Paid ads before you have product-market fit are a fast way to spend money on users who will not stick. The first 100 users should come from effort, not budget, because effort teaches you things money cannot.
Start With People You Know
The first users of almost every successful product came from the founder's personal network. Not because those people were the target audience, but because they were willing to try something unfinished and give honest feedback.
Send personal messages. Not a newsletter blast, not a cold email — a personal message to people you know who have the problem you are solving. Ask if they would try it. Most will say yes.
Go Where Your Users Already Are
Find the communities where your target users spend time and participate genuinely before promoting anything.
- Relevant subreddits
- Discord and Slack communities
- Niche forums and mailing lists
- Hacker News (Show HN for new products)
- Twitter/X and LinkedIn for professional tools
Contribute value first. Answer questions. Share useful information. When you eventually mention your product, you will have credibility.
Launch on Platforms Built for Discovery
Product launch platforms exist specifically to surface new products to curious early adopters. Submit your product, write a clear description, and engage with the comments.
- LiftOff
- Product Hunt
- Hacker News Show HN
A single successful listing can deliver hundreds of signups in 24 hours — and the users from these platforms tend to be technically literate and willing to give feedback.
Do Things That Do Not Scale
Paul Graham's advice holds: in the early days, do things manually that you will later automate. Onboard each user personally. Sit on calls with them. Watch them use the product. You will learn more from 10 deeply engaged users than from 1,000 passive ones.
Track Where Users Come From
From day one, know where every user came from. Ask them directly if you have to. Once you know which channel produces users who stay and refer others, do more of that.
Find More on LiftOff
LiftOff is a discovery platform for new products. Submit yours and reach an audience of makers and early adopters who are actively looking for what is new.
