Best Subreddits for Entrepreneurs: 15 Communities to Join in 2025
If you’re an entrepreneur looking for real advice, honest feedback, and a community that understands the rollercoaster of building a business, Reddit is your goldmine. But with thousands of subreddits out there, finding the right communities can feel overwhelming. Which ones actually provide value? Which are full of spam? And where can you find people who genuinely want to help?
The best subreddits for entrepreneurs aren’t just places to promote your startup—they’re communities where founders share war stories, validate ideas, get brutally honest feedback, and discover real problems worth solving. Whether you’re at the idea stage, building your MVP, or scaling to seven figures, there’s a Reddit community ready to support your journey.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the top 15 subreddits every entrepreneur should join, what makes each one valuable, and how to get the most out of these communities without getting banned for self-promotion.
Why Reddit is Essential for Modern Entrepreneurs
Before we dive into specific subreddits, let’s talk about why Reddit matters for your entrepreneurial journey. Unlike LinkedIn’s polished highlight reels or Twitter’s hot takes, Reddit offers raw, unfiltered conversations about the real challenges of building businesses.
Reddit’s voting system naturally surfaces the most helpful content, meaning quality advice rises to the top while spam gets buried. The anonymity also encourages more honest discussions—people share their actual revenue numbers, failed pivots, and lessons learned without worrying about their professional reputation.
Most importantly, Reddit communities are where your potential customers hang out. They’re discussing their problems, frustrations, and wishes in real-time. This makes Reddit invaluable not just for networking, but for market research and idea validation.
The Top 15 Best Subreddits for Entrepreneurs
1. r/Entrepreneur (3.2M+ Members)
The flagship entrepreneurship community on Reddit, r/Entrepreneur is where founders of all stages gather. You’ll find everything from first-time founders asking basic questions to experienced entrepreneurs sharing detailed case studies of their exits.
What makes it valuable: Weekly feedback threads, AMAs with successful founders, and a strict moderation policy that keeps spam to a minimum. The “Share Your Business” threads are goldmines for understanding what other entrepreneurs are building.
Best for: General entrepreneurship discussion, networking, and getting diverse perspectives on business challenges.
2. r/startups (1.5M+ Members)
More focused than r/Entrepreneur, this community centers specifically on startup culture and venture-backed businesses. Discussions tend to be more technical, covering topics like equity splits, fundraising, and scaling strategies.
What makes it valuable: Deep dives into startup-specific challenges, fundraising advice from founders who’ve been through it, and insights into the tech startup ecosystem.
Best for: Tech founders, those seeking funding, and entrepreneurs interested in high-growth business models.
3. r/SaaS (150K+ Members)
If you’re building software-as-a-service products, r/SaaS is your home. This community focuses specifically on the challenges of building, launching, and growing SaaS businesses.
What makes it valuable: Technical discussions about stack choices, pricing strategies, churn reduction, and growth tactics specific to subscription businesses. You’ll also find founders sharing their MRR journeys transparently.
Best for: SaaS founders, developers transitioning to entrepreneurship, and anyone interested in recurring revenue models.
4. r/smallbusiness (500K+ Members)
Not everyone wants to build a unicorn. r/smallbusiness focuses on sustainable, profitable businesses that serve local communities or niche markets. Discussions cover everything from retail operations to service businesses.
What makes it valuable: Practical, boots-on-the-ground advice about running day-to-day operations, managing employees, and dealing with local regulations.
Best for: Local business owners, service providers, and entrepreneurs focused on profitability over growth.
5. r/IMadeThis (350K+ Members)
A more welcoming community for sharing what you’ve built. While promotional posts are often frowned upon in other subreddits, r/IMadeThis encourages creators to showcase their projects, products, and services.
What makes it valuable: Honest feedback from real users, a supportive community that celebrates creation, and the ability to share your work without being flagged as spam.
Best for: Getting early feedback, beta testers, and initial exposure for your product.
6. r/SideProject (250K+ Members)
Perfect for entrepreneurs who are still working their day jobs while building their ventures. This community celebrates the hustle of building something on nights and weekends.
