One founder, one weekend of outreach, ~70 free channels. The plan below turns “nobody’s heard of it” into “everyone’s talking about it” — without spending a dollar. Global first, Ukraine as a second front.
Ideas hit at random — a way to describe the app, a positioning angle, a line worth stealing. Dump them here the moment they come; everything you type saves in this browser automatically, and you’ll mine it later for the press release, pitches and listings.
Before any outreach, agree on the one sentence you’ll repeat everywhere. You are not “another goal app.” You have three things almost nobody else has — lead with them or you’ll be ignored.
After it builds your plan, a real AI voice coach calls your phone to keep you moving — not another notification you swipe away. Rare, demo-able, headline-worthy.
One founder shipping a full AI product through wartime Ukraine. A genuine human story journalists and communities respond to — not a pitch, a person.
Most apps stop at a to-do list that guilt-trips you. Gainers is behavior change with a voice, streaks that forgive a slip, and friends competition.
“Gainers is an AI coach that builds your action plan and phones you to keep you moving.”
Say the phone-call in the first sentence of every email, post and listing. It’s the thing that makes people stop scrolling.
A press kit exists so a journalist can write the whole story without emailing you back. If they have to ask for a logo, you’ve lost them. Host it at one stable URL — do gainers.app/press (static HTML on your VPS; you own it, it’s on-brand, it never expires). Check items off as you go.
Don’t want to hand-build the page? ImpressKit is a hosted press-kit builder made for apps. A public Notion page works as a zero-effort v1 — but migrate to your own domain before pitching tier-1 press. ⚠️ Skip the old dopresskit.com (unmaintained) and presskit.gg (game-only).
Write these once, reuse them in every form, listing and pitch. Every directory asks for the same fields — having them ready turns a 20-minute submission into a 2-minute one.
≤ 60 charsAI coach that phones you to keep your goals moving. ≤ 120 charsGainers turns any goal into an AI action plan — then an AI voice coach phones you daily to keep you moving. Free, iOS. ≤ 15 words (headline)Gainers is an AI coach that builds your action plan and phones you to keep moving.
Gainers is a free iOS app that turns any goal into an AI-built action plan — then an AI voice coach actually calls your phone to keep you moving. Daily motivation, streaks with a forgiveness system so one missed day doesn’t wipe your progress, and friendly competition with friends. Bilingual English + Ukrainian.
Most goal apps stop at reminders you learn to ignore. Gainers goes further: tell it a goal, and an AI builds you a concrete, step-by-step action plan. Every day it sends real motivation — and then an AI voice coach literally phones you, talks you through your next step, and holds you accountable like a person would. Miss a day? A forgiveness system keeps your streak alive instead of punishing you. Compete with friends to stay honest. It’s free, live on the App Store, and fully bilingual in English and Ukrainian. Gainers was built solo, from Ukraine, by a founder who wanted momentum you can’t swipe away. The name says the whole philosophy: keep moving. Small wins, compounded daily, with a coach in your corner who actually calls.
AI · self-improvement · productivity · habit tracker · goal setting · motivation · coaching · mental wellness · voice AI · iOS
Under 150 words each. Personalise the first line (reference a real recent piece of theirs), link — never attach, send Tue–Thu morning their time, and follow up once. Replace the [highlighted] parts.
