Tactics Shared for Generating Pre-Product Word of Mouth
To build buzz before a product is complete, founders are advised to publicly document their building journey on social media and in relevant forums. Other tactics include involving early adopters in product decisions to create a sense of ownership. Rewarding users who provide introductions to other potential customers is also recommended to build an early evangelist community.
YC Partner Michael Seibel advises that a startup's first users should come from the founder's personal network, specifically people who are known to have the problem the MVP is trying to solve. The goal is to find "qualified customers" who are willing to work with an early-stage company and even pay for a solution, as this validates the intensity of their need. A common mistake is to target too broad a market instead of focusing on a small segment with an urgent problem. To find users beyond your immediate network, go to the online spaces where they already gather. Niche subreddits, Discord and Slack communities, and industry-specific forums are prime locations for engaging with potential early adopters. The key is to participate authentically and add value to the community before ever mentioning your product. When conducting cold outreach, the goal is not to sell, but to learn. Frame your request as "customer research" to understand a person's workflow and pain points. Personalized, concise messages that offer value upfront, such as sharing a relevant insight or resource, receive significantly more responses than direct sales pitches. For B2B products, LinkedIn is a powerful tool for identifying potential users. A proven strategy involves sending a custom connection request, followed by a short, direct message that clearly states your intention to learn about their experiences without selling anything. The aim is to secure a brief 20-minute conversation to understand their challenges. A structured approach to these conversations is crucial. Using open-ended questions like "How do you currently solve this problem?" can uncover deep insights into user needs and frustrations. The goal is to listen more than you talk, avoiding the temptation to pitch your product and instead focusing entirely on the user's story. This process of continuous discovery helps to validate or invalidate your initial assumptions before significant time and money are spent on building. By engaging with users early and often, you create a feedback loop that informs product development and ensures you are building something people actually want. Once you have a handful of users, treat your most engaged "super-users" like gold. Create a private channel for them, give them early access to new features, and ask for their opinions on the product's direction. These early evangelists are invaluable for providing deep feedback and helping to attract the next wave of users.
