3k+ Users in 4 Weeks: How I Built and Shipped a Privacy-First Tool Using Next.js 14
Source: Dev.to
It’s been almost four weeks since I launched my side project, an anonymous TwitterWebViewer, on Jan 7. As of today, we just hit 3,034 active users.
Your First 5 Testers Are Your VIPs
Early on, a random user from Reddit became my unofficial QA lead and product manager. She provided brutal feedback on iOS‑specific WebKit focus bugs. Without that “this feels off” moment from a real user, I would have spent months self‑testing in a bubble.
Build in Public with Real Data
I started sharing real numbers and frequently used the build‑in‑public hashtags. This transparency attracted other engineers. Interestingly, the tool has become a productivity hack for developers who need to check threads without the friction of login walls.
SEO Is Boring, but Shipping > Coding
As engineers, we love Next.js 14 and clean SSR code. But a well‑built product with zero SEO is just a ghost town. I spent time building daily backlinks. It’s tedious, but essential.
The “German Pivot”: Localized SEO Wins
While English is the main battlefield, I noticed a huge demand for privacy in the DACH region. I launched a German version to target low‑competition keywords like “Twitter anonym lesen.”
🇩🇪 Für meine deutschen Freunde: Lies X/Twitter Threads anonym und ohne Anmeldung. Jetzt mit vollständiger deutscher Unterstützung unter twitterwebviewer.com/de. Keine Tracking‑Cookies, 100 % Privatsphäre.
Love Your Own Product and Use It Daily
I shipped a PWA version and added it to my home screen. Using the tool daily is the only way to catch the small bugs that drive users away (although I’m not a fan of them).
What’s Next?
I’m applying these lessons to my new projects:
Still early days for TwitterWebViewer, but the next milestone is getting closer to 10 k users—mostly by improving onboarding and smoothing out the rough edges.
I’m happy to chat in the comments about my stack, SEO distribution, or how I’m scaling to the 10 k user milestone.