Finding Your Marketing Voice: Lessons from Sally's FateTell AI Journey
You know that feeling when you've built something amazing, but it feels like you're shouting into the void? I was having that exact conversation with Sally, the co-founder of FateTell, just yesterday. Like many indie hackers, I've gotten pretty good at turning ideas into working products quickly, but marketing? That's where things get messy.
The Common Struggle: Great Products, Silent Markets
Sally and I were comparing notes about our products: her FateTell AI that uses artificial intelligence to analyze past patterns and predict future possibilities, and my VoiceTypePro for voice to text conversion. But what really caught my attention wasn't the tech specs. It was how she'd cracked the marketing code that so many of us struggle with.
The problem is real and widespread. You can have the cleanest code, the most intuitive interface, and genuinely solve people's problems. But if nobody knows you exist, none of that matters. It's like being the best restaurant in a city with no street signs.
Leveraging Others' Platforms: The Win-Win Strategy
Sally's breakthrough came from understanding something fundamental: you don't need to build your own audience from scratch. She started by contributing valuable content to established platforms, particularly on Xiaohongshu (RedNote), where her insights about AI and future prediction gained serious traction.
The key insight? News platforms and social media channels are always hunting for interesting stories and useful content. If your product genuinely solves problems or represents something innovative, that's exactly what they need. Sally's experience getting interviewed by multiple media outlets didn't happen by accident. It happened because she was providing value that their audiences actually wanted.
This isn't about pitching your product relentlessly. It's about becoming a valuable voice in your space first. When Sally talks about AI and personal forecasting, people listen because she consistently shares useful insights, not just product announcements.
Know Your Users' Real Pain Points
One thing Sally emphasized that really stuck with me was the importance of understanding not just what your product does, but what emotional need it fills. Her vision for FateTell isn't just "AI predicts stuff." It's about giving people a scientific, objective way to understand their patterns and possibilities.
She's even planning a future feature she calls a "calendar for your fate" where the AI acts like an impartial observer, mathematically calculating relationship patterns, career trajectories, and life possibilities based on actual data rather than wishful thinking. That's a much more compelling story than "our algorithm processes historical data."
For my own products, this conversation made me realize I've been talking about features when I should be talking about feelings. VoiceTypePro isn't just accurate voice to text; it's about getting your thoughts captured without the friction of typing, especially when inspiration strikes at inconvenient moments.
Practical Tools for Better Marketing Content
We also shared some tactical tools that have been working well. Sally mentioned she's looking to redesign her landing page, so I recommended checking out V0 by Vercel and Lovable. Both are solid for quick prototyping, but they have different strengths. Lovable feels more polished at first glance, while V0 tends to work better as you spend more time with it.
Sally walked me through her video creation workflow using Rotato for device mockups, Keynote for presentations, and CapCut for final editing. Seeing her systematic approach to creating product demos reminded me that good marketing content requires the same methodical thinking we apply to product development.
Building Relationships, Not Just Audiences
What struck me most about Sally's approach is how relationship focused it is. She's not trying to game algorithms or hack growth metrics. She's genuinely connecting with other entrepreneurs, sharing useful insights, and building real relationships with people in her space.
This feels especially important for female AI entrepreneurs, where the community is smaller but often more collaborative. Our conversation itself was proof of this: two founders openly sharing what's working, what tools we're using, and what challenges we're facing.
The Long Game of Authentic Marketing
The biggest takeaway from talking with Sally isn't any specific tactic or tool. It's the mindset shift from "How do I promote my product?" to "How do I become genuinely helpful to the people who might need what I'm building?"
That means understanding your users' real problems, not just the ones your product technically solves. It means contributing to existing conversations rather than starting new ones from scratch. And it means building relationships with other people in your space who might become collaborators, not just competitors.
For those of us who excel at building but struggle with marketing, Sally's approach offers a more sustainable path forward. Focus on being useful first, and the product promotion becomes a natural extension of the value you're already providing.
The marketing game isn't just about getting your product in front of people. It's about becoming the kind of person people want to hear from when they're facing the problems your product solves.