Subject: An AI coach that actually phones you when you slack offHi [Name], Your piece on [specific recent article] is why I’m writing — I built the thing you’d probably poke holes in. Gainers is a goal app with a twist: after it builds your action plan, an AI voice coach literally calls your phone to keep you moving — not another silent notification you swipe away. It’s free, live on the App Store, bilingual EN/UK, and I built the whole thing solo from Ukraine. 30-sec demo of the coach making a call: [link] Press kit (screenshots, video, logos): gainers.app/press Happy to give you early access or hop on a quick call. Worth a look? [Your name] · Founder, Gainers · [phone] · [links]
Subject: For [Outlet] readers who set goals and never finish themHi [Name], Loved your [specific post]. Wanted to put a tool in front of you your audience might actually stick with. Most goal apps stop at reminders. Gainers turns a goal into an AI-built action plan, sends daily motivation, and then an AI coach phones you — real accountability, not a to-do list that guilt-trips you. It has streaks (with forgiveness, so one missed day doesn’t wipe your progress) and friendly competition. Free, iOS, English + Ukrainian. I’m a solo founder building this in public from Ukraine — happy to share the behind-the-scenes for a piece. Try it free: [App Store link] · Press kit: gainers.app/press Would you be open to taking a look? [Your name] · [links]
Тема: AI-коуч, який телефонує тобі, щоб ти не кидав свої ціліПривіт, [Ім’я]! Читав ваш матеріал про [конкретна стаття] — тому пишу саме вам. Я зробив Gainers: застосунок ставить ціль, AI будує покроковий план, а далі AI-коуч реально ТЕЛЕФОНУЄ тобі голосом і веде до наступного кроку — не чергове сповіщення, яке гортаєш. Безкоштовно, вже в App Store, двомовний (укр/англ). Зробив соло, з України. Демо дзвінка коуча (30 сек): [посилання] Прес-кіт: gainers.app/press Готовий дати ранній доступ або розповісти історію створення для матеріалу. Цікаво? [Ім’я] · засновник Gainers · [контакти]
Hey [Name] — your video on [specific topic] was spot on, especially the part about accountability. I built an app that fits that exact problem: Gainers turns a goal into an AI plan and then an AI coach actually *calls your phone* to keep you on track. Solo founder, shipping from Ukraine. No budget to throw around, but I’d love to give you free lifetime PRO + a custom promo code for your audience, and I can send a ready-made 20-sec clip of the coach calling so it’s zero effort to post. Down to check it out?
Show HN / title: An AI coach that phones you to keep your goalsI got tired of goal apps that just send notifications you learn to ignore, so I built one that calls you. Gainers: you set a goal → an AI writes a step-by-step plan → every day an AI voice coach actually phones you, talks through your next step, and keeps you accountable. Streaks forgive a missed day; you can compete with friends. Built solo from Ukraine, bilingual EN/UK, free on iOS. The voice-call part was the hard bit (real-time STT → LLM → TTS over a phone-style call). Happy to go into the stack. What I’d love feedback on: does an AI *calling* you feel motivating or annoying? Genuinely want to know. [link]
Quick nudge in case this slipped, [Name] — happy to send the 30-sec demo of the coach calling if it’s easier. Either way, thanks for the work you do.Three lengths, both languages. Send the long one to press & your /press page, the medium to newsletters and blogs, the short as a Show HN / directory blurb or social post. Fill the [brackets] and send it the day your App Store listing goes live.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Gainers Launches: An AI Coach That Phones You to Keep Your Goals — Built Solo in Ukraine [City], Ukraine — [Date] — Today marks the launch of Gainers, a free iOS app built on one radical idea: an AI coach that doesn’t just remind you of your goals, but calls your phone to talk you through them. Built single-handedly over roughly eight months by a solo founder in Ukraine, Gainers is a motivation and goal-achievement app for a generation that has never had more opportunity — and never found it harder to focus. The problem is everywhere. Research from the University of Scranton has long suggested that around 92% of people who set goals never reach them. The