What makes it valuable: A judgment-free zone for sharing works-in-progress, finding co-founders, and getting advice on balancing employment with entrepreneurship.
Best for: Part-time founders, indie hackers, and anyone testing business ideas before going all-in.
7. r/growthacking (75K+ Members)
Growth is what separates successful businesses from failed experiments. This community focuses on acquisition strategies, retention tactics, and creative marketing approaches.
What makes it valuable: Tactical growth strategies backed by real case studies, discussions about marketing channels that actually work, and data-driven approaches to user acquisition.
Best for: Founders focused on scaling, marketers, and anyone struggling to find their first customers.
8. r/ycombinator (40K+ Members)
Named after the famous startup accelerator, this subreddit discusses Y Combinator companies, application advice, and startup fundamentals championed by Paul Graham and the YC team.
What makes it valuable: High-quality discussions about building valuable companies, insights from YC alumni, and debate about startup best practices.
Best for: Ambitious founders, those applying to accelerators, and entrepreneurs interested in the Silicon Valley startup mindset.
9. r/indiehackers (60K+ Members)
The Reddit companion to IndieHackers.com, this community champions bootstrapped, profitable businesses built by solo founders or small teams. The focus is on sustainable businesses rather than venture-backed growth.
What makes it valuable: Revenue transparency, practical advice on building profitable products, and a supportive community that celebrates small wins.
Best for: Solo founders, bootstrapped entrepreneurs, and makers who want to build profitable products without raising capital.
10. r/advancedentrepreneur (20K+ Members)
While most entrepreneurship subreddits welcome beginners, r/advancedentrepreneur caters to experienced founders who’ve already built successful businesses. Discussions assume foundational knowledge and dive into sophisticated topics.
What makes it valuable: High-signal discussions without basic questions cluttering the feed, networking with experienced entrepreneurs, and advanced strategies for scaling and exit planning.
Best for: Serial entrepreneurs, founders with existing successful businesses, and those looking for next-level insights.
Finding Real Problems to Solve: The PainOnSocial Advantage
While these subreddits are excellent for networking and learning, one of the most valuable uses of Reddit for entrepreneurs is discovering validated pain points. Reading through these communities, you’ll notice patterns—people repeatedly complaining about the same problems, asking for solutions that don’t exist, or hacking together workarounds for broken processes.
This is where PainOnSocial becomes invaluable for entrepreneurs actively mining these communities for opportunities. Instead of manually scrolling through thousands of posts across dozens of subreddits, PainOnSocial uses AI to analyze discussions from 30+ curated entrepreneurship and business communities, identifying the most frequent and intense problems founders are discussing.
The tool provides real quotes, upvote counts, and permalinks to actual Reddit discussions, giving you evidence-backed validation for problems worth solving. For entrepreneurs who want to build products people actually want, PainOnSocial transforms Reddit from a networking platform into a systematic opportunity discovery engine. You can filter pain points by community size, category, and intensity score, helping you find the sweet spot between underserved problems and significant market demand.
11. r/EntrepreneurRideAlong (150K+ Members)
This community is built around founders documenting their journeys in real-time. It started with a famous post series about building a cleaning business from scratch and has evolved into a place where entrepreneurs share transparent progress updates.
What makes it valuable: Real-time case studies, transparency about what works and what doesn’t, and accountability through public commitment.
Best for: Founders who want accountability, those learning from others’ journeys, and entrepreneurs who prefer learning by example.
12. r/ecommerce (180K+ Members)
If you’re selling physical products online, r/ecommerce is essential. Discussions cover everything from Shopify setup to Facebook ads, supplier relationships to shipping logistics.
What makes it valuable: Platform-specific advice, marketing strategies that work for e-commerce, and solutions to common fulfillment challenges.
Best for: E-commerce founders, dropshippers, and anyone selling physical products online.
13. r/marketing (1.2M+ Members)
While not exclusively for entrepreneurs, r/marketing provides essential insights into customer acquisition, brand building, and campaign strategies that every founder needs.
What makes it valuable: Professional marketers sharing what actually works, discussions about emerging channels, and critiques of marketing campaigns.
