--- name: sales-sideprojectors description: "SideProjectors platform help — marketplace to buy, sell, and showcase side projects with 24,600+ listings. Covers selling projects (free listing, no commission, no escrow), buying projects (source code, docs, service accounts), co-founder matching, project showcase for community feedback, editorial review process, and DR69 do-follow backlinks. Use when your side project needs more visibility, you want to sell a project but don't know how to price it, you're looking for a co-founder, you need early feedback on a project, or you want the DR69 backlink from SideProjectors. Do NOT use for general product launch strategy across platforms (use /sales-funnel), email marketing (use /sales-email-marketing), or startup directory listings without buy/sell (use /sales-launchingnext or /sales-microlaunch)." argument-hint: "[describe what you need help with on SideProjectors]" license: MIT version: 1.0.0 tags: [sales, marketplace, side-project, startup, platform] --- # SideProjectors Platform Help Helps the user with SideProjectors platform questions — from listing a side project for sale and finding co-founders through buying projects, showcasing work, and maximizing directory backlink value. ## Step 1 — Gather context If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated knowledge. Ask the user: 1. **What do you need help with?** - A) Selling a project — listing, pricing, description - B) Buying a project — finding, evaluating, due diligence - C) Finding a co-founder — matching, pitching, structuring equity - D) Showcasing a project — visibility, feedback, community engagement - E) SEO backlinks — getting listed for the DR69 backlink - F) Something else — describe it 2. **What's your project?** - A) SaaS / web app - B) Mobile app - C) E-commerce / marketplace - D) Developer tool / API - E) Content site / blog - F) Other — describe it 3. **What stage is the project?** - A) Working product with users/revenue - B) Working product, no users yet - C) MVP / prototype - D) Idea stage - E) Abandoned — want to sell or find someone to take over **If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step.** Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end. ## Step 2 — Route or answer directly If the request maps to a specialized skill, route: - Product launch strategy across multiple platforms → `/sales-funnel` - Startup directory listing (not buy/sell) → `/sales-launchingnext` or `/sales-microlaunch` - Email marketing to subscribers → `/sales-email-marketing` - Landing page / checkout optimization → `/sales-checkout` - Audience growth → `/sales-audience-growth` Otherwise, answer directly from platform knowledge below. ## Step 3 — SideProjectors platform reference **Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for detailed module documentation, pricing, integrations, and data model. *You no longer need the platform guide details — focus on the user's specific situation.* ## Step 4 — Actionable guidance Provide guidance based on the user's goal (selling, buying, co-founder search, showcase/backlink). Use the platform guide for reference data, then focus on actionable next steps tailored to their situation. ## Gotchas *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.* - **No escrow or payment handling.** SideProjectors only connects buyers and sellers. All transactions happen peer-to-peer. Use a third-party escrow service for any significant purchase. - **No buyer verification.** Unlike Acquire.com (verified buyers with $2B+ in funds), anyone can express interest on SideProjectors. Vet buyers yourself before sharing sensitive project details. - **Traffic is very low.** ~723 monthly visitors across the entire site. Don't expect a flood of buyer inquiries — this is a long-tail marketplace. The primary value for many users is the DR69 backlink. - **Must have a working product.** Unlike some directories that accept ideas or pre-launch products, SideProjectors requires a live website or app. MVP is fine, but vaporware will be rejected. - **Premium features exist but pricing is opaque.** Enhanced visibility, priority support, and advanced analytics are available as premium features, but pricing isn't publicly listed. Contact hello@sideprojectors.com for current rates before assuming it's entirely free. - **Editorial review has no guaranteed timeline.** Submissions are reviewed by the team, but there's no documented SLA. Could be hours, could be days. - **Free means no support infrastructure.