tools to build almost anything — an app, a business, a body of creative work — are now free and in everyone’s pocket, yet people hop from project to project, unable to latch onto one thing and see it through. Attention, the founder argues, has quietly become the scarcest resource of all — extracted by billion-dollar platforms, endless notifications, and a flood of messages that pull us away from what actually matters to us. Gainers is built to give that attention back, one drop at a time. Tell the app a goal, and an AI builds a concrete, step-by-step plan. From there it becomes an active coach, not a passive tracker: • A voice coach that calls you. Gainers’ AI coach phones your real phone to check in and keep you moving — twice a week on the free plan — turning accountability into a conversation, not a notification you swipe away. • Motivation you can share. A worldwide library of quotes from great thinkers and doers, wrapped in beautiful designs made to post on Instagram — swipe, get inspired, share. • Notifications used for good. A customizable “MotiNoti” system lets you choose exactly which nudges you receive, turning the most interruptive tool on your phone into a beneficial one. • Streaks that forgive, and friendly competition to keep you honest without punishing a single slip. “I built the app that helped me finish the app,” the founder says. “I’m one person — people gave me advice, but I wrote every line of code alone, through everything happening around us. Gainers is first of all for Ukrainians. When a nation is under attack, motivation is one of the first things to fall — and it’s exactly what people need most. Everyone carries a spark of genius, but the world is very good at stealing our focus. This app exists to return it, in small daily drops. Water wears away stone.” Gainers isn’t only for people chasing a goal — it’s built for people who already achieve and want to keep the momentum. The app is bilingual in English and Ukrainian and is rolling out across Ukraine, the UK and Europe. Built solo across roughly eight months and more than a thousand iterations, it is available free on the App Store. About Gainers: Gainers (“Keep Moving”) is a free, AI-powered momentum app that turns goals into action plans and keeps people moving with an AI voice coach, shareable motivation, and reminders you actually want. Built solo in Ukraine. Press contact: [Name] — press@gainers.app — gainers.app/press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Gainers Launches: An AI Coach That Calls You to Keep Your Goals [City], Ukraine — [Date] — Gainers, a free iOS app, launches today with a simple twist on the goal app: an AI coach that phones your real phone to keep you moving — not another notification you ignore. Research suggests around 92% of people never reach the goals they set; with the tools to build anything now free and everywhere, more people than ever start projects and abandon them, unable to hold their focus. Gainers turns any goal into an AI action plan, then keeps you accountable: a voice coach that calls (twice a week free), a worldwide library of famous quotes in shareable designs, and a customizable notification system that reminds you of what matters. “Everyone carries a spark of genius, but the world is very good at stealing our focus,” says the founder, who built the app solo in Ukraine over roughly eight months. “This app exists to return it, drop by drop.” Free on the App Store, bilingual English/Ukrainian, rolling out across Ukraine, the UK and Europe. Press: [Name] — press@gainers.app — gainers.app/press
Gainers is a new free iOS app: an AI coach that phones your real phone to keep you moving toward your goals — not another notification you swipe away. Set a goal, get an AI action plan, get a call from your coach (twice a week free), and swipe shareable motivation from great minds worldwide. Built solo in Ukraine, bilingual English/Ukrainian. gainers.app
