Pre-launch: build a niche audience for 60 days. Launch: ship to your warm list manually. First 50 customers: hand-deliver, take feedback, iterate. Second 50: referrals + niche community posts. Avoid paid ads until PMF.
Getting the first 100 customers is hand-to-hand combat. Playbook: (1) Pre-launch: build presence for 60 days. (2) Launch: ship to your warm list of 50–500 people first. (3) First 50: hand-deliver, take feedback, manually onboard. (4) Second 50: ask happy customers for 2 referrals. Post case studies in niche communities. (5) Avoid paid ads pre-PMF.
Stripe: first 100 from Hacker News + manual founder outreach
Notion: first 100 from a Twitter waitlist + manual onboarding
No — wait for PMF. Pre-PMF paid ads burn cash without teaching.
DM 100 people in your target audience with a personalized note. 10 will respond. 3 will pay.
What is product-market fit?
Product-market fit (PMF) is when your product satisfies strong market demand—customers desperately w...
How do I find a co-founder?
Y Combinator co-founder matching, niche Discord servers, r/cofounder, university alumni, and #buildi...
How do I launch on Product Hunt?
Build maker karma 30+ days before launch. Schedule for Tuesday–Thursday at 12:01 AM PST. Lead taglin...
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