying, they asked: “What budget were you expecting?” Turns out, the user wanted a monthly plan but only saw annual pricing. Quick fix, not a pricing problem.

Pro tip from Julie Zhuo (X post): When someone says “I don’t like this,” ask:

  • “What were you trying to do when you felt that?”
  • “What did you expect to happen?”
  • “What would make this better for you?”

Context turns vague feedback into actionable insights.

Mistake #3: Failing to Incentivize or Make Feedback Easy

The Trap

You add a “Feedback” button to your app. Maybe a link to a Google Form. Then you wait.

And wait.

One submission in 3 months. From your co-founder. Who was testing.

Why won’t users talk to you?

Why It’s a Problem

Here’s the cold truth: Users don’t owe you feedback. They’re busy. Your product is one of 47 tabs they have open. Unless you make it stupid easy and worth their time, they won’t bother.

On r/SaaS, a founder complained:

“I have 200 users. I emailed them asking for feedback. 3 replies. How do I get people to respond?”

The advice? Incentivize. Offer discounts, early access, or even a $10 gift card. Because time is money, and you’re asking for theirs.

Another thread on r/SideProject (link) echoed the same frustration:

“I can’t even get users to click a feedback button. What am I doing wrong?”

The answer? Friction. If users have to:

  • Leave your app
  • Fill out a 10-question survey
  • Or worse, write an email

You’ve already lost them.

The Fix: Make It Frictionless + Rewarding

Here’s what works:

1. In-App Widgets (Zero Clicks Away)

Use a floating button that opens a quick feedback form without leaving the page. Bonus: Auto-capture context (current URL, user info, screenshot).

Tools like FeedbackJar do this out of the box—users click, type, and submit in 10 seconds.

2. Incentivize Early Adopters

Offer:

  • 20% off for the first 10 people who submit feedback
  • Lifetime access for beta testers who do a 20-minute call
  • Swag (stickers, t-shirts) for power users who submit 5+ pieces of feedback

Indie hacker Saber Amani shared on X:

“Before I had users, I ran polls on Twitter and DMed people directly. Annoying? Maybe. But I got 50+ responses in a week.”

3. Ask at the Right Time

Don’t ask for feedback when users are:

  • Mid-onboarding (they’re confused enough already)
  • Right after a bug (they’re frustrated)

Instead, ask when:

  • They complete a key action (e.g., “You just created your first report! How was that?”)
  • They’ve been active for 7+ days (they’re invested)
  • They cancel (exit interview: “What made you leave?”)

Real example: A SaaS founder on r/bootstrapping added a post-checkout survey: “What almost stopped you from buying?” The replies revealed objections they could fix on the pricing page. Conversion went up 18%.

Mistake #4: Misinterpreting Feedback or Ignoring Patterns

The Trap

You collect 50 feedback submissions. They’re all over the place:

  • “Add Slack integration.”
  • “The button is too small.”
  • “I want dark mode.”
  • “Can you support CSV imports?”
  • “Your logo is ugly.” (Ouch.)

So you… do nothing. Because you don’t know where to start. Or worse, you pick the loudest request and spend 2 weeks building Slack integration—only to discover one user asked for it.

Why It’s a Problem

Raw feedback is useless without pattern recognition. One-off requests are noise. Recurring themes are signal.

On r/indiehackers (thread), a founder asked:

“How do you know when user feedback is actually useful vs. just someone’s random opinion?”

The answer? Look for patterns. If 1 person says your onboarding is confusing, maybe they’re an outlier. If 10 people say it, you have a problem.

But here’s the catch: Users don’t always use the same words. One says “confusing.” Another says “unclear.” A third says “I didn’t know what to do next.” Same issue, different phrasing.

If you don’t group these thematically, you’ll miss the pattern.

The Fix: Tag, Categorize, and Prioritize

Here’s the process:

1. Tag Every Submission

Use simple tags like:

  • Bug
  • Feature Request
  • UX/UI
  • Performance
  • Pricing
  • Onboarding

Start manual. Tools like FeedbackJar let you tag as you review. Once you have 50+ submissions, patterns emerge.

