Reddit Strategy — BLO / Obadiah Finch

Principle: Reddit will crush overt promotion. It rewards presence, specificity, and transparency. The goal for 30 days is to make Obadiah Finch a recognized username in 3-4 communities before pitching the app. Every comment is a small deposit; every promo post is a withdrawal.

Account: u/obadiah_finch (create if not done — all lowercase, no numbers). Needs 100+ karma before posting to large subs (r/tarot auto-removes low-karma users).

Top 10 Subreddits (ranked by ICP fit × activity)

Subscriber counts are approximate (as of prior scraping; verify in-app before posting — frontpagemetrics.com or subredditstats.com give live numbers):

Also monitor but don’t post yet: r/OccultConspiracy, r/Wicca, r/pagan, r/tarotpractice, r/AskTarotReaders.

5 Value-First Posts (NOT Promo)

Use across the top 5 subs. Space 48+ hours apart. All from u/obadiah_finch. Never include a link unless explicitly replying to someone who asks.

Post 1 — r/tarot (scheduled Day 3 — see CONTENT-CALENDAR)

Title: “What do you wish oracle card apps actually did?” See CONTENT-CALENDAR.md Day 3 for body.

Post 2 — r/witchcraft (Day 5)

Title: “Two-voice oracle experiment — does the ‘gentle vs sassy’ framing change how you interpret a card?” See CONTENT-CALENDAR.md Day 5 for body.

Post 3 — r/TarotReadersOfReddit

Title: “How do you write oracle card meanings that don’t feel generic?” Body:

I've been studying card-text for a while now and here's the pattern I keep seeing: generic affirmation decks ("you are worthy," "trust yourself") all read the same, and specific decks (Wild Unknown, Mystic Mondays) earn loyalty because the WORDS do work, not just the art.

What's the difference? I think it's three things:

1. Actionable verbs (not adjectives)
2. Specificity — pointing at a thing, not a feeling
3. A narrator voice that feels like a person, not a brand

What do you look for in card text? What decks do you own because the WRITING is good, not just the art?

Post 4 — r/SASSWitches

Title: “Skeptic-witches: does it matter whether oracle cards ‘work’ if they help you think?” Body:

I pull an oracle card most mornings. I don't believe the card contains information — but reading one forces me to sit with a prompt for 30 seconds longer than I otherwise would.

That's it. That's the whole mechanism. A prompt that I didn't choose, that I have to react to.

Is that... magic? Or just a journaling trick with a fancier interface? Does the distinction matter?

Curious where this sub lands on the "it's a reflection tool" vs "it's bigger than that" question.

Post 5 — r/tarotdecks

Title: “Question: are digital oracle decks ‘real’ decks, or are they a different category?” Body:

I've got maybe a dozen physical decks. I've tried probably 30 oracle/tarot apps over the years. The apps always feel... thinner. Not the art (some are gorgeous) — the RITUAL.

Then I read an interview with Tina Gong (Golden Thread / Labyrinthos) where she basically said: they're not a replacement for a physical deck. They're a different tool. You use a paper deck for deep sessions. You use an app for a quick morning pull.

That reframe landed for me. Now I'm not comparing them.

Where do you land? Do you use apps AT ALL, or is it physical-only for you?

AMA Plan (Week 3 of launch, not Week 1)

Why wait: Need app in App Store (not “in review”), 10+ organic reviews, and Obadiah’s reddit account at 500+ karma. Posting an AMA before these = low turnout and community suspicion.

Target sub: r/tarot (primary) or r/SASSWitches (backup)

Scheduling: - Message moderators of r/tarot at least 7 days ahead. Subject: “Request: AMA next [Wednesday] — indie dev who just launched Bold Little Oracle” - Provide: verification (post screenshot from u/obadiah_finch on boldlittleoracle.unicorn.land homepage at same time) - Pitch angle: “Solo dev, hand-wrote 288 oracle readings, launched free-to-use app, privacy-first, no subscription”

AMA title: I'm Obadiah Finch — I spent a year hand-writing 288 oracle readings for an app with two voices (gentle + sassy). AMA about card writing, indie dev, or why oracle apps are mostly bad.

Opening post body (300-500 words):

Hi r/tarot,

I'm Obadiah. Solo developer behind Bold Little Oracle (bold but little — 72 cards, not 72,000).

Two years ago I was journaling every morning and kept reaching for my deck first. Most oracle apps felt like they were written by a brand, not a person. So I built one.

Every card has two readings: a gentle voice (warm mentor energy) and a sassy voice (the friend who loves you enough to tell you the truth). Same insight. Different doors.

The app is free to use. Premium unlock is a one-time purchase — no subscription, because I hate subscriptions.

No accounts. No tracking. No analytics. I literally cannot see what card you pulled.

Happy to answer anything: the card-writing process (it took longer than the code), why most oracle apps monetize badly, technical stack (React Native / Expo), how I approach the gentle/sassy distinction without crossing into cruelty, why I rejected my own first 12 drafts for the Boundaries theme — whatever.

