Getting Your First Users
Your first 10-100 users are the hardest to get—and the most important. They'll give you feedback, become your advocates, and shape your product. Here's how to find them.
"Do things that don't scale. Recruit users manually. It's not glamorous, but it works."— Paul Graham, Y Combinator
Early Users
What's a "do things that don't scale" strategy for getting first users?
Where to Find First Users
Start With Your Network
Friends & family: Ask them to try it (and be honest!)
Your community: School clubs, local groups, online communities you're part of
People from your interviews: They already know about the problem
Online Communities
- Reddit: Find subreddits where your users hang out
- Facebook Groups: Join relevant communities
- Discord/Slack: Niche communities for your audience
- Twitter/LinkedIn: Share your journey publicly
In-Person
- Campus events: Club meetings, career fairs
- Meetups: Industry or interest-based gatherings
- Coffee chats: 1-on-1 conversations with potential users
How to Get Your First Customers
Gustaf Alströmer • Y Combinator
Why watch this: Gustaf (former Head of Growth at Airbnb) shares tactical advice for early customer acquisition—from doing things that don't scale to charging your first customer.
User Acquisition
What's the most effective approach?
🌟 Direct and Effective!
In-person is powerful for early users. You can explain the value, answer questions, and sign up people immediately. This is "doing things that don't scale"—and it works.
👍 Good Start
Email outreach can work, but you're relying on someone else to share. Going in person gives you more control and higher conversion.
💡 Too Passive
Posting and waiting rarely works for early users. You need to proactively reach out and convince people to try something new.
Outreach That Works
The Formula for Cold Outreach
1. Personalize: Show you know who they are
2. Relate: Mention the problem they have
3. Offer value: What's in it for them?
4. Make it easy: Clear, simple ask
Outreach Message Structure
Start with to show you're not sending mass emails.
Then describe the they're facing.
Offer your as the answer.
End with a clear .
First 20 Users Plan
StrategyCreate your plan to get your first 20 users:
Example Plan
Where: 1) First-gen student org meeting (Tues) 2) r/firstgen subreddit 3) Friends from my problem interviews
Strategy: Org meeting = present and sign up on spot. Reddit = value-first post sharing the problem. Friends = personal DM with link.
Pitch: "Getting internships as a first-gen student is hard when you don't have connections. We match you with alumni mentors who've been there. Free, takes 2 minutes to sign up."
Goal: 20 sign-ups by Sunday
Actions: Today = DM 10 friends. Tomorrow = attend org meeting. Wednesday = Reddit post. Thursday-Sunday = follow up with everyone.
Write Your Outreach Message
CreationDraft a message to send to potential first users:
Example Message
Subject: Quick question about internship recruiting
Hey Maria,
I saw your post in the First-Gen Alliance group about struggling with recruiting season—I totally relate!
As a first-gen student myself, I know how hard it is to navigate internships without family connections. So I built something to help: a free platform that matches first-gen students with alumni mentors at top companies.
Would you be willing to try it out and give me feedback? It takes 2 minutes to sign up: [link]
Either way, happy to chat about recruiting tips!
- Alex
🎯 Key Takeaways
- "Do things that don't scale"—personally recruit early users
- Start with your network and communities you're already in
- Personalize your outreach, don't mass-blast
- In-person is often more effective than online for first users
- Your first users are your most valuable—treat them well!
🎉 Phase 3 Complete!
You've learned how to build and launch your MVP. Test your knowledge!
Take Phase 3 Quiz →