r/startups: rules, promo tolerance & best time to post
strict — no promo (2/10) · tone: Pragmatic and advice-seeking; founders ask concrete operational questions with genuine uncertainty, often self-aware about not promoting their own work.
Can you promote in r/startups?
Strict: this community removes promotional content on sight. Contribute value only; pitching here risks removal and a subreddit ban.
r/startups is a high-trust, advice-driven community that ruthlessly filters self-promotion while rewarding founders who ask thoughtful operational questions and share genuine learning. The repeated "I will not promote" language signals either strict moderation or a self-policing culture that views authentic help-seeking favorably and flagrant marketing as taboo. Success here requires vulnerability, specificity, and contributing to others' problems before (or without ever) mentioning your own.
- DO ask specific operational/tactical questions with context
- DO share retrospectives or learnings from your own experience
- DO reference others' wins/failures analytically
- DO ask about frameworks (pricing, hiring, fundraising timelines)
- DON'T mention your own startup as the subject unless seeking non-promotional advice
- DON'T post links to your product, landing page, or content
- DON'T frame posts as case studies of your own success
- DON'T ask 'How do I grow my startup?' without specific context or problem
Best time to post in r/startups
Compute it live from recent top posts →
What this community complains about
Recurring pain points in recent threads — each one is a conversation your product might belong in:
- Pricing strategy and understanding customer value capture
- When to quit a job and go full-time
- Fundraising mechanics and VC term sheets
- Hiring and equity allocation at early stages
- Customer acquisition without paid ads
- Deciding between solo launch vs. co-founder partnership
How locals talk
foundertractionpre-seedside projectB2BSaaSdomain knowledgeco-founderfirst usersmoat
Using a community's own vocabulary is the difference between reading as a member and reading as a marketer.
FAQ
Can you self-promote in r/startups?
Strict: this community removes promotional content on sight. Contribute value only; pitching here risks removal and a subreddit ban.
What is the best time to post in r/startups?
Use our free best-time-to-post tool to compute r/startups's winning window live from its recent top posts.
What is r/startups like?
r/startups is a high-trust, advice-driven community that ruthlessly filters self-promotion while rewarding founders who ask thoughtful operational questions and share genuine learning. The repeated "I will not promote" language signals either strict moderation or a self-policing culture that views authentic help-seeking favorably and flagrant marketing as taboo. Success here requires vulnerability, specificity, and contributing to others' problems before (or without ever) mentioning your own.
Similar communities
r/smallbusiness r/sideproject r/entrepreneur r/saas r/indiehackers r/entrepreneurridealong
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