Founder Shares 'Lessons Before Product'
Founder Josh Roy recounted his early startup journey, which began not with a product but with "63 rejections, 6 conference talks, and a 100% belief rate—from exactly one person: me." The account emphasizes prioritizing learning from rejection and starting user conversations long before a product is ready to launch.
- YC Partner Michael Seibel advises founders to initially source users from their personal network, targeting people who personally experience the problem the startup aims to solve. He suggests qualifying these early users by asking 4-5 questions to gauge how intensely they feel the problem. - To identify early adopters, brainstorm potential customer segments, rank them, and then conduct interviews with the top-ranked segments to verify they are actively seeking a solution and have a budget for it. The most critical indicator of an early adopter is someone who has already created a makeshift solution to the problem. - For cold outreach, YC Partner Gustaf Alströmer recommends a concise, personalized email that describes why you and your team are impressive, includes social proof, and has a link to a simple website with product screenshots. He also suggests that founders should learn to do sales themselves and not be afraid to charge money, as paying customers provide more valuable feedback. - Find users where they already congregate online, such as in niche subreddits, Discord servers, and professional groups on LinkedIn or Facebook. Instead of directly pitching, engage authentically in conversations to build trust before introducing your product. - Platforms like Product Hunt, BetaList, and FirstUsers.tech are designed to connect startups with individuals actively looking to test new products. Creating a pre-launch landing page to collect email sign-ups can also validate demand before the product is fully built. - A continuous discovery process, involving at least weekly touchpoints with customers, helps embed user feedback into every stage of the product lifecycle. This ongoing dialogue allows teams to quickly iterate and align the product roadmap with genuine user needs. - For B2B startups, creating a curated list of ideal companies and roles can kickstart a networking strategy on platforms like LinkedIn. When reaching out, emphasize that you're seeking their expert feedback on the product rather than trying to sell them something. - Don't underestimate in-person outreach; if your product serves a specific location or demographic, go to those physical places, such as a gym for a fitness app or a college campus for a dating app, to get direct feedback.
