Founder: Leverage Existing Network for First Users
Developer Sujan (@kenshein_dev) advises founders to leverage their existing network for their first users and initial product feedback. He notes that past connections or contacts in similar fields can provide valuable, real-world insights. This strategy was successfully used to find the first users for his own SaaS tool.
- Before product development, manually recruit initial users from relevant online communities like Reddit, LinkedIn Groups, or niche forums. Instead of broadcasting your product, engage in existing conversations to find people already discussing the problem you aim to solve. - YC Partner Gustaf Alströmer advises that founders should personally handle sales initially, as it's crucial for learning and iterating on the product. Startups take off because founders manually recruit their first users, not by simply launching and waiting. - Identify early adopters by looking for individuals who are actively and urgently trying to solve the problem your product addresses. These users are often creating their own makeshift solutions and are more willing to try an imperfect MVP to alleviate their pain point. - When conducting cold outreach, the goal is to learn, not to sell. Use open-ended questions like, "Can you tell me about the last time this problem happened?" or "How are you currently solving this problem?" to understand their workflow and challenges. - For B2B products, use LinkedIn to find people with relevant job titles and directly pitch them. Your early adopters are likely to be other startups as they have shorter decision-making processes compared to larger companies. - Structure user discovery calls to separate learning from selling. Dedicate the first 15-20 minutes solely to understanding the user's current process and pain points before introducing your product. - To build a pipeline of conversations, create a curated list of ideal companies and roles for B2B or identify online "watering holes" for B2C where potential users congregate. Offer value upfront in your outreach, such as sharing relevant insights or a helpful resource, before asking for their time. - Don't be afraid to charge your first users, as YC Partner Gustaf Alströmer notes that paying customers provide more valuable and direct feedback than free users. This also serves as the initial validation that you are solving a real problem people are willing to pay for.
