Launched this week
HSCodeLookup
AI-powered HS code lookup & customs compliance tool
2 followers
AI-powered HS code lookup & customs compliance tool
2 followers
Free AI-powered HS code lookup tool. Find harmonized tariff codes, duty rates, and trade compliance info in seconds. Upload a photo or paste a product link.
Hey Product Hunt 👋
Tega here, founder of HSCodeLookup.
I promised to build in public and
share everything — the wins, the losses,
and the lessons.
Here's the honest week 1 update 👇
---
THE NUMBERS 📊
Total visitors: 100+
Countries: 8
Paid marketing spend: $0
Investors: 0
Team size: 1
Countries that found us organically:
🇳🇬 Nigeria
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇧🇪 Belgium
🇷🇸 Serbia
🇮🇳 India
🇩🇪 Germany
🇭🇺 Hungary
---
WHAT ACTUALLY DROVE TRAFFIC 🚀
1. LinkedIn group posts
Posted in trade compliance and
logistics groups with 50k-500k members.
This was the #1 traffic source.
2. Twitter comments
Commenting on FreightWaves, Flexport,
and trade compliance posts daily.
Every comment drove 2-3 profile visits.
3. Building in public
Sharing the honest story —
the wins and the rejections.
People root for real founders.
4. The rejection post
Got rejected by Product Hunt first time.
Posted about it honestly on LinkedIn.
That post got more engagement than
anything else I wrote.
---
THE BIGGEST INSIGHT 💡
I built this for African importers.
85% of visitors went straight to
the free compliance audit page.
Not the HS code lookup.
Not the tariff alerts.
The audit.
Because people don't want a
compliance tool.
They want to know how much money
they have been losing.
That one insight changed everything.
Stop selling the tool.
Start showing the loss.
---
WHAT I GOT WRONG ❌
1. I thought Twitter would be
my biggest channel.
LinkedIn won by a mile.
2. I thought Nigerian importers
would be my only users.
USA became my second biggest market.
3. I thought the HS lookup would
be the most popular feature.
The free audit won every time.
The market always knows better
than the founder.
---
WHAT'S NEXT 🎯
→ First paying customer this week
→ Paywall live on free audit page
→ Stripe and Paystack payments integrated
→ African Tech Journal pitch board
→ Ventures Platform funding application
→ YC application submitted
---
THE ASK 🙏
Two things:
1. Try the free compliance audit
If you import or export anything —
upload your invoices and see exactly
what you've overpaid.
Free. No credit card. 60 seconds.
🔗 hscode-decoder-buddy.lovable.app/free-audit
2. Upvote us on Product Hunt
Every upvote puts us in front of
thousands of potential customers.
If this story resonates —
please support us today. 🙏
Happy to answer any questions below 👇
— Tega, Solo Founder, Lagos Nigeria