Can I promote my startup here?
Yes, promotion is allowed, but only if your post is a real roast submission with detail behind it.
Subreddit guides
r/roastmystartup rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/roastmystartup: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.
Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.
Current public stats
- Members
- 35,512
- Verified
- September 29, 2026
- Category
- Product feedback and launch validation
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- No ProductHunt Links, Vercel Links, just a Link or free subdomains: Unfortunately we experience a ridiculous amount of spam that all have one thing in common - ProductHunt links and.......now Vercel links. Any post with a producthunt or vercel link will be removed. If you don't believe in your startup enough to buy a domain its not worth our time to roast.
- No Reporting People for BS: Don't like a roast? That doesnt mean you get to report it. Also if you report somebody and claim they did something to you in another subreddit - we don't care. We will not ban people for things done in other subreddits. Period.
- Lack Of Effort or not Roast: If you simply repost from another subreddit the post will removed, if you just post a two sentence post it will be removed, if you post something asking a question it will be removed. This is to prevent spamming if the sub and low quality nonsense.
- AI Slop: Post that are written by AI will be removed at our sole discretion. You know what we are talking about.
Works well
- A detailed roast request for your live startup, written by you and linked from your own custom domain
- A full description of your startup idea, including who it is for and what stage you are at, submitted for hard feedback
- A post that lays out what you built and then openly invites people to find the flaws
Avoid
- Dropping a ProductHunt link in your post
- Linking a site hosted on Vercel or another free subdomain
- Posting a two sentence description with no detail
- Asking a question instead of presenting your startup for a roast
- Reposting content from another subreddit
- Generating your post with AI tools and pasting it in as is
What r/roastmystartup Is For
This community does one thing. You post your startup, or just your startup idea, and other entrepreneurs tear into it. The description says it plainly, they will not hold back punches. The people posting are founders and founders to be who want honest, harsh feedback before they sink more money or time into something. The people answering are entrepreneurs who have seen enough bad ideas to spot one fast. There is no observed record of top posts here, so I am working from the rules alone, and the rules tell me this room values effort and real commitment. This is feedback, not a launch party.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The one that decides everything here is “No ProductHunt Links, Vercel Links, just a Link or free subdomains”. Posts with a ProductHunt or Vercel link get removed, and the thinking behind it is clear, if you will not buy a domain for your own startup, why should anyone spend time roasting it. Then there is “Lack Of Effort or not Roast”, which removes reposts from other subreddits, two sentence posts, and anything that is just a question. “AI Slop” matters a lot for anyone using tools to write their post, because anything written by AI gets removed at the moderators sole discretion. Finally, “No Reporting People for BS” tells you what kind of room this is, the roasts will sting and reporting a roast because you did not like it will not get anyone banned. All four of these decide whether a marketing adjacent post survives, but the domain rule is the one that trips people up first.
What To Post
A good post here is a detailed roast request about your actual startup or startup idea, written by you, from your own custom domain. Explain what you built, who it is for, and why you believe in it, then let people take their shots. Write it in your own voice, because anything that smells like AI slop gets removed. Make it long enough and rich enough that a stranger can roast the real thing instead of guessing. If you want to include a link, use your own domain, never a ProductHunt page, a Vercel link, or a free subdomain. You are not posting to sell, you are posting to get torn apart in a useful way, and a founder who is confident enough to ask for that comes across well.
What To Avoid
The fastest way to lose your post is a banned link. ProductHunt links, Vercel links, and free subdomains all get removed, and the rule does not care how good your product is. Next is low effort. A two sentence post gets removed, a repost from another subreddit gets removed, and a post that is just a question gets removed. This community wants a full picture of what you built, not a teaser. Third, do not let AI write your post. AI written posts get removed at the moderators sole discretion, and from the tone of the rule, they are not guessing about this. Last, do not report a roast because it hurt, and do not try to get someone banned for things they did in other subreddits, because the moderators say they will not act on that.
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Common questions about r/roastmystartup
Can I link my ProductHunt page or Vercel preview?
The community removes any post with a ProductHunt or Vercel link, and free subdomains are also out.
What kind of link is allowed?
You need to post from your own custom domain, because the rules say a startup without one is not worth their time to roast.
Can I just ask for thoughts on my idea?
No, the “Lack Of Effort or not Roast” rule says posts asking a question get removed.
Can I use AI to write my post?
The “AI Slop” rule lets moderators remove AI written posts at their sole discretion, so write it yourself.
Lists featuring r/roastmystartup
Use these audience lists to decide whether r/roastmystartup is the best fit for your Reddit SEO plan or just one supporting community.
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