ДЛЯ НЕГАЙНОГО ПОШИРЕННЯ Виходить Gainers: AI-коуч, який телефонує тобі, щоб ти не кидав свої цілі. Створений однією людиною в Україні. [Місто], Україна — [Дата] — Сьогодні виходить Gainers — безкоштовний застосунок для iOS з однією сміливою ідеєю: AI-коуч, який не просто нагадує про твої цілі, а телефонує тобі, щоб провести через них. Створений однією людиною приблизно за вісім місяців, Gainers — застосунок мотивації та досягнення цілей для покоління, яке ніколи не мало стільки можливостей — і якому ніколи не було так важко зосередитися. Проблема всюди. Дослідження Скрентонського університету давно свідчать, що близько 92% людей так і не досягають цілей, які ставлять. Інструменти, щоб створити майже будь-що — застосунок, бізнес, творчість — тепер безкоштовні й у кожного в кишені, але люди стрибають від проєкту до проєкту, не здатні вчепитися за щось одне й довести до кінця. Увага, каже засновник, стала найдефіцитнішим ресурсом — її тихо забирають мільярдні платформи, безкінечні сповіщення й потік повідомлень, що відривають нас від головного. Gainers повертає цю увагу — крапля за краплею. Постав ціль — і AI побудує конкретний покроковий план. Далі застосунок стає активним коучем, а не пасивним трекером: • Голосовий коуч, який тобі дзвонить. AI-коуч телефонує на твій справжній телефон, щоб підтримати й підштовхнути — двічі на тиждень на безкоштовному тарифі. Це розмова, а не чергове сповіщення, яке гортаєш. • Мотивація, якою можна поділитися. Світова бібліотека цитат видатних людей у красивих дизайнах для Instagram — гортай, надихайся, ділися. • Сповіщення на користь. Гнучка система «MotiNoti» дає вибрати, які саме нагадування отримувати, — і найвідволікаючіший інструмент у телефоні стає корисним. • Стріки, що прощають, і дружнє змагання, щоб тримати себе чесно, не караючи за один пропущений день. «Я створив застосунок, який допоміг мені створити цей застосунок, — каже засновник. — Я одна людина; мені радили, але кожен рядок коду я написав сам, попри все, що відбувається навколо. Gainers — насамперед для українців. Коли на націю нападають, мотивація падає одна з перших — а саме її й бракує найбільше. У кожному є частинка генія, але світ дуже вправно краде наш фокус. Цей застосунок існує, щоб його повертати — маленькими щоденними краплями. Вода камінь точить». Gainers — не лише для тих, хто прагне досягти цілі, а й для тих, хто вже досягає й хоче зберегти темп. Застосунок двомовний (українська й англійська) і виходить в Україні, Британії та Європі. Створений соло приблизно за вісім місяців і понад тисячу ітерацій, він доступний безкоштовно в App Store. Про Gainers: Gainers («Keep Moving») — безкоштовний застосунок на базі AI, що перетворює цілі на плани дій і тримає людей у русі за допомогою голосового коуча, мотивації, якою можна ділитися, і корисних нагадувань. Створений соло в Україні. Контакт для преси: [Ім’я] — press@gainers.app — gainers.app/press
ДЛЯ НЕГАЙНОГО ПОШИРЕННЯ Виходить Gainers: AI-коуч, який дзвонить тобі, щоб ти не кидав свої цілі [Місто], Україна — [Дата] — Сьогодні виходить Gainers — безкоштовний застосунок для iOS з простим твістом: AI-коуч, який телефонує на твій справжній телефон, щоб підтримати тебе в русі, — а не чергове сповіщення, яке ти ігноруєш. Дослідження свідчать: близько 92% людей не досягають цілей, які ставлять. Коли інструменти, щоб створити будь-що, безкоштовні й усюди, більше людей, ніж будь-коли, починають проєкти й кидають їх, не втримавши фокус. Gainers перетворює ціль на AI-план, а тоді тримає тебе відповідальним: голосовий коуч, який дзвонить (двічі на тиждень безкоштовно), світова бібліотека цитат у дизайнах для Instagram і гнучкі корисні нагадування. «У кожному є частинка генія, але світ вправно краде наш фокус, — каже засновник, який створив застосунок соло в Україні за вісім місяців. — Цей застосунок існує, щоб повертати його — крапля за краплею». Безкоштовно в App Store, двомовний (укр/англ), виходить в Україні, Британії та Європі. Преса: [Ім’я] — press@gainers.app — gainers.app/press
Gainers — новий безкоштовний застосунок для iOS: AI-коуч, який телефонує на твій справжній телефон, щоб вести тебе до цілей, — а не чергове сповіщення, яке гортаєш. Постав ціль, отримай AI-план, дзвінок від коуча (двічі на тиждень безкоштовно) і гортай мотиваційні цитати видатних людей у дизайнах для Instagram. Створений соло в Україні, двомовний. gainers.app
Don’t blast everything on day one. Concentrate the high-impact channels into one launch day so momentum clusters, then drip the long tail. Here’s the countdown.
Where founders submit products for launch-day votes, discovery and backlinks. Concentrate Tier 1 in launch week; drip the rest. “Free?” is honest about free-vs-pay-to-skip-queue.
