Turn Your Side Project Into a Magnet for Everything Cool
You can ship the slickest code, automate all the things, and even get a few claps on Hacker News-but if nobody’s using your project, it’s just another lonely repo in the void. For devs, techies, and indie hackers, traction isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the secret sauce that turns your side project from “just another build” into a user magnet that attracts feedback, collaborators, investors, and even job offers.
So why is traction so powerful? Why do all the cool things - momentum, motivation, money, and meaningful connections - start rolling in once you get real users? And most importantly, how do you actually get traction for your own project?
Let’s break it down, coder-style.
What Is Traction, Really? (And Why Should You Care?)
Forget vanity metrics. Traction is the measurable progress your project is making with real users.
It’s not about how many lines of code you’ve written or how many frameworks you’ve tried. It’s about whether people are actually using, sharing, and coming back to your product.
For devs, traction looks like:
People signing up, downloading, or firing up your tool.
Users coming back for more, not just trying it once and ghosting.
Your project getting buzz in communities, on social, or by word of mouth.
Steady growth-not just a spike and crash.
If you’re seeing these signals, you’re not just coding for yourself anymore. You’re building something that matters.
Why Traction Is the Real MVP for Techies
1. Traction = Validation (No More Guessing in the Dark)
You can spend months (or years) perfecting your code, but until real people use your project, it’s just a science experiment. Traction is proof that your idea solves a real problem for real users.
As one founder put it:
“If people don’t notice your product, they won’t buy it. If they see it and don’t like it, they won’t use it again. If they like it but not enough to tell their friends about it, then your product will fail to acquire new users organically… which means that you need traction if you want your startup to succeed.”
2. Traction Attracts Investors, Collaborators, and Opportunities
Investors don’t care about your clever codebase - they want proof that people care.
Open-source VCs look for signals like “800 to 1000 GitHub stars + early developer/community adoption and activity” before they even think about writing a check.
But it’s not just about the money. Traction brings in collaborators, contributors, and even job offers.
When your side project has users, people want to join the party.
3. Traction Fuels Motivation and Learning
Nothing is more motivating than seeing real people use your product.
Traction gives you feedback, bug reports, feature requests, and testimonials.
It turns your solo mission into a community effort.
As Gabriel Weinberg (author of Traction) says:
“Through traction development you get a steady stream of cold customers. It is through these people that you can really find out whether the market is taking to your product or not, and if not, what features are missing or which parts of the experience are broken.”
4. Traction Enables Smarter Growth
With traction, you get real data.
You can see what’s working, what’s not, and where to double down.
Traction metrics help you allocate your resources more effectively and make data-driven decisions to drive even greater growth.
How Do You Measure Traction? (No, Not Just GitHub Stars)
Traction isn’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on your project, you might track:
Active users (daily, weekly, monthly)
Signups or downloads
GitHub stars, forks, or contributions (for open source)
Retention rate (are users coming back?)
User engagement (comments, shares, feedback)
Revenue or paying users (if you’re charging)
Partnerships or integrations
The key: pick metrics that show real, sustainable growth, not just vanity numbers.
Why Everyone Cares About Traction (Not Just Investors)
Investors Want Proof, Not Promises
If you’re hoping to raise money, traction is your ticket in.
“Traction is a magnet for investors. Investors, whether they're venture capitalists, angel investors, or other funding sources, are primarily interested in backing companies that have already demonstrated significant traction. It signals that your business model is viable and that you have the potential to deliver a strong return on their investment.”1
Collaborators and Contributors Want to Join Winners
People want to work on projects that are going somewhere.
If your side project has users and buzz, it’s much easier to recruit co-founders, team members, or community contributors.
Traction Builds Your Reputation
When your project gains traction, it gets noticed.
You become known as someone who can not only build but also ship and grow products.
This opens doors to job offers, speaking gigs, and new opportunities.
Real-World Examples: Traction in Action
Open Source Success: Vue.js
Vue.js started as a side project by Evan You. Its early traction - GitHub stars, community contributions, and real-world usage - attracted more developers, sponsors, and eventually full-time maintainers.
Indie Hacker Projects
Many Indie Hackers report that their side projects only took off after they focused on traction-sharing progress on Twitter, engaging in communities, and iterating based on feedback.
One post sums it up:
“Early traction is the key to a successful side project.”10
SaaS Tools: Notion & Figma
Notion and Figma gained early traction by obsessing over user feedback and building communities around their products, long before they became household names.
How to Get Traction for Your Side Project (The Dev Edition)
1. Launch Early and Iterate
Don’t wait for perfection.
Ship your MVP (minimum viable product) and get it in front of users.’
“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.”
2. Engage Where Your Users Are
Find your audience - whether it’s on Reddit, Twitter, Discord, or niche forums.
Share your project, ask for feedback, and listen.
“Getting your product in front of the right audience is essential. At the heart of traction is your ability to attract and retain customers.”
3. Measure and Learn
Track the metrics that matter for your project.
Use tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or even simple spreadsheets to monitor growth.
“By closely monitoring your traction metrics, you can identify which aspects of your business are working well and which areas need improvement.”
4. Build in Public
Share your journey-tweet your progress, write blog posts, or stream your coding sessions.
Building in public attracts users, feedback, and sometimes even collaborators or investors.
5. Ask for Feedback and Act on It
Every user is a potential goldmine of insights.
Ask for feedback, run surveys, and actually implement suggestions.
This not only improves your product but also makes users feel invested in your success.
6. Leverage Early Wins
Celebrate and share milestones - your first 100 users, a positive review, or a feature launch.
These wins build momentum and attract more users.
The Traction Mindset: Make It Your North Star
If you’re a techie with a side project, traction should be your obsession.
It’s not just about building cool stuff - it’s about making sure your work matters to real people.
Here’s what to remember:
Traction is validation, motivation, and opportunity - all rolled into one.
It’s the best way to attract investors, collaborators, and attention.
Measuring and growing traction is the fastest way to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Traction is the difference between a side project that fizzles and one that takes off.
Final Thoughts: Start Chasing Traction Today
Traction isn’t a one-time event - it’s a continuous process.
Every user, every bit of feedback, every milestone is a step forward.
If you want your side project to matter, start chasing traction today.
Launch early, engage your users, measure what matters, and keep iterating.
Because in the end, traction attracts everything else.
That’s how you turn a side project from a lonely repo into something that changes your life - and maybe even the world.
Now go ship, share, and grow. Your future users are waiting.