I'll be answering for the next 4 hours and will circle back through the evening.

Proof: [screenshot matching u/obadiah_finch handle on boldlittleoracle.unicorn.land/ama]

Prep 20 “seed” answers (save as draft): 1. “What’s the hardest card you wrote?” 2. “Why oracle not tarot?” 3. “How do you write sassy without being mean?” 4. “Do you use the app yourself?” 5. “What’s the most-pulled card?” 6. “Will you add more decks?” 7. “Android when?” 8. “How do you make money if no subscription?” 9. “What’s wrong with Labyrinthos / Mystic Mondays?” 10. “Solo dev — what stack?” 11. “Did you use AI to write cards?” (Answer: NO. Hand-written. This is the honest differentiator.) 12. “Is the sassy mode culturally appropriative?” (No — secular, modern, no indigenous or closed-practice imagery.) 13. “What do you do when someone pulls a card that hits too hard?” 14. “How did you decide on 72 cards?” 15. “Favorite card?” 16. “Most requested feature?” 17. “Why no streak system?” 18. “What’s next?” 19. “Can I commission a custom card?” 20. “Beta/TestFlight for Android?”

20 Genuine-Help Comments (This Week)

Pattern: find recent questions in target subs, reply with substance, NEVER link BLO. Track these in a spreadsheet: sub, thread URL, date, comment gist, whether you followed up.

Sample prompts to watch for (search each sub weekly):

1. r/tarot — anyone asking “how do I start reading tarot?” → reply: “oracle cards are an easier entry point; try one-card pulls before three-card spreads”
2. r/tarot — “what does [X card] mean for [Y situation]?” → give honest interpretation, no apps mentioned
3. r/witchcraft — “morning ritual suggestions?” → describe a 3-minute morning pull + journal practice
4. r/witchcraft — “apps that aren’t scammy?” → DO mention BLO here ONLY if directly asked for apps, phrase as “one I like is Bold Little Oracle (disclosure: I built it, so grain of salt)”
5. r/WitchesVsPatriarchy — “book/resource recommendations” → recommend Rachel Pollack’s Seventy-Eight Degrees, not BLO
6. r/WitchesVsPatriarchy — “feeling stuck, anyone have grounding rituals?” → share one, no promo
7. r/oracle — any thread asking about deck recommendations → engage, mention physical decks
8. r/oracle — “new to oracle cards, where do I start?” → explain one-card practice, no apps
9. r/tarotdecks — “best deck for beginners?” → suggest Gaia’s Journey or Lumina, not BLO
10. r/TarotReadersOfReddit — “how to phrase readings for anxious clients?” → discuss tone / word choice (this is where Obadiah’s expertise shines)
11. r/spirituality — “daily practice ideas” → contribute a morning reflection practice
12. r/spirituality — “what’s your morning routine?” → share yours genuinely
13. r/SASSWitches — “anyone else a skeptic who uses tarot anyway?” → YES, engage here hard
14. r/SASSWitches — “favorite irreverent deck?” → discuss physical sassy decks (Trash Pandas Oracle, Sweary Tarot) — DON’T plug BLO unless asked
15. r/indiedev — any solo-dev launch thread → encouragement + specific tactical advice
16. r/indiedev — “how did you get your first 100 users?” → share BLO’s tactics honestly (when you have data)
17. r/SideProject — “what are you building?” threads → post brief BLO description (this sub is promo-friendly)
18. r/AppHookup — only post when running a sale; otherwise lurk
19. r/pagan — “morning practice” questions → substantive reply
20. r/Wicca — “tools for a new practitioner?” → physical tools first, apps as supplements

Comment style rules: - Minimum 3 sentences, maximum 2 paragraphs. - Name a specific book, creator, or deck per comment when relevant (builds credibility). - Never start a reply with “I built an app” — only disclose if directly relevant AND asked. - Reply within 12 hours of the OP for best visibility.

Karma floor plan (Week 1)

Before posting anything with “I built” language in it, hit: - 100+ comment karma - 2-3 upvoted comments in r/tarot specifically - Age account 7+ days from first comment

Until then: lurk and comment only. Don’t submit posts. Reddit filters new low-karma accounts out of large subs automatically.

Anti-patterns to avoid

• DO NOT cross-post the same content to multiple subs same day. Reddit algorithm flags this.
• DO NOT create alt accounts to upvote your own posts (site-wide ban risk).
• DO NOT link the app in the post body of a content post. ALWAYS link only in comments, only when asked.
• DO NOT argue with moderators. If a post is removed, message politely and ask what rule was broken.
• DO NOT participate in sub-specific drama. Stay boring and useful.

Measurement

Track weekly in a 5-column sheet: 1. Sub | 2. URL | 3. Post/comment type | 4. Upvotes @ 48h | 5. DMs received

After 30 days: which subs drove DMs (DMs → installs is the funnel). Double down on the top 2, deprioritize others.