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The clearest signal isn't praise — it's behavior you didn't ask for. People emailing you when it breaks means they've built it into their day.

Look for pull, not push

When something is working you feel pulled along by demand. Push is the opposite — you chasing people to try it. Before quitting, I'd want clear answers to three things:

  • Do users come back without you nudging them?
  • Would they be upset if it disappeared tomorrow?
  • Are they paying, or just applauding?

If you have to convince people to care, you don't have a business yet — you have a hobby with good marketing.

Before you quit, try to make it a little worse on purpose: raise the price, slow down support. If usage holds, you have a business.

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