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How to choose what dist0 watches for
Every dist0 brief is built on buyer pains — that signal is always on. On top of it you can add competitor mentions or self-promotions if they help. Add only the ones you'll use — here's how.
Last updated July 5, 2026
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What can dist0 watch for?
Every day, dist0 reads the subreddits you watch. It always pulls out buyer pains — someone describing a problem your product could solve. That's the heart of dist0, so it's on for every project and can't be turned off.
On top of buyer pains, you can add either of these:
- Competitor mentions — someone naming a product that competes with yours. Add it if you keep an eye on rivals.
- Self-promotions — examples of how someone pitched their own product or content in your space without getting downvoted. Add it if you want to learn how promotion lands in your niche. Most projects skip this.
Buyer pains stay on for every project. The other two are add-ons: off until you turn them on.
Why add only what you'll use
Adding a signal isn't free attention. Each kind you watch is one more thing dist0 weighs on every post, so the more you add, the more its focus is split. A leaner set keeps dist0's attention on the buyer pains you actually act on.
So add competitor mentions or self-promotions when you'll use them — not just in case. You can add or drop them any time.
How do I change it in the web app?
- Open Settings and go to the Signals tab.
- Buyer pains sit at the top, marked Always on.
- Tick Competitor mentions or Self-promotions to add one; untick to drop it. The change saves right away.
How do I change it from Slack?
Message the dist0 Slack bot in plain words, the same way you'd message a coworker:
Also watch competitor mentions for me.
Or drop one you no longer want:
Stop watching competitor mentions — I only care about buyer pains.
The bot confirms the change and applies it to your project from the next brief on.
How is this different from a filtering rule?
They solve different problems:
- Choosing what dist0 watches adds or drops a whole kind of signal. Don't add competitor mentions and you get none of them.
- A filtering rule trims individual signals that don't fit — for example, buyer pains about a problem you don't solve. You still get buyer pains; you just skip the off-target ones.
Use this setting to add a kind you want. Use a filtering rule to fine-tune a kind you already get.
FAQ
Can I turn buyer pains off?
No. Buyer pains are the core of what dist0 does and stay on for every project. You can trim ones that don't fit with a filtering rule, but you can't turn the whole kind off.
Should I add self-promotions?
Only if you want to study how others pitch their own product in your space without getting downvoted. Most projects don't need it, so it's off unless you add it.
If I drop competitor mentions, do I lose the ones I already got?
No. Dropping a signal changes what dist0 finds from now on. Competitor mentions already in your past briefs stay as they were.
Will adding a signal find the ones I missed?
No. dist0 starts watching for it from the next brief. It doesn't go back and re-read the days it wasn't looking.