Sublimearts.io
Solo dev studio — Windows software and web design.
A few weeks ago I killed a product directory I'd built (runs-this.today) and replaced it with something weirder: runs.space, where products don't "launch" — they race to orbit.
Every submission is a rocket. Fuel = community support (people spend a daily free allowance boosting other people's rockets, never their own — that rule is hard-blocked). Two races run at once: a weekly sprint with a real cash prize pool, and a marathon where any rocket that hits 500 fuel earns a permanent Orbit badge. There's a paid tier (Runner) that gives you a bigger daily fuel budget to hand out, but it can't buy you fuel back — money buys visibility, never rank.
It's been live about a week. Still early (a couple of real rockets racing, more reserved pads waiting to be claimed), but the mechanic actually works the way I hoped — watching a rocket move because someone chose to spend their daily fuel on it feels different from a static upvote count.
If you've got something to launch: runs.space
Hey IH! I just launched BackDrop_ on Product Hunt today and wanted to share it here too.
The problem: I kept pausing the same anime episode to get back to work. My "watch later" folder had 200GB of videos I never watched — because watching means stopping everything else.
So I built BackDrop_.
It plays any local video as a transparent ghost overlay on your Windows desktop. Adjustable opacity (0–100%), full click-through — your mouse and keyboard work normally underneath. MP4, MKV, AVI, MOV, TS, all supported. 100% local, no cloud, no account.
One-time payment. No subscription.
Would love any feedback — especially from developers who multitask. What's your go-to setup for staying focused while consuming content?
🔗 https://sublimearts.io/en/shop/backdrop
🏷️ BACKDROP25 for 25% off (expires June 30)
Quick context: I built ReelNox Studio, a Windows video compressor. I've been trying to share useful content on Reddit for weeks.
20+ posts across r/obs, r/SideProject, r/gamedev, r/software. Every single one removed before anyone could read it.
The kicker? The one place that actually worked was here — Aryan's comment on my last post was more valuable than anything Reddit ever would have shown me.
So instead of trying post #21, I wrote this:
👉 sublimearts.io/en/blog/reddit-removed-my-post
It covers:
Why Reddit is structurally closed to new indie devs
The monopoly problem (Reddit captures the SEO, kills your post)
What actually works instead (spoiler: you're on one of them)
I'm genuinely curious — has anyone here cracked Reddit as a distribution channel with a new account? Or is it just universally broken for us?
I'll be honest with you: zero sales.
I spent months building ReelNox Studio — a Windows desktop video compressor
with GPU acceleration (NVIDIA/AMD/Intel), batch processing, trim, merge,
and format conversion. Python + FFmpeg, no cloud, no subscription.
Pay €19.90 once, own it forever.
Launched May 3rd. Product Hunt day 1: 2 upvotes, 0 sales.
Today: still 0 sales.
I'm not giving up. But I clearly haven't figured out distribution yet.
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So I'm trying something different.
I'm opening 20 early access spots at 75% off (€4.97 lifetime) for people
who want to:
- Actually use the app and tell me what's broken
- Give me honest feedback before I build v1.0.1
- Share it if they genuinely like it
No pressure on that last point. But if you compress videos on Windows
and want a no-subscription tool for basically nothing — this is for you.
Code: EARLY at sublimearts.io/shop/reelnox
First 20 only. Then it's gone.
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I'm an indie dev from Italy, this is my first paid product.
If you've been here, I'd love to hear how you broke through zero.
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Hey. this is familiar for me too.
I also made a small Windows desktop app (also python + ffmpeg). building it was fine. distribution is where i got stuck.
Did your early access discount actually get you any real users, or still quiet?
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1Hey Aahem! Truly speaking has been quiet, for long...no matter the effort... Stuck in distribution as wel...And perhaps I totally went quite here on Indiehackers as well, for did not find any kind of value and felt no matter the effort, but this space felt a little dead to me... But here I am, back on it... Gladly I just receive an email notification of your reply here; surprised to see it is already 21 days old o_o... However yea...aside going quite on here and not updating... I just released a new v1.0.1 with 7day free trial using SUBLIMEKEYS (keys.sublimearts.io) And added many new extra features/tools to the software + a whole webpage redesign; Still feels quit... Have you overcome the distribution barrier for yours?! What's the name of the software you've built?! :)
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I think the issue may be less “distribution” and more that ReelNox is currently positioned around features instead of a painful use case.
“Windows video compressor with GPU acceleration, batch processing, trim, merge, format conversion” is technically clear, but it makes the buyer do the work of figuring out when they need it.
The sharper first-sale angle is probably one specific situation:
“I need to shrink large videos fast without uploading them to the cloud or paying a subscription.”
That could map to a few clearer buyers: YouTubers with huge exports, course creators, gamers clipping footage, freelancers sending client videos, or privacy-conscious users who do not want cloud tools.
For the next test, I would not push a general 75% discount broadly. I’d pick one segment and write the offer around their exact pain.
For example: “Compress huge gameplay clips on Windows without uploading them anywhere.”
That is easier to sell than a general desktop utility.
Happy to put a tighter version in writing if useful. The main thing I’d map is the first buyer segment, the sharper offer, where to find them, and a simple 7-day plan to get the first few paid users.
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Aryan, this is exactly the kind of feedback I needed to hear.
You're right — I was describing the tool, not the moment someone reaches for it. "GPU acceleration + batch processing" is a spec sheet, not a reason to buy today.
The reframe you suggested is genuinely clarifying. I'm going to pick one segment first (leaning toward gamers/content creators with huge clip exports) and write the offer around their exact pain rather than pushing a general discount broadly.
If your offer to map out a tighter version still stands — I'd genuinely appreciate it. Happy to share what I learn back here.
Thank you.
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Yes, it still stands.
The key thing now is not more feature polishing. It’s choosing the one buyer situation where ReelNox feels immediately useful enough to pay for.
Gamers/content creators with huge clip exports could work, but the offer has to be written around that exact moment, not around the full toolset.
Drop your email and I’ll send over a tighter version. I’ll keep it focused on the first buyer segment, the offer angle, and how I’d test the first few paid users without turning this thread into a full plan.
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I think I am not allowed to paste my email here; it detects it as a link :(
You can pick it up directly from my website though :)
I'd be happy to receive a feedback from you on that one too :D-
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Just sent you a note.
Kept it focused on the first paid-user angle for ReelNox, so the test does not get spread too broadly across different creator segments.
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