Why Selling to Devs Is a Nightmare (I Love You Anyway*)

Reddit r/artificial / 4/30/2026

💬 OpinionSignals & Early TrendsIdeas & Deep AnalysisIndustry & Market Moves

Key Points

  • The article argues that selling AI-powered tools to developers is especially difficult because technical people face constant outreach and highly competitive messaging.
  • It highlights practical friction points such as developers recognizing AI-generated sales pitches, abandoning sites after required demos, and quickly dismissing products if trials expose bugs or poor performance.
  • The piece notes that developers and CTOs often have strong preferences for technical credibility and polished materials, while also having a “plan B” option to build the solution themselves.
  • It emphasizes that early-stage companies must win trust quickly while scaling outreach and impact, despite being under intense attention and competition from countless other tools.
  • The author also suggests that credibility and background matter significantly, making it harder for newcomers without a solid track record to gain developer buy-in.

Nowadays, everyone (including me) wants to sell AI-powered tools, platforms, or products.

Few people (including me 6 months ago) have any idea how hard it is to approach and convince technical people for at least 10 reasons:

1 - They're constantly bombarded with messages.

2 - Everyone sells everything, so supply >>> demand.

3 - Extremely high background noise.

4 - They see an AI-generated message from 10km away (they've trolled me several times).

5 - If they have to go through a demo to try the product, they've already closed the tab.

6 - The opinions of devs, who value any glossy slide, count much more.

7 - Product trials are unforgiving; it's like being in court accused of 16 murders. If they find bugs or poor performance at that point, for them the product is broken and the window closes.

8 - They always have a plan B: I'll make it myself. Only

9 - If you don't have a solid track record (or you studied biotech like me), everything is 10x harder.

10 - Like the MasterChef judges, who used to be just chefs and now are atomic hotties, today's CTOs and top devs are stars; literally everyone wants them.

It seems easier to scale a dev tool today because there are infinite tools, but in reality it's really tough. On the one hand, you have to earn the trust of technical teams through intros, messages, calls, and events; on the other, you have to scale at the speed of light because you're only six months old.

Advice, ideas, scathing comments, insults? Anything goes.

*Not true

submitted by /u/tiguidoio
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