2. Look for Recurring Themes (the “Rule of 5”)

If 5+ users mention the same problem (even in different words), it’s real. Prioritize it.

3. Use the ICE Framework

Score each theme by:

  • Impact: How much will this improve user experience? (1-10)
  • Confidence: How sure are you this is the right fix? (1-10)
  • Ease: How easy is it to build? (1-10)

Multiply: Impact × Confidence × Ease = Priority Score.

Example: Let’s say you have two themes:

  1. “Onboarding is confusing” → Impact: 9, Confidence: 8, Ease: 6 = 432
  2. “Add Zapier integration” → Impact: 5, Confidence: 4, Ease: 2 = 40

Ship the onboarding fix first.

4. Beware of “Outlier Obsession”

Just because a power user or loud customer demands something doesn’t mean it’s valuable. Always ask: How many users does this affect?

Real example: A founder on r/SaaS spent a month building a feature requested by their biggest customer. Launched it. No one else used it. Lesson learned: One user’s need ≠ market need.

Mistake #5: Having Broken or Non-Existent Feedback Loops

The Trap

Users submit feedback. You see it. You even build the feature they requested.

But you never tell them.

Three months later, that user churns. When you ask why, they say: “You never listened to my feedback.”

But you did! You just didn’t close the loop.

Why It’s a Problem

Feedback without follow-up is a one-way street. Users feel ignored, even if you’re working on their request. Over time, they stop submitting feedback—or worse, they leave.

On X, indie SaaS founder Dave G (tweet) said:

“Broken feedback loops are the #1 reason indie hackers build the wrong thing. You’re guessing what users want instead of confirming.”

And on r/indiehackers (thread), a post-launch playbook emphasized:

“Use feedback systematically. Update your landing page, onboarding, and roadmap based on what users tell you. Then tell them you did it.”

When users see their input drive change, they become evangelists. When they don’t, they become ghosts.

The Fix: Close the Loop (Every. Single. Time.)

Here’s how to do it right:

1. Acknowledge Immediately

When feedback comes in, reply within 24 hours (even if it’s just: “Thanks! We’re reviewing this.”). It shows you’re listening.

2. Update Requesters When You Ship

When you build something, notify everyone who asked for it:

  • Email: “Hey [Name], remember when you asked for [feature]? It’s live!”
  • In-app notification: “Your requested feature is here!”
  • Public changelog: List updates with credit (e.g., “Thanks to Sarah for suggesting this.”)

Tools like FeedbackJar let you tag users to feature requests, then bulk-notify them when you ship. No manual tracking needed.

3. Explain When You Don’t Build Something

If you reject a feature, say why:

  • “We considered this, but it conflicts with our core vision.”
  • “Only 2% of users need this, so we’re prioritizing [other thing].”
  • “Great idea, but too complex for our current resources. We’ll revisit in Q3.”

Transparency builds trust.

4. Create a Public Roadmap

Let users see:

  • What you’re working on
  • What’s next
  • What you’re considering

Example: Linear, Notion, and other successful SaaS companies have public roadmaps where users can vote and comment. It creates shared ownership of the product.

Real example: A bootstrapped founder on r/SaaS shared that they started sending monthly “You Asked, We Built” emails. Churn dropped 15%. Users felt heard, even when their specific request wasn’t prioritized.

Bonus Mistake: Asking the Wrong Questions

This deserves a quick mention. If you ask:

“Do you like our product?”

You’ll get: “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Useless.

Instead, ask:

  • “What were you trying to accomplish when you signed up?”
  • “What’s the biggest frustration you have with [current solution]?”
  • “If we disappeared tomorrow, what would you use instead?”
  • “Would you recommend this to a friend? Why or why not?”

Better questions = better insights.

