DedupX
"A native macOS app that finds duplicate and visually similar files fast, especially useful for photographers and anyone with large local storage collections."
Marketing Channels
Reddit (r/macapps)
Launch post and Black Friday promo campaign drove initial users
ProductHunt
Listed on ProductHunt for launch visibility
Used for launch promotion
Discord
Used for launch promotion
Hacker News
Attempted Show HN but got no replies initially
Word of mouth
Creator says growth is now mostly word of mouth after initial launch push
Growth Levers
- Port to Windows and Linux (CLI first) to expand addressable market — multiple commenters requested this
- Raise prices — at least double, as suggested by users who see clear value
- Run seasonal promo campaigns (e.g., Black Friday 50% off) to create urgency
- Leverage customer feedback loop to ship improvements and generate word-of-mouth referrals
- Target photographer communities and forums where storage management is a recurring pain point
- Add Finder-level native integrations as differentiator against cross-platform competitors
First Customer Strategy
Built the app to solve a personal pain point (brother running out of space from photos), then launched across multiple platforms simultaneously — Reddit r/macapps, ProductHunt, LinkedIn, and Discord. Gained 100+ paying users shortly after launch through this multi-channel blitz.
Pricing Insight
Priced at ~$5.99/yr or ~$16.99 lifetime with a free trial (no CC required). Multiple commenters suggested raising prices, but the creator prefers to keep pricing aligned with the current feature set and plans to revisit pricing when more features are added.
New Market Opportunities
- Linux desktop/CLI users Requested a Linux port, even just CLI, and suggested doubling prices
- Windows users Creator acknowledged cross-platform as a goal but lacks Windows/Linux desktop dev experience
- Professional photographers Perceptual image matching for similar (not just identical) images is a key differentiator for photo workflows
Key Takeaways
- • Solving a personal pain point (brother's storage problem) can lead to a viable product if the problem is widespread enough
- • A multi-channel launch blitz (Reddit, ProductHunt, LinkedIn, Discord) is more effective than relying on a single platform
- • Low pricing with a free trial reduces friction but may leave money on the table — users themselves suggested price increases
- • Responsive customer support (offering screen shares to debug issues) builds loyalty and trust in indie products
- • Word of mouth becomes a sustainable growth channel after an initial push if the product genuinely solves a problem
- • Native platform integration (Finder right-click) creates a moat against cross-platform alternatives
Sentiment Analysis
3 Pos / 1 NegNotable Quotes
"Please double your prices, at minimum. (And port to Linux, so I can use it. Just CLI would be great.) — istjohn"
"Smart and affordable app. — nefrix"
"Froze at 99% scan completion on M1 Max, 64GB RAM, 14.8.2. — alsetmusic"
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