** No dispute resolution, no refund mechanism, no transaction guarantees. You're on your own for the transaction itself. - **Self-improving**: If you discover something not covered here, append it to `references/learnings.md` with today's date. ## Related skills - `/sales-side-project-valuation` — Side project valuation strategy — pricing, revenue multiples, deal structuring, and comparing SideProjectors against Acquire.com, Flippa, 1Kprojects, Microns, Empire Flippers - `/sales-launch-directory` — Launch strategy across multiple startup directories - `/sales-ctrlaltcc` — CtrlAlt.cc platform help (curated tool directory) - `/sales-microlaunch` — MicroLaunch platform help (30-day leaderboard, deals marketplace) - `/sales-launchingnext` — LaunchingNext platform help (curated startup directory) - `/sales-openlaunch` — Open Launch platform help (open-source PH alternative, DR65 backlinks) - `/sales-productburst` — ProductBurst platform help (daily/weekly rankings, badges) - `/sales-solopush` — SoloPush platform help (indie maker community) - `/sales-huzzler` — Huzzler platform help (founder community, weekly Launch Arena competition) - `/sales-firsto` — Firsto platform help (fair launch platform, sustained SEO discovery) - `/sales-funnel` — Build and optimize sales funnels for conversion - `/sales-digital-products` — Sell digital products (ebooks, templates, SaaS) - `/sales-checkout` — Optimize landing pages and checkout for conversion - `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do` ## Examples ### Example 1: Sell an abandoned SaaS project **User says**: "I built a SaaS tool 2 years ago but stopped working on it. It has 50 users and $200/mo MRR. How do I sell it on SideProjectors?" **Skill does**: 1. Walks through the selling checklist: clean code, gather metrics, write description 2. Helps price the project: $200 MRR × 12 = $2,400 ARR, suggest asking $2,400-$7,200 (1-3x) 3. Recommends preparing transfer documentation (domain, hosting, Stripe, API keys) 4. Warns about no escrow — suggests using Escrow.com for the transaction 5. Suggests also listing on Acquire.com for higher-value buyer pool **Result**: Listing optimized with realistic pricing and safe transaction plan ### Example 2: Find a co-founder for a side project **User says**: "I have a working MVP but I'm a solo developer and need a business co-founder to help with marketing and sales" **Skill does**: 1. Recommends creating a co-founder listing (not "for sale") 2. Suggests what to include: product demo, tech stack, traction so far, what skills you need 3. Advises on equity split considerations for side projects 4. Recommends also posting on Indie Hackers and Y Combinator co-founder matching 5. Warns to vet co-founder candidates carefully — meet on video, check references **Result**: Co-founder listing that attracts the right collaborator ### Example 3: Get a DR69 backlink from SideProjectors **User says**: "I just want the backlink from SideProjectors for SEO. What's the fastest way?" **Skill does**: 1. Recommends a showcase listing (not "for sale") to get the do-follow backlink 2. Notes the requirement: must have a working product with a live URL 3. Walks through minimal submission: description, screenshots, category tags 4. Suggests optimizing the listing description for target keywords 5. Recommends pairing with other high-DR directories: MicroLaunch (DR59), LaunchingNext (DR51) **Result**: Backlink secured as part of a multi-directory SEO strategy ## Troubleshooting ### Listed a project for sale but no buyers **Symptom**: Project has been listed for weeks/months with no inquiries **Cause**: SideProjectors has ~723 monthly visitors across all 24,600+ listings. Individual listings get a tiny fraction of that traffic. The platform is a long-tail marketplace — most projects sit without activity. **Solution**: Don't rely on SideProjectors as your only sales channel. Cross-list on Acquire.com (higher-value buyers, built-in escrow), 1Kprojects (if under $1K), and Flippa (auction model, broader audience). Share your SideProjectors listing on Twitter, Indie Hackers, and relevant subreddits. Lower your price if it's been sitting — the market is telling you something. ### Worried about getting scammed as a buyer **Symptom**: Found an interesting project but concerned about legitimacy **Cause**: SideProjectors has no buyer protection, no escrow, and no verification. Scams are possible on any peer-to-peer marketplace without safeguards. **Solution**: Never send payment without verifying: (1) request a live demo over video call, (2) ask for analytics access (Google Analytics, Stripe dashboard), (3) check the seller's online presence and history, (4) use a third-party escrow service like Escrow.com for transactions over $500, (5) get a written agreement listing exactly what's included in the sale and any post-sale support. ### Submission rejected or stuck in review **Symptom**: Submitted a project but it wasn't approved or there's been no response **Cause**: SideProjectors requires a working product with a live URL. Idea-stage or pre-launch projects will be rejected. The editorial review timeline is not guaranteed. **Solution**: Ensure you have a live, working product at the submitted URL. Add quality screenshots and a clear description. If it's been more than a week, email hello@sideprojectors.com to check status. If your project is pre-launch, use a showcase-friendly directory like LaunchingNext or MicroLaunch instead.