| Platform | Cost | Reach | How + tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Hunt | FREE | very high | The single highest-leverage $0 launch. Prep 4–6 wks, launch Tue/Wed 12:01 AM PST, reply all day. See §09. |
| Hacker News · Show HN | FREE | very high | “Show HN: an AI coach that phones you…”. Post ~8–9am ET weekday. Plain title, no marketing words. Reply to every comment. |
| Fazier | FREE | high | One of the few boards giving a do-follow backlink on the free tier. Moderated daily leaderboard. Do it. |
| Peerlist Launchpad | FREE | high | Week-long community vote, winner Sunday. Fairer, less-gamed than PH; great early-adopter overlap. |
| Uneed | FREE | high | Supportive indie crowd, low competition. Free = no-follow; paid unlocks do-follow/featured. |
| Indie Hackers · Products | FREE | high | Product page + share the build-in-public story in the forum. Founder narratives win. |
| BetaList | FREE / $99 skip | high | Position Gainers as “early access.” Free queue is weeks long; targeted early-adopter audience. |
| There’s An AI For That | FREE thread / $347 | very high | Huge AI-seeker traffic. Skip the paid tier — chase their monthly free submission thread on X (one winner/thread). |
| Platform | Cost | Reach | How + tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlternativeTo | FREE | very high | List as an alternative to Fabulous / Habitica / Finch. Users find you searching competitors. |
| SaaSHub | FREE | high | Tag against habit/goal-tracking alternatives. Evergreen backlink + discovery. |
| AppShopper | FREE | high (iOS) | iOS-App-Store-native directory — a real fit for a mobile app. Submit your App Store listing. |
| AppAdvice | FREE pitch | high (iOS) | Editorial — pitch for a themed roundup (“apps for self-improvement”). Not auto-listed. |
| 148Apps | FREE pitch | med (iOS) | iOS review site — email a short pitch + promo codes. |
| Startup Stash | FREE | high | Curated resource directory; aim for the productivity / self-improvement category. |
| Launching Next | FREE | med | Free permanent do-follow backlink — one of the best free SEO plays. Just fill the form. |
| Startup Fame | FREE | med | Do-follow listing on a healthy domain. Low effort, good SEO. |
| MicroLaunch | FREE | med | Micro-SaaS/indie community voting + feedback. Solo-founder tone. |
| TinyLaunch | FREE badge / $39 | med | Soft landing for first launches. Free do-follow needs their badge embedded; $39 skips queue. |
| Tiny Startups | FREE | med | Also a weekly newsletter — bonus distribution beyond the web listing. |
| Twelve Tools | FREE | med | Fast launch board, decent do-follow value for indie tools. |
AppGrooves (no free indie path) · TouchArcade / GameZebo / AppSpy (games only) · G2 / Capterra / GetApp (B2B software — weak fit for a consumer app) · “submit to 100+ directories” paid blasts (spammy, Google discounts them). And Futurepedia is now fully paid — don’t pay $497.
You’re an AI product — there’s a whole parallel ecosystem of AI directories. Submit the same copy pack everywhere. Two honest catches for 2026: most free tiers now give no-follow links, and several ask for a reciprocal “Featured on…” badge. Decide up front if you’ll add that badge to your footer — it unlocks faster/do-follow listings on several.
| Directory | Cost | Reach | Note / catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Tools | FREE | high | Hand-curated by Matt Wolfe (900K+ YT). Rejects “widely available” tools — your novel voice-coach use-case clears the bar. Lead with it. |
| Toolify.ai | FREE tier | high | Listed in 24–48h; pages rank in Google → real referral traffic. Free link is no-follow; $99 fast-track optional. |
| TopAI.tools | FREE | high | 19,000+ tools, fast listing, well-indexed. |
| AIxploria | FREE | high | Big EU/global reach — extra value for a bilingual EN/UK app. Reviewed ~48h. |
| Dang.ai | FREE | med-high | Well-indexed. Often asks for a reciprocal badge to verify + unlock do-follow. |
| AiToolHunt | FREE | med-high | “Completely free, no card.” 6,700+ tools, 150 categories. |
| Product Hunt (AI) | FREE | very high | Submit under AI + productivity/coaching. Same launch as §06 — one shot, prep first. |
| Directory | Cost | Reach | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Scout | FREE | med | Curated (manual review), good for backlink profile. |
| Insidr AI | FREE | med | Free listing; featured is paid. Decent DR. |
| SaaS AI Tools | FREE | med | Newsletter + directory; good productivity fit. |
| AITools.fyi | FREE | med | Clean curated directory, free submission. |
| AIToolMall | FREE | med | Auto-listed, fast. |
| OpenTools.ai | FREE | med | Chat-search UI → good discoverability. |
| AIChief | FREE | med | Free submission + review; sometimes wants a reciprocal badge. |
| OpenFuture AI | FREE | med | Large free directory, simple form. |
| Futurepedia (free tier) | FREE tier | med-high | Free self-serve submission still exists (editorial approval). Skip the $497 verified tier. |
Master list to go further: the GitHub repo best-of-ai/ai-directories tracks ~200 directories, continuously updated.
