Garry Tan: Podium's $100M AI Pivot

YC Partner Gustaf Alströmer stresses that startups don't take off on their own; founders must manually recruit their first users. This initial traction comes from "doing things that don't scale," a core YC principle emphasizing that the strategies for getting your first 10 customers are fundamentally different from those for getting your 10,000th. The search for early adopters begins in niche communities where target users already gather. Platforms like Reddit, Discord, and specific Slack groups are invaluable for finding people who feel a particular problem acutely. The key is to add value and participate authentically in discussions before ever mentioning your product, respecting each community's rules on self-promotion. For direct outreach, personalized cold emails are highly effective, even for unknown founders. Research your prospects on LinkedIn and reference their specific company challenges, recent achievements, or shared connections to show you've done your homework. Keep subject lines short and intriguing, like "Quick question," to increase open rates, which can be boosted to over 30% with personalization. YC Partner Michael Seibel advises founders to initially pull from their personal network to find the first handful of users who have personally experienced the problem you're solving. Prepare 4-5 qualifying questions to understand how intensely they feel the pain point. The goal of these first conversations isn't to sell, but to listen and validate that the problem is real, pressing, and worth solving. Once you have a potential user engaged, don't be afraid to charge for your MVP. YC partners emphasize that customers paying money is the strongest signal that you're providing real value. People with a burning problem are rarely price-sensitive, and paying customers provide much sharper, more honest feedback than free users. Platforms like Product Hunt, BetaList, and Indie Hackers are designed to connect startups with early adopters actively seeking new products. Listing your MVP on these sites can generate waitlist signups and attract users who understand how to evaluate new software and provide actionable feedback. The entire process is about moving from assumptions to insights. Start by interviewing just 5-6 people to avoid conflicting feedback and find a clear pattern. This initial, manual effort of finding users, listening to their problems, and validating their willingness to pay forms the foundation of a scalable customer acquisition strategy.