Best for: Founders handling their own marketing, those building marketing teams, and entrepreneurs who need to understand modern marketing.
14. r/AskEntrepreneurs (30K+ Members)
A question-focused community where entrepreneurs can ask specific questions and get targeted advice. The smaller size means more personalized responses than larger subreddits.
What makes it valuable: Direct answers to specific questions, less noise than larger communities, and a helpful atmosphere where basic questions are welcomed.
Best for: New entrepreneurs with specific questions, those seeking quick advice, and founders who want personalized feedback.
15. r/Bootstrapped (40K+ Members)
Dedicated to entrepreneurs building profitable businesses without external funding, r/Bootstrapped celebrates sustainable growth and profitable unit economics over hockey stick growth charts.
What makes it valuable: Focus on profitability from day one, realistic discussions about cash flow management, and alternatives to the venture capital path.
Best for: Self-funded founders, service business owners, and entrepreneurs who want to maintain control of their companies.
How to Get Maximum Value from These Communities
Joining these subreddits is just the first step. To truly benefit from these communities, you need to engage thoughtfully. Here’s how:
Give before you take: Reddit communities value genuine contribution. Spend time answering questions, sharing insights from your experience, and helping others before asking for anything yourself. Build karma and credibility first.
Read the rules: Each subreddit has specific rules about self-promotion, post format, and acceptable content. Read them carefully before posting. Getting banned from a community you’ve just discovered is frustrating and avoidable.
Use the search function: Before asking a question, search to see if it’s been answered before. Repeated questions get downvoted, and you’ll get better responses by building on previous discussions rather than starting from zero.
Share specifics, not generalities: Instead of asking “How do I get customers?” share your specific situation: “I’ve built a project management tool for small architecture firms. I’ve tried cold email and LinkedIn outreach with minimal response. What channels should I try next?” Specific questions get specific, actionable answers.
Document your journey: Consider creating update posts about your progress. Communities love following along with real entrepreneurial journeys, and you’ll build an audience of supporters who’ll provide feedback and even become early customers.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many entrepreneurs join Reddit with great intentions but make mistakes that get them banned or ignored. Avoid these common pitfalls:
Spamming your product: Don’t join just to promote your startup. Reddit users can smell self-promotion from miles away, and the community will quickly downvote or report obvious spam.
Ignoring community culture: Each subreddit has its own vibe and expectations. r/Entrepreneur welcomes inspirational content; r/startups prefers technical discussions; r/indiehackers values transparency about revenue. Adapt your communication style to each community.
Buying upvotes or using bots: This violates Reddit’s terms of service and will get you permanently banned. It’s also ineffective—fake engagement doesn’t lead to real customers or meaningful connections.
Being defensive about criticism: When you share your startup for feedback, you’ll get honest (sometimes brutal) critiques. Thank people for their input, even if you disagree. Arguments make you look unprofessional and discourage future feedback.
Only consuming, never contributing: If you only read and never comment or post, you’re missing the point. Reddit’s value comes from participation. Share your knowledge, ask questions, and engage in discussions.
Conclusion: Your Reddit Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success
The best subreddits for entrepreneurs offer something no business course or networking event can provide: unfiltered access to thousands of founders sharing their real experiences, challenges, and victories. From r/Entrepreneur’s broad discussions to r/SaaS’s technical deep-dives, each community serves a unique purpose in your entrepreneurial toolkit.
Start by joining 3-5 subreddits most relevant to your current stage and business model. Spend a week just reading and understanding each community’s culture. Then begin contributing—answer questions, share insights, and engage authentically. As you build credibility, you’ll find these communities become invaluable sources of advice, feedback, customers, and even co-founders.
Remember, Reddit isn’t just a place to network—it’s where real people discuss real problems in real-time. Pay attention to the patterns, the recurring frustrations, and the gaps in existing solutions. Your next successful business idea might be hiding in a thread you read this week.
Ready to dive in? Pick your first subreddit, introduce yourself, and start building relationships with fellow entrepreneurs who understand exactly what you’re going through. The communities are waiting, and your next breakthrough insight is just a few scrolls away.