Find buyer-intent threads with an AI tool that drafts replies you post by hand, and why it got 50 free users but no paying ones
A solo builder used their own tool, which scans Reddit, X, LinkedIn, Hacker News and Product Hunt for people asking for a solution and drafts replies for approval, and reached about 50 free users by commenting. A Reddit shadow ban cut sign-ups and nobody paid.
Evidence: The author reports this. We have not checked it beyond reading the source.
The business problem
A new product with no audience needs to reach people who are already asking for what it does, without paying for ads.
What was tried
1. Let the tool scan several social platforms for threads where people ask for something your product offers. 2. Review the threads it surfaces and pick the relevant ones. 3. The tool drafts a reply in your voice; you edit and approve it. 4. Post each reply yourself, by hand (the tool does not post for you). 5. Repeat daily over many days, mostly on Reddit and LinkedIn.
What was reported (failed)
About 50 free users came from commenting on Reddit and LinkedIn. Then the author's Reddit account was shadow-banned without warning, which cut off most sign-ups. Paid plans were added about a month before the post; two people started a trial and did not continue. Zero paying customers and no active users at the time of writing. Cold email had not worked either.
Limitations
Vendor: the tool is the author's own product (Xoru), which the post says openly. Figures are self-reported. The post does not say which AI model drafts the replies or show any reply examples. A commenter suggests the ban came from posting volume rather than tone; the cause is not confirmed. Heavy commenting from one account risks platform bans, which is the main lesson here.
What you need
The source does not say.
Keep reply volume low per account and per community, and check each community's self-promotion rules first.
Sources
- DEV Community (Bhargab Kalita) ↗ Vendor case study, published October 20, 2026
Source published: October 20, 2026. Last reviewed here: October 25, 2026. Spot a mistake? Tell us.
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