name

reddit-seed-user-research

description

Find Reddit seed-user opportunities for the current project and draft helpful, human replies. Use when the user wants to promote a project on Reddit through real demand discovery, find target users, monitor relevant posts, prepare non-spam replies, or produce a Reddit outreach/report workflow. Triggers include "Reddit seed users", "find Reddit users", "Reddit promotion", "Reddit outreach", "target customers on Reddit", "seed user research", "帮我在 Reddit 找用户", "找种子用户", and "给项目做 Reddit 推荐".

Reddit Seed User Research

Purpose

Use this skill to turn a project directory into a repeatable Reddit seed-user research workflow:

Understand the project from brand.md or local files.
Search Reddit for real user needs and repeated pain points.
Score which threads are worth replying to.
Draft value-first, human replies.
Produce a report with clickable source links and a follow-up tracking document.

Do not post automatically. The user should review and publish replies manually.

Required Inputs

Work from the current project directory by default.

First look for, in order:

brand.md
brand_dna.md
docs/brand.md
README.md, README.*, package/app metadata, landing copy, screenshots, or repo files

brand.md is a local research artifact, not a repository artifact.

If brand.md is missing or stale, create or update a draft brand.md in the project root before doing Reddit research. Use references/brand-template.md. Mark assumptions clearly when local evidence is thin.

Before creating or updating project-root brand.md in a Git repository:

Make sure brand.md is ignored through the repository-local Git exclude file: .git/info/exclude.
Do not write brand.md into .gitignore.
Do not stage, commit, or otherwise place brand.md under Git tracking.
If .git/info/exclude does not contain a brand.md entry, append one there. This is local-only and should not change the shared repository.
If brand.md is already tracked by Git, do not silently untrack or delete it. Tell the user it is already tracked and ask before changing Git history or index state. For the current run, prefer reading it without modifying it, or create/update a clearly local alternative such as brand.local.md and add that filename to .git/info/exclude.
If the directory is not a Git repository, create brand.md normally and note that no Git ignore step was needed.

If a public website URL exists, optionally use the installed research-brand skill to strengthen the profile. If no website URL is discoverable, do local repo analysis only.

Brand Profile Requirements

brand.md must summarize:

What the project is and which platforms it runs on
The killer feature or sharpest differentiator
Who it helps
The short project summary, evaluation, and market positioning
Use cases and jobs-to-be-done
Relevant keywords users would naturally say
Competitors, alternatives, and adjacent workflows
Trust boundaries such as open source, local-only, no backend, bring-your-own-key, privacy, or cost constraints

Keep this file useful for future runs. Update it when research reveals better user language, while preserving its local-only/untracked status.

Research Workflow

1. Build Search Buckets

Create search buckets from brand.md:

Problem searches: what users complain about or ask how to do
Solution searches: tool/category/recommendation terms
Workflow searches: platform-specific tasks and end-to-end jobs
Competitor/alternative searches: tools users already mention
Audience searches: communities and hobbies where the project is naturally useful

Prefer user language over marketing language. Search for phrases like "how do I", "looking for", "best way to", "any tool for", "recommend", "transparent png", "printable stickers", not just product-category keywords.

2. Search Reddit

Use the best available source in this order:

Installed Reddit MCP/search tools if available
Reddit public JSON/API or Reddit pages
Web search with site:reddit.com

Useful installed companion skills:

reddit-opportunity-research for opportunity mapping and pain-point scoring
reddit-engagement for Reddit-specific tone, self-promotion, and comment-first rules
research-brand when a public website should be converted into a stronger brand profile

For each candidate thread, capture:

Post URL
Subreddit
Title
Date if available
Score/comments if available
The user's original question or need statement
A Chinese translation of the user's original question or need statement
User intent
Exact wording that signals demand

When the Reddit page/source exposes the body text, include a concise excerpt of the user's actual question. If only the title/search snippet is available, clearly mark the question as "title/snippet only" or "paraphrased from available source." Do not invent missing details.

3. Filter and Score

Do not recommend every mention. Score each candidate:

Need fit: is the user actually asking for a problem this project solves?
Timing: is the thread recent enough or still active?
Community fit: does the subreddit tolerate helpful tool mentions?
Reply risk: would mentioning the project feel spammy?
Product fit: does the project solve the issue today, without overclaiming?
Human fit: can the reply help even if the user never clicks anything?
Link readiness: would it be acceptable to include a project link after considering the user's account readiness, subreddit rules/culture, thread intent, product readiness, and disclosure?

Labels:

Reply now: strong fit, current thread, low spam risk
Reply without link: useful answer, but link would feel too promotional
Ask first: ask if they want a tool/resource before sharing
Monitor: relevant pattern but not an immediate reply
Skip: weak fit, old/dead thread, rule risk, or forced mention

3.1 Link Readiness and Promotion Assessment

Do not blindly remove all product links. Evaluate whether a link is appropriate.

Classify link policy with one of:

No link: link would be spammy, off-topic, unsafe, or against rules.
Ask first: good fit, but the thread is old, the user did not explicitly ask for tools, or the community is sensitive.
Link after value: link can appear after a genuinely useful answer and clear affiliation disclosure.
Link allowed: the thread explicitly asks for tools/resources, the subreddit allows relevant links, and the user/project are prepared.
Open-source share: the product is open source and the best angle is repository/resource sharing, not commercial promotion.
Dedicated showcase: the subreddit allows project/showcase posts, open-source launches, or specific showoff threads; use this for a new post, not a reply.

