Get first customers through personal network, manual outreach on LinkedIn/Twitter, posting in relevant online communities (Reddit, Facebook groups), offering free trials to early adopters, or leveraging Product Hunt/Hacker News launches. Focus on direct conversation, not scalable marketing.
First 10 customers require "unscalable" tactics Paul Graham describes. Don't build marketing funnels yet—have real conversations. Methods that work: (1) Personal network—Message friends, ex-colleagues, family. Ask for intros to relevant people. Warm intros convert 10x better than cold. (2) LinkedIn outreach—Send 50 personalized messages daily to ICP. 10-20% response rate if you mention specific pain point. (3) Online communities—Reddit, Facebook groups, Discord, Slack communities where your customers hang out. Provide value first, mention product second. (4) Content marketing—Write detailed blog solving specific problem, share on Hacker News/Reddit. Attracts early adopters. (5) Founder-led sales—Personally demo product, watch them use it, fix issues real-time. Concierge onboarding builds loyalty. (6) Free trials + hand-holding—Give free access, schedule onboarding calls, solve problems manually. Make success impossible to fail. (7) Niche directories—Product Hunt, BetaList, Hacker News Show HN, IndieHackers. Tech-savvy early adopters browse these. What doesn't work at 0-10 customers: Paid ads (too expensive per customer), SEO (takes months), PR (journalists don't care about unknown startups). The goal isn't revenue—it's learning. Ask customers: Why did you sign up? What problem were you trying to solve? What almost made you NOT buy? What feature would make you tell friends?
Airbnb: Founders physically photographed hosts' apartments, created professional listings. Zero scalability but built trust and quality.
DoorDash: Founders delivered food themselves at Stanford. Learned operations intimately, built relationships with restaurants.
Stripe: Patrick Collison personally integrated first merchants via Skype calls, wrote custom code for each. Intense customer service.
B2C: 2-4 weeks if you hustle. B2B: 1-3 months (longer sales cycles). Enterprise: 3-6 months (procurement processes).
Charge something (even ₹100). Free users don't value product. Discount heavily but establish paying relationship.
Find them online: LinkedIn (B2B), Reddit/Facebook groups (B2C), Twitter (tech early adopters). Cold outreach works if personalized.
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