Reddit removes your posts if you're a new account. HN restricts Show HN for new users. Twitter/X algorithm buries you unless you already have followers. Product Hunt feels like a pay-to-play leaderboard now.

I get why platforms do this. There's a real spam problem. But it creates a dead end where you need an audience to get distribution, and you need distribution to get an audience.

What's actually worked for you? Not the generic "build in public" advice, but specific things that got your first 10-100 real users.