Templates · Thread
Build in public update template
A regular update is the backbone of building in public. This template keeps it short, honest and the same shape every time, so followers know what to expect.
The template
- 1
[Product] update, [week or month] [number]: [One line on the most important thing that happened.]
- 2
Shipped: - [Thing 1] - [Thing 2] - [Thing 3]
- 3
Numbers: - [Metric 1]: [value] ([change]) - [Metric 2]: [value] ([change])
- 4
What went wrong: [problem, and what you're doing about it].
- 5
What I learned: [one insight from the week].
- 6
Next [week or month]: [the one or two priorities]. [Optional question: what would you want to see?]
When to use it
- You're building a product, business or project in the open and post regular updates.
- You want followers to see progress over time, not just launches.
- You need a repeatable format so updates take 15 minutes, not an afternoon.
Why it works
Numbered updates
"Week 12" signals a series. Followers who see several start to look forward to the next one.
Shipped
A plain list of what got done. Shipping is the proof you're actually building.
Numbers with change
The change matters more than the value. Small, honest numbers with a direction are what make the format interesting.
What went wrong
Problems make updates human and invite help. They're often the tweets that get the most replies.
Next
Saying what's next creates accountability and gives the following update something to report against.
Examples
- Y
Your name@you1/6
Shiftboard update, week 12: First customer with more than 50 staff signed today.
- Y
Your name@you2/6
Shipped: - Shift swap requests - CSV import for staff lists - A fix for the calendar bug that ate Mondays
- Y
Your name@you3/6
Numbers: - MRR: $1,840 (+$310) - Paying teams: 23 (+4) - Trials: 41 (-6)
- Y
Your name@you4/6
What went wrong: trials dropped because signup broke on mobile for three days. Nobody told us; I found it in the logs. Added an alert.
- Y
Your name@you5/6
What I learned: the bigger customer didn't care about features. They cared that I answered their email within an hour.
- Y
Your name@you6/6
Next week: onboarding for teams over 50, and a mobile signup test before every deploy. What would you want to see in these updates?
- Y
Your name@you1/6
Lanternfall devlog, month 7: The demo is finally playable start to finish.
- Y
Your name@you2/6
Shipped: - Level 4, the flooded mine - Controller support - Save system that survives crashes
- Y
Your name@you3/6
Numbers: - Wishlists: 3,120 (+880) - Playtesters: 26 (+10) - Bugs open: 47 (-12)
- Y
Your name@you4/6
What went wrong: the boss fight took three weeks instead of one. I rebuilt it twice because playtesters kept missing the tell.
- Y
Your name@you5/6
What I learned: if testers miss something, it's not their fault. Make it bigger, louder or slower.
- Y
Your name@you6/6
Next month: polish the demo and submit it for the next demo festival. What would you want to see in these updates?
Tips
- Use the same structure every time. Followers learn where to look, and you stop staring at a blank page.
- Post on the same day each week or month. A recurring posting slot makes it a habit.
- Share real numbers when you can. If you can't, share the direction of change.
- Read more about the format in the build in public guide.
Go deeper: How to build in public on X
Your next week of posts,
done this afternoon.
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