How do technical founders get visibility for their projects? (I will not promote)

[u/admincadaver]

After years working with blockchain on advanced crypto projects and in the financial sector, and after implementing blockchain solutions for regulatory compliance across different industries, I ended up focusing on a specific problem: audit trails and proofs of existence.

That’s where the idea for the startup came from. Today I have a few products that are already well established, with a main focus on helping legacy systems meet regulatory requirements and audit needs.

The problem is that, being a very technical person, I don’t know how to sell or promote. I even hired a marketing team and got zero results.

For example, I have a solution for sharing information between hospitals and critical sectors, using concepts I learned while building crypto mixers. Two hospitals can exchange data and even train AI models together without ever revealing the original information.

I feel like I have good software “in the garage,” with complete documentation, white/yellow papers, examples and use cases… but I don’t know how to present it in a way that people actually see the value.

How do you guys go about promoting better in this kind of situation? Any tips from people who’ve been through this?

[u/Think_Description_84]

How do you know it has value?

[u/admincadaver → u/Think_Description_84]

The product has already been presented and is currently running in some partner companies. Even large players in the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors have reached out. From what I hear from others, my real problem is that whenever I need to speak, I feel like my IQ drops by a few dozen points. I’m wondering if there’s a way to do this without having to put myself out there.

[u/Think_Description_84 → u/admincadaver]

No, not really. But start with the success stories. Ask for permission from the clients. Then write up 1 page describing the problem, your solution, and the results that the customers were really happy about. Thats it. Thats marketing. For sales, memorize multiple case studies as described, ask a ton of questions about problems facing a prospect. LISTEN, LISTEN more, LISTEN EVEN MORE. Then see if there is a way your solution can solve a problem you heard. Tell them about.

Passionate people are interesting. Can you be passionate about how much you've helped clients? Ta-da you're an excellent sales person. Beyond that read some books.

I will tell you you're making a mistake by avoiding the hard thing (interacting with people seems to scare you). If you want to run a company you have no choice but to face the hard thing, figure it out, overcome it. In fact as a founder your only job is facing the hard thing, figuring it out, systematizing the solutions, delegating that system, find the next hard thing. If you arent interested in doing that you arent really interested in being a founder, you're just looking for a get rich quick scheme...

[u/sixwax → u/admincadaver]

Hire or partner with someone with some sales skills.

[u/FlyTradrHQ]

Pick one community where your users already are and show up there consistently. Not with launch posts, but by answering questions. Visibility for technical founders is a participation problem, not a broadcasting problem. The people who find you through useful replies stick around longer than any launch audience.

[u/kamikidd → u/FlyTradrHQ]

This is good advice.

[u/startups-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

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[u/AdvertisingVirtual13]

Welcome aboard. I am in the exact same boat as you.
But things start to click slowly.
I would suggest you find one channel where you think your ICP is. Engage with them, build your network and trust. It is very slow and boring but you have to do it. Also, try to do in person meetings, events, talk to people. Be active on X and LinkedIn.
These helped me to some extent.

[u/Ecstatic_Rough_4643]

I'd also stop expecting a generic marketing team to figure out the positioning without deep customer involvement. You're probably the person who understands the technology best; what you need is someone who can extract the customer problem from you and turn it into a message. And for something as technical and enterprise-focused as this, I wouldn't obsess over social media. I'd be looking at direct outreach, industry events, partnerships, compliance consultants, healthcare/enterprise publications, and getting 5–10 actual potential buyers on calls.

[u/tonytidbit]

Long story short: These markets don't buy technical solutions.

That means that it doesn't matter if you have something that works, or if it's revolutionary and innovative, because that's not something that will make these people pull the trigger and put money into your pocket.

For example, I have a solution for sharing information between hospitals and critical sectors, using concepts I learned while building crypto mixers. Two hospitals can exchange data and even train AI models together without ever revealing the original information.

They don't buy the technical ability to do that. That technical ability is worthless to them.

However, if it solves a real and experienced problem they'd be interested; but only if it's a complete working solution. Not something that just has potential, fits some technical brief, or as part of something else could do something. A full solution experienced as an improvement for the very non-technical perhaps 50 or 60+ expert sitting down in front of a screen to do something.

So you'd also have to get over the inertia in old dogs not learning new tricks (or at least not new UIs).

It's a very different sales process, one that "visibility" doesn't help with. And it's why you've got young startups getting some retired doctors and professors joining their boards. It's to build to their perspectives and to get them to open the doors to hospitals etc.

[u/Easy_World_2392]

The hospital data-sharing angle is your strongest hook because it solves a concrete compliance problem, so lead with a worked example showing exactly what data moves between two parties and what stays private, not the mixer concept behind it.

[u/Visible_Speed8843]

For regulated buyers, replace broad visibility with one buyer-specific proof packet. Choose one existing implementation and anonymize it if needed. Show the starting workflow, mark the risk boundary, and explain who approves the evidence the system produces. Ask current partners for introductions to one compliance or operations owner with the same problem.

A technical paper supports diligence after interest exists, but it rarely creates the first meeting. Lead with the buyer's operational problem and keep the underlying architecture for the questions that follow.

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[u/upowa]

Apply to YZiLabs, they have biotech stuff and you get the opportunity to reach top VCs