Real contact routes, verified 2026. Confirm the address on the site before sending (email patterns drift). Pitch individual writers on your beat, not firehose inboxes. Start with the “easy” iOS roundups — they exist to feature exactly you.
| Outlet | Contact | Difficulty | How / what they want |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9to5Mac · Indie Spotlight | michaelb@9to5mac.com | easy | Weekly column built for indie iOS apps. New app / big update / “interesting app.” Your best warm start. |
| Indie Watch | site form | easy | Weekly hand-curated newsletter of best iOS apps. Free submission; they contact you if featuring. |
| Indie Dev Monday | site form | easy | Weekly indie-dev spotlight newsletter. Indie-first, free. |
| The Rundown AI | rundown.ai/submit | med | ~2M-sub daily AI newsletter with a real free submit form + “tool of the day.” Rare and worth it. |
| Ben’s Bites | submit to feed | med | AI newsletter for founders (~160K). Free account → submit; top-upvoted hits the newsletter. Discord too. |
| Lifehacker | pitches@lifehacker.com | med | Productivity/self-improvement — strong niche fit. Send an outline, not a full article. (tips@ for tips.) |
| MakeUseOf | site “work with us” | med | Runs app + AI-tool roundups you can land in. |
| XDA Developers | contact page | med | Good for the “AI voice coach” tech angle. |
| Cult of Mac | news/contact page | med | Apple/app-review consumer audience. |
| TechCrunch | tips@techcrunch.com | hard | Better: pitch the specific AI/consumer-apps writer. 2–4 lines, links not attachments, no tracking pixels. |
| The Verge | writer email | hard | No generic inbox — pitch a specific writer on the AI/apps beat, concise, morning send. |
| Android Authority | news@androidauthority.com | med | Save for your Android launch. Apps/AI/mobile. |
| “Best self-improvement apps 2026” authors | email the author | easy | Google the live ranked listicles, email each author to be considered. Cheap, high-fit, evergreen SEO. |
| Outlet | Contact | Cost | Fit / how |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIN.Capital | editor@ain.capital | FREE | Your best English-language UA outlet — CEE-startup focus. Send the EN pitch here. |
| Speka | hello@speka.media | FREE | Most indie-friendly. Pitch a first-person “building Gainers” column, not just coverage. |
| DOU.ua | editors@dou.ua + blogs | FREE | Huge dev readership. Self-publish a “як я побудував AI-застосунок” community post. |
| AIN.ua | redakity@ain.ua | FREE pitch | Very indie-friendly; runs Ukrainian-founder + launch items. |
| dev.ua | redaktor@dev.ua | FREE pitch | Strong startup/IT coverage. Needs a real news peg. |
| Vector | hello@vctr.media | FREE | Design-forward, likes fresh product stories — good taste fit. |
| MC.today | redaktor@mc.today | FREE / paid | Loves founder-journey narratives; the free slot is competitive. |
| Highload.today | editor@highload.today | FREE pitch | Best for the technical angle — the AI voice pipeline/architecture. |
| ITC.ua | news@itc.ua | FREE pitch | Large consumer audience; send a tight launch news item. |
| The Page | redaktsiya@thepage.ua | FREE pitch | Business/tech angle; solid mainstream hit. |
| Bazilik Media | hello@bazilik.media | FREE | Startup/innovation focus; good indie fit. |
EN pitch (Template A/B) → AIN.Capital + all of Global. UA pitch (Template C) → dev.ua, MC.today, Speka, DOU, ITC, Vector, Highload. Best free bets, ranked: Product Hunt → 9to5Mac Indie Spotlight → The Rundown AI → Ben’s Bites → Speka/DOU columns → AIN.ua.
