How to turn Reddit frustrations into product wins

Do not index

Hacked workflows—when users force tools to do something they weren’t designed for—are frustrating for users but goldmines for builders. They reveal unmet needs, inefficiencies, and the starting point for your next product or integration.

For example, a small business owner might use Google Sheets to manage customer leads, adding color-coded labels and manual reminders to track follow-ups. It’s clear they’re hacking a workflow that could be solved with a CRM integration.

Reddit is full of examples like these. Communities on the platform reveal where users struggle, hack together solutions, and share their frustrations. By diving into these discussions, you can uncover actionable ideas for new products, integrations, or tools.

How to Use Reddit to Find Hacked Workflows

Step 1: Find the Right Subreddits

If you’re building an integration for a platform, start with that platform’s subreddit. For example, if you’re working on a Notion integration, r/Notion is the perfect place to see how users are working with the tool and where they run into frustrations.

If there’s a competitor product or a similar tool, check out that product’s subreddit too. Competitor communities can reveal user needs that haven’t been solved yet, giving you insights to build a better solution.

If you’re targeting a specific persona, explore subreddits tied to their industry or role. For example, if your product serves legal professionals, r/LawFirm or r/LawyerTalk might uncover workflows unique to their daily tasks.

By focusing on these subreddits, you’ll find relevant discussions and workflows that match your integration or product’s focus.

Step 2: Use Keywords to Spot Hacked Workflows

Use Reddit’s search function to find posts where users describe workarounds. Try phrases like:

“How do you?”

“Workaround”

“Anyone else?”

These terms surface problems that are ripe for solutions. For example, searching “Notion contract signing” might lead you to posts about users struggling with manual signature workflows—a clear gap for an integration.

Step 3: Save Insights

When you find interesting posts, dive into the comments. Users often share specific frustrations and how they’re hacking together solutions. Save the key takeaways:

What’s the problem?

How are users solving it now?

Who’s experiencing it?

Conclusion

The best product ideas don’t come from guesswork—they come from understanding real problems. Reddit is a treasure trove of hacked workflows, revealing gaps in tools and inefficiencies users want solved.

Start with tools or industries you know well. Use subreddits to discover frustrations, save insights, and turn these into actionable product ideas.

And that’s it! What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts—feel free to share them. For more insights like this, subscribe to my newsletter.