How I Missed Out on Thousands of Views Launching My Side Project

I shared my open-source hockey app across Reddit, LinkedIn, and X. Here’s what worked, what backfired, and what I’d do differently.

Here’s a 30-second demo showing how it works:

I built a goofy little tool that lets people create fake NHL stat cards. It was open source, quick to use, and fun to mess around with. So I launched it across three platforms: Reddit, LinkedIn, and X.

In 5 days, it got 300 visitors, and 250 stat cards were created. Not bad for a side project. But the truth is, I could’ve had ten times that if I hadn’t completely botched my approach on the one platform that was actually working.

This isn’t a success story. It’s a breakdown of where the traffic came from, what each platform is actually good for, and the mistake that cost me thousands of views. If you’re a developer or indie builder trying to get traction without an audience, you’ll want to read this before your next launch.

The Numbers at a Glance

Before we dive into what worked and what didn’t, here’s a quick snapshot of what each platform actually delivered:

Here’s what the traffic looked like over those five days:

The first spike was from the r/leafs and other subreddits. The second clean spike was from r/nhl. The quiet days before that were from some small discord groups.

And here’s where those visitors actually came from:

Reddit sent nearly everything. LinkedIn and X barely registered.

The next section will be the breakdown of each platform. Here’s the first:

X (Twitter): A Ghost Town Without Followers

Let’s get this one out of the way.

I posted on X with 7 followers (they were all bots). The result: 13 impressions and 1 click. Not even worth the time it took to format the post.

This isn’t a platform for launching cold. It’s for amplifying when people are already watching. You either need an audience, or you need someone with one to boost you. Otherwise, your post will die in silence while a bot account reposts a meme and gets 3,000 likes.

If you’re building in public or have any kind of dev following, X might work. If not, don’t expect anything unless you get retweeted by someone bigger.

LinkedIn: Great for Optics, Terrible for Clicks

I have about 1,500 connections on LinkedIn. Most of them are developers, founders, recruiters, or people I’ve networked with locally.

When I posted about the project there, it got around 250 impressions and exactly 3 visits to the site.

That’s not a typo, three. It got 2 likes, 0 comments, and then died.

Here’s why LinkedIn underperformed:

• People scroll past external links. Even folks who “like” your post often don’t click.
• The algorithm buries links. If your post includes a URL, LinkedIn throttles the reach unless you’re lucky or have early engagement.
• It’s not built for funny or niche content. This tool was a bit goofy and sports-focused, and it didn’t scream “professional development.”
• LinkedIn has a lot of “ghost users.” They use LinkedIn while they’re looking for a job, and then they disappear when they’re working.

That said, LinkedIn is still useful:

• It gives your project a public timestamp and builds credibility
• It helps if you’re looking for a job or building your profile
• Devs or recruiters might remember you down the line

But if your goal is traffic, LinkedIn is more like a business card than a billboard.

Reddit: High Impact, Harsh Lessons

Reddit drove over 75% of all traffic. Out of 300 visitors and 250 stat cards created, most came from a handful of subreddit posts. Nothing else came close.

Across several posts, I hit over 100,000 impressions combined. The numbers looked promising. But almost every post was removed, blocking what could have been much bigger reach.
• r/leafs: Lasted 20 minutes. Pulled in 30,000+ impressions and 20 visitors before removal.
• r/nhl: Stayed up about an hour. Reached 40,000 impressions and roughly 35 visitors before being pulled.
• Other team subs: Typically brought in 15,000 to 20,000 impressions and 15 to 20 visitors the first hour each.
• r/hockey: Removed immediately and never appeared.

These removals were not about spam or ads. The app was free, open-source, and had no monetization. The problem was framing. The cards looked real, but the content was a joke. Many moderators want serious, analytical posts. I didn’t anticipate this issue, and it cost me a real chance at exposure.

Still, the experience was valuable.

Across all my Reddit posts, I received over 100 comments. Between those conversations and messaging multiple subreddit moderators, I was able to piece together what worked, what didn’t, and what people actually wanted from the tool:

What People Actually Said

People wanted more control:

“Well it could be used seriously too… I just wanna know where I can get all this data to fill in.”

It nailed the meme format:

“Possibly the best statline of all time.”
“This is great. I will spread so much misinformation within my own team’s reddit.”

Others were confused:

“Am I dumb for not getting the point of this?”
“I don’t know what to do with this information.”

Some Loved it:

“Love it, absolutely love it honestly.”

And it had some organic traffic:

“I see someone has been busy on https://nhl-stat-cards.vercel.app/“

• People liked the core idea, but not always the way it was executed
• The current version limited the tool to being a joke, even though people clearly wanted more
• The lack of custom names and stat labels made it impossible to use seriously
• Users wanted to create real cards for their favorite players, beer league teams, or just to visualize the game on their terms

I had unintentionally pigeonholed the project. What I built only made sense for memes. But the response showed there was real interest and value if I gave people more control. The joke version proved there was demand. Now the goal is to deliver something that’s actually useful.

One unexpected win: I saw it used organically on r/canucks, where someone created a meme using the tool. Another user linked back to the project in the comments. That told me the idea had reach. It just needs to evolve.

Lessons Learned

If you’re building and launching projects without an existing audience, here are some key lessons I learned that apply to anyone:

• Know your audience and their needs. Building something just for yourself or based on assumptions won’t get traction. Listen to feedback and adapt.
• Don’t pigeonhole your product too early. Leaving room for customization and flexibility can open unexpected doors.
• Respect platform cultures and rules. What works on Reddit may flop on LinkedIn or X. Mod teams have their own standards.
• Engage with your community. Respond to comments, talk to moderators, and take criticism seriously. It’s worth the effort.

How I’m Applying These Lessons

Based on what I learned, here’s how I plan to improve my stat card generator:

• I’m adding features to allow users to input custom player names, stats, and upload images. This will make it genuinely useful beyond jokes.
• The card design will change to avoid confusion with professional stat cards and reduce moderation issues.
• I’ll focus more on Reddit for growth while respecting community rules and culture.
• LinkedIn and X will be used mainly to build connections and credibility rather than for direct traffic.
• I’ll keep listening to feedback and be ready to pivot again if needed.

Final Lesson

If you’ve got a project, put it out into the world. You’ll learn more from real feedback than you ever will waiting for perfect. You can always improve it and come back stronger. Sitting on it just kills momentum.

Thanks for reading. I hope this helps you avoid a few of the mistakes I had to make myself.