Directories give backlinks; communities give users and word-of-mouth. Three rules keep you unbanned everywhere: (1) contribute before you promote (aged account, real comments), (2) lead with story or a specific feedback/tester ask — never a bare link, (3) use each community’s designated day/thread/channel. Unique copy per place — identical cross-posts trip spam filters.
| Subreddit | Reach | Rule / how to post |
|---|---|---|
| r/SideProject | ~620K | Most self-promo-friendly. Post the build story (what/why/tech/feedback wanted), not an ad. Reply to comments. Tue–Thu 8–11am EST. |
| r/indiehackers | ~117K | Share the journey + real numbers. “No ideas without traction.” Pure ads get downvoted. |
| r/IMadeThis | ~440K | “Show what you made.” Humble framing beats corporate. |
| r/alphaandbetausers | ~88K | Built for recruiting testers. “Looking for 10 people building a habit to test an AI voice-coach.” |
| r/RoastMyStartup | ~45K | Direct links allowed. Great for landing-page / onboarding critique — if you can take heat. |
| Subreddit | Reach | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| r/TestFlight | ~40K | Recruit iOS beta testers via TestFlight links — perfect for you. Say what to test; reciprocity expected. |
| r/apphookup | ~250K | Deals-focused — post only with a genuine free/discount hookup (free PRO promo codes). Title format matters. |
| r/iosapps | ~60K | Use the right flair, one post per app, engage. Read pinned rules — some restrict to a weekly thread. |
| r/habits | ~40K | Niche-relevant, tolerant of “I built this to solve X.” Still lead with value. |
| Community | Where | How |
|---|---|---|
| DOU · Стартапи | dou.ua | Post your launch/story in the startups forum; a good UA write-up performs. Ukraine’s #1 tech hub. |
| IT KPI | t.me/itkpi | Largest UA student IT community — big young audience overlapping self-improvement. Contribute, don’t ad. |
| Awesome UA IT Communities | directory | The master list — mine it for current UA Telegram chats (product/marketing/JS) where your bilingual app fits. |
| Ukrainian Startup Fund | t.me/usfofficial | Ecosystem channel + events (Venture Nights). Engage via community, not raw promo. |
Master directory of free places to post a startup: PlacesToPostYourStartup (GitHub, maintained).
Still the best free burst of traffic + credibility for an indie app. The 2026 game is engagement, not upvote-farming — a pre-built audience and a page optimised for comments.
Mobilise legitimately: email your list “we’re live — I’d love your honest feedback,” share the story on X/LinkedIn/TikTok, ask friends to genuinely try & comment. A real comment beats a drive-by upvote — and it’s allowed.
The highest hit-rate channel for a solo founder: reply to journalists who are already writing a story and asking for sources. Far better odds than cold pitching. Set up alerts for “app / AI / productivity / habits / founder / Ukraine startup” and reply within the hour — reporters pick early.
| Platform | Cost | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Featured / Connectively | FREE tier | The revived HARO (Cision’s HARO → Connectively → acquired by Featured, Apr 2025). Highest volume. Your default. |
| Qwoted | FREE tier | Verified experts + journalists, generally higher-quality/DR placements. |
| Help a B2B Writer | FREE | B2B/SaaS-focused. Good for the productivity/founder angle. |
| SourceBottle | FREE | Long-running; decent for lifestyle/wellness queries. |
| Source of Sources (SOS) | FREE | HARO founder Peter Shankman’s new curated one — classic email-digest format. |
Position yourself as an expert source on: AI in behaviour change · voice AI · solo founding · building tech in wartime Ukraine. Each is a genuine angle a reporter might want a quote on — that’s how you get named + linked without a product pitch.
Free PR distro rarely produces real coverage — it gets your release indexed (a little SEO/credibility), not a journalist writing about you. Do one: use EIN Presswire’s free first-release slot for the actual launch announcement, mirror it on gainers.app/press, and move on. (OpenPR is a fine second.) Don’t sink hours blasting 20 free-PR sites — your time pays off far more on the journalist-request platforms above and direct pitches.