Before launch · How-to

How to get your first users

Your first users won't come from ads or SEO. They come from you, one conversation at a time. That sounds slow, and it is. It's also the fastest way to learn whether the product is worth building further.

Start before you launch

Put up a simple page that says who the product is for and what it does, with a waitlist form. Share it while you build. By launch day you'll have a list of people who already said “I want this.” Here's what to put on that page.

Where the first users come from

1. People you know. Former colleagues, friends in the industry, people you've helped. Don't ask them to sign up as a favour. Ask who they know with the problem.
2. Places where the problem is discussed. Forums, Reddit, Slack and Discord groups, Q&A sites. Answer questions properly. Mention your product only where it really fits, and say it's yours.
3. Direct messages. Find people who complain about the problem in public, and write to them one by one. Short, personal, no pitch deck.
4. Launch sites. Product Hunt, Hacker News (Show HN), Indie Hackers, BetaList. Expect a spike of visitors and a few real users, not a stream. Read each site's rules first; Show HN, for example, is for things people can try right away.
5. Content. Useful articles about the problem you solve. It's slow. Start early, and expect results in months, not weeks.

A message that gets replies

Hi [name],

I saw your post about [problem]. I'm building [product], a small
tool that [does one thing]. It's early, and I'm looking for a few
people to try it and tell me what's missing.

Would you like a link? No pressure if not.

[Your name]

Specific beats clever. Mention what they wrote, say what you made in one line, and ask a yes-or-no question.

Do things by hand

With ten users you can do what won't work at a thousand: set up their account with them on a call, fix their bug the same day, write to them after their first week. It feels inefficient. It's also how you learn what to build, and how users turn into people who recommend you.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting for launch day. One launch rarely brings lasting users. Many small conversations do.
• Posting the same link everywhere. Communities notice, and they remember.
• Counting sign-ups, not users. Ten people using it every week beat 300 who signed up and left.
• No way to reach you. Early users need a contact link and a few help articles, even rough ones.

MvpKit covers the routine parts: a waitlist with an optional welcome email, a contact form inside your app, a few help articles, and an ideas board where early users can suggest and vote. It doesn't find users for you. That part is still conversations.