How to Fix All 5 Mistakes (Without Losing Your Sanity)

Here’s the system that works for bootstrapped indie hackers:

1. Start Before You Launch

  • Run 20 validation interviews
  • Create a landing page and collect emails
  • Ask: “What would make you pay for this?“

2. Make Feedback Easy

  • Use an in-app widget (like FeedbackJar)
  • Auto-capture context (URL, user info, screenshots)
  • Incentivize with discounts or early access

3. Listen Like a Therapist

  • Never argue
  • Ask “why” 5 times
  • Thank everyone

4. Spot Patterns

  • Tag submissions (Bug, Feature, UX, etc.)
  • Look for themes mentioned by 5+ users
  • Use the ICE framework to prioritize

5. Close the Loop

  • Reply to every submission within 24 hours
  • Notify users when you ship their request
  • Explain rejections transparently
  • Publish a public roadmap

Why Most Indie Hackers Fail at This (And How You Can Succeed)

Building solo means wearing 17 hats: developer, marketer, support, designer, salesperson. Feedback often falls to the bottom of the list—until it’s too late.

But here’s the thing: Feedback isn’t a chore. It’s your competitive advantage.

Big companies have layers: support teams, PMs, data analysts. You don’t. But that means you can move faster. You can talk directly to users, ship fixes in days (not quarters), and build exactly what people want.

The founders who win are the ones who treat feedback like fuel. They:

  • Start early (before writing code)
  • Listen hard (without defensiveness)
  • Make it easy (in-app, incentivized)
  • Spot patterns (not chasing one-offs)
  • Close the loop (notify, thank, ship)

Do this, and you’ll build something users love. Ignore it, and you’ll build something only you care about.

Ready to Turn Feedback Into Your Superpower?

If you’re serious about structured, actionable feedback without the chaos, you need a system—not just a Google Form.

FeedbackJar helps you:

  • ✅ Collect feedback in-app with zero friction (widget + auto-context)
  • ✅ Tag and prioritize with AI-assisted pattern detection
  • ✅ Close the loop by notifying users when you ship their requests
  • ✅ Stay organized with voting boards and public roadmaps
  • ✅ Focus on action, not endless categorization

Start your free trial at feedbackjar.com and stop guessing what your users want.

Final Thought

You can’t build in a vacuum. The solo founder who wins isn’t the one with the best code—it’s the one with the best connection to their users.

Feedback is messy. It’s contradictory. It’s sometimes frustrating. But it’s also the only way to know if you’re building the right thing.

So stop waiting. Start asking. Listen hard. Close the loop.

Your users are talking. Are you listening?

Sources & Further Reading

On Early Feedback & Validation

On Listening & Interpreting Feedback

On Making Feedback Easy

On Feedback Loops & Systems

FAQs

Q: How many users do I need before collecting feedback?

Zero. Start before you have users. Interview 20 people in your target market, show them mockups or landing pages, and validate demand. Once you launch, collect feedback from Day 1—even if you only have 5 users.

Q: What if users don’t respond to my feedback requests?

Make it easier. Use in-app widgets instead of emails. Incentivize with discounts, early access, or gift cards. And ask at the right moment—after they complete a key action, not randomly.

Q: Should I build every feature users request?

No. Look for patterns. If 5+ users ask for something, it’s worth considering. If it’s one person, it’s probably an outlier. Use the ICE framework (Impact × Confidence × Ease) to prioritize.

Q: How do I avoid feature bloat from too much feedback?

Filter ruthlessly. Not all feedback is equal. Focus on:

  1. Requests from paying customers (over free users)
  2. Themes mentioned by 10%+ of your user base
  3. Features that align with your core vision

Say “no” to everything else—and explain why.

Q: What’s the best tool for collecting feedback?

It depends on your stage:

  • Pre-launch: Manual interviews, polls on X/Reddit, landing page email forms
  • Post-launch: In-app widgets with context capture (like FeedbackJar), voting boards, and public roadmaps
  • Scaling: Add AI-assisted pattern detection to handle volume

The key is low friction for users and high signal for you.

Q: How quickly should I respond to feedback?

Within 24 hours for acknowledgment (“Thanks, we’re reviewing this”). For actual implementation, prioritize based on impact—critical bugs within days, feature requests within weeks/months. But always close the loop when you ship.

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