Assess these factors:

Account readiness: account age, karma, prior non-promotional participation, subreddit-specific history, and whether the user says these are sufficient. If unknown, mark as Unknown and be conservative.
Subreddit tolerance: rules, wiki/sidebar, self-promotion policies, showcase threads, open-source friendliness, and recent similar posts.
Thread intent: explicit tool request, comparison request, open-source request, "what do you use" thread, pain-point complaint, or general discussion.
Product readiness: public repo/site, README, license, privacy/security docs, install instructions, demo/screenshots, and whether the linked page answers likely objections.
Disclosure: any link to the user's own project must clearly disclose affiliation.
Value-first quality: the reply must help even if the user never clicks.

If the product is open source, always evaluate an open-source sharing path:

Consider whether a GitHub/repo link is more appropriate than a marketing site.
Look for communities and formats that welcome open-source project sharing, such as open-source subreddits, project showcase threads, builder communities, or technical implementation discussions.
Frame the project as a useful reference, implementation, or contribution opportunity when that is more natural than a product pitch.
Check whether the repo has a license, README, privacy/security notes, issue templates or contribution guidance, and clear install/run instructions before recommending an open-source link.
If the open-source path is promising but repo readiness is weak, recommend preparation steps before posting.

4. Draft Replies

Draft replies with these rules:

Answer the user's question first.
Use a plain, human tone. Avoid launch language, sales claims, and polished ad copy.
Mention affiliation if recommending the user's project: "i made a small tool for this" or "i built something for this use case".
Do not drop links by default, but do include a link-enabled variant when the link readiness assessment says Link after value, Link allowed, Open-source share, or Dedicated showcase.
Prefer "happy to share if useful" when link readiness is Ask first.
When a link is allowed, put it after the useful answer, not as the first sentence. Disclose affiliation before or next to the link.
Never pretend to be a random unaffiliated user.
Do not mention the project in low-fit threads.
Keep comments short enough for Reddit. Most should be 60-160 words.
Avoid spammy words like "ultimate", "revolutionary", "best", "optimize", "streamline", "growth hack", "try my product".
For open-source products, include an open-source oriented variant when relevant. The variant should mention that it is open source, link to the repo/resource only if link policy allows it, and invite feedback/issues rather than sounding like an ad.

Use reddit-engagement when the reply needs platform-specific self-promotion judgment.

5. Review Before Reporting

For every drafted reply, include an audit:

Why this reply is useful even without the project link
Whether to include a link now, wait for a reply, use an open-source share angle, or avoid linking
Account readiness assumptions: account age/karma/participation if known; otherwise mark unknown
Subreddit/link rule assumptions and whether they need manual verification before posting
Any subreddit rule or tone risk
Whether the user should disclose affiliation

Remove any draft that would feel like a pitch pasted into someone else's thread.

Outputs

Create or update:

Local-only brand.md in the project root when missing or stale, ignored via .git/info/exclude in Git repositories
reddit-seed-users/report-YYYY-MM-DD.md
reddit-seed-users/tracking.md

Use references/report-template.md for the report format.

The report must include:

Executive summary
Search buckets and keywords used
Ranked Reddit opportunities with clickable links
The user's original question or need statement for every opportunity
Chinese translation of every user question or need statement
Reply recommendation label for each opportunity
Draft reply
Link policy: no link / ask first / link after value / link allowed / open-source share / dedicated showcase
Link readiness assessment: account readiness, subreddit tolerance, thread intent, product readiness, disclosure requirement, and manual checks needed
Open-source sharing assessment when the product is open source
Risk notes
Project inspirations: what this Reddit research suggests for the current project
Optimization opportunities: what the project should improve, why, and concrete measures to take
Next actions

The report must be bilingual by default:

Keep Reddit-ready reply drafts in English unless the target subreddit/post is in another language.
Add Chinese translation or Chinese explanation for every report item.
"Every item" includes executive-summary bullets, table rows, search buckets, user questions, ranked opportunities, reply recommendations, risk notes, link policy, audits, patterns/learnings, content ideas, project inspirations, optimization opportunities, and next actions.
For tables, include a Chinese column such as 中文说明, or add a Chinese note directly below each row/group.
For every opportunity, include User question / need statement and 中文翻译 near the top of the entry so the user can understand the original Reddit context without opening the link.
For every opportunity, include a link readiness audit. If account readiness or subreddit rules are unknown, say so and do not assume links are allowed.
When link policy allows a link, include both a no-link draft and a link-enabled draft, plus Chinese translations/intent notes for both.
When the project is open source, include at least one open-source sharing recommendation: where to share, what angle to use, and what repo/docs readiness checks should pass first.
For each reply draft, include both the English draft and a Chinese translation or Chinese intent note so the user can review the strategy without parsing English.
Do not let Chinese annotations replace the English Reddit draft; the user should still be able to copy the English reply directly.
In Project Inspirations, tie Reddit observations back to positioning, messaging, trust model, onboarding, docs, product surface, or community strategy.
In Optimization Opportunities, list concrete project gaps and measures. Each item should include the observed Reddit signal, why it matters, priority, and recommended action.

The tracking document must preserve:

Candidate threads
Drafted replies
Status: not posted / posted / replied / skipped
Follow-up dates
Notes on what worked and what did not

Quality Bar

A good result should let the user:

Understand which Reddit threads are worth acting on first
Click directly into the original post
Copy a reply draft with minimal editing
Avoid obvious self-promotion mistakes
Re-run the workflow later without rebuilding project context

Prefer 5 high-quality opportunities over 30 weak ones.

Safety and Reputation Rules

Do not automate posting, voting, mass commenting, or multi-account behavior.
Do not suggest hiding affiliation.
Do not recommend posting the same reply across many threads.
Respect subreddit rules and removal/filter history.
If the user's account is new or recently filtered, prefer comment-first and no-link replies.
If relevance is weak, recommend monitoring instead of replying.