Why "build it and they will come" is dead for indie apps
"Build it and they will come" was always shaky advice. In 2026 it's actively harmful. Here's why it's dead for indie apps, and what to replace it with.
Maya Chen · 8 August 2026 · 3 minInstall Shipyard
Posts tagged growth
Maya Chen · 8 August 2026 · 3 min
Distribution-first building — bake growth into the product, don't bolt it on
The best distribution isn't something you do after you build. It's designed into the product itself. Here's what distribution-first building looks like for indie apps.
Maya Chen · 19 July 2026 · 4 min
"I built an app but have no users" — the distribution gap, explained
If you built an app and nobody's using it, you're not bad at building. You've hit the distribution gap, the real bottleneck for indie apps in 2026. Here's what it is and how to close it.
Maya Chen · 29 June 2026 · 3 min
How to get your first 100 users for a vibe-coded app
You built it, now you need users. A channel-by-channel playbook for getting the first 100 people to actually use your vibe-coded app, with no audience and no budget.
Maya Chen · 27 June 2026 · 4 min
How to distribute a vibe-coded app when nobody knows you yet
You built something with AI in a weekend. Now what? A practical distribution playbook for makers with no audience, no budget, and no time.
Maya Chen · 23 June 2026 · 4 min