How to reply to customer conversations
Finding the thread is half the job. The other half is what you type. These playbooks match PainHuntr's reply doctrine: answer the question they asked, don't pitch unless they asked for a tool, and disclose if you name something you sell. Use them by hand, or let the product draft from the same rules after you paste a URL.
The default
- 1. Classify the intent. Asking, comparing, frustrated, discussing, or just a mention. Only the first three are usually worth a reply.
- 2. Pick an angle. One sentence on the approach before you write. If you cannot name the angle, you are about to pitch.
- 3. Stay in the thread. Public reply first. DMs after they engage. Never scrape a username into a sequence.
Playbooks
actively-asking
How to reply to a public feature request
actively-asking
How to reply when someone asks for a recommendation
comparing
How to reply in a tool comparison thread
Playbook
How to reply in communities without getting banned
frustrated
How to reply when they're frustrated with a competitor
Playbook
How to reply on Hacker News without getting flagged
frustrated
How to reply on G2, Capterra, and app stores
passive
When not to reply to a customer thread
Playbook
How to reply on X without looking like spam
Playbook
How to reply to YouTube comments as a founder
Still looking for where these conversations happen? Start with where to find customers, then come back here when you have a tab open.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pitch my product in the first reply?
Almost never. Lead with the answer they asked for. Mention a product only if they asked for a tool, and disclose the affiliation in the same sentence. PainHuntr's drafts follow that rule by default.
Is this the same as a cold DM sequence?
No. These playbooks are for public threads where the person already described a problem. A useful comment in that thread is a different motion from scraping usernames into a drip.
Do I need PainHuntr to use these?
No. You can paste the patterns by hand. PainHuntr exists because finding the right thread, classifying the intent, and drafting a reply every week does not scale.
Reading 1,000 threads a month doesn't scale. PainHuntr does.
Paste your product URL. PainHuntr finds the conversations on Reddit, X, Hacker News, YouTube, and review sites — then helps you reply, track what worked, and do it again.
Join the waitlist to get early access and help shape the product.