How to find your first users on X
At 9:40 on a Tuesday, someone types "is there an app that reminds me to chase unpaid invoices" into X. They get two replies: a joke and a GIF. You built that app three weeks ago. Neither of you will ever know. Your first users are already on X, describing your product in their own words. They just aren't searching for you. So you search for them. Below: the searches, a box that writes them for your niche, and the rules that keep you from becoming the reply guy everyone mutes.
Why search beats posting (at first)
With 40 followers, a launch tweet is a letter dropped in an empty hallway. Search flips it around. Instead of waiting for strangers to find your post, you find the post a stranger wrote an hour ago, the one where they asked for exactly what you made.
We tried this on ourselves on Oct 14, 2026. Our problem is builders with zero users, so we searched X (through its API) for people saying that out loud. In one morning we had about 30 posts from the previous two weeks. One builder had 39 visitors and zero signups on day one. Another joked that the internet doesn't get a notification when you ship. We haven't messaged a single one yet: a human approves every reply we send. The searching took minutes. The replying is the part worth slowing down for.
Pair this with the free Where do my users hang out? finder (for Reddit and niche rooms) and the first 100 users playbook.
Write the searches for your niche
Type the problem your app solves in a word or two, the way a frustrated person would say it ("invoices", "meal prep", "screen recording"). Add a competitor if you have one. Each link opens X's Latest tab with the search filled in.
Nothing you type leaves your browser except when you click a link to X. After you generate searches, you can copy them, share a link that reopens the same inputs, or start from a first-reply draft. If a search comes back empty, delete one operator at a time, or try a plainer word.
The seven searches (and the moment each one catches)
Swap KEYWORD for your problem. Quotes mean the exact phrase, OR means either, a minus sign removes a word, and lang:en keeps it in English. These follow X's own advanced search syntax.
- 1. The ask. Someone wants a tool and doesn't know yours exists.
("is there an app" OR "is there a tool" OR "anyone know" OR "any recommendations") KEYWORD -filter:links lang:en - 2. The vent. Not asking yet, just tired of the problem. Best for learning their words.
KEYWORD ("so annoying" OR "I hate" OR "drives me crazy" OR "so frustrating") -filter:links lang:en - 3. The exit. They're leaving a competitor and haven't picked the next one.
("alternative to" OR "alternatives to" OR "switching from" OR "replacement for") COMPETITOR lang:en - 4. The wallet. They said they'd pay. Write these down before anything else.
KEYWORD ("I'd pay" OR "would pay for" OR "take my money") lang:en - 5. The duct tape. They've built a workaround. Your app is the thing that replaces the spreadsheet.
KEYWORD ("spreadsheet" OR "my workaround" OR "I just use" OR "manually") lang:en - 6. The live thread. A question with replies already, where a helpful answer gets read by everyone in it.
KEYWORD "how do you" min_replies:3 lang:en - 7. The breakup. They just cancelled something. Timing doesn't get better than this.
KEYWORD ("cancelled my" OR "canceled my" OR "just switched") lang:en
Click Latest, not Top. Top shows you the viral posts from people who already have 300 answers. Latest shows you the person who asked 40 minutes ago and is still waiting.
What to do with what you find
- Copy their exact words into a notes file. "Chasing invoices" beats "accounts receivable automation" on your landing page, because it's what people actually type.
- Answer the question first. If a free spreadsheet trick solves it, say so. You're earning the right to mention your thing.
- Then say you built something, plainly. "I made a small tool for exactly this. Happy to share if useful" is enough. Let them ask for the link.
- Write each reply by hand, for that one person. If you could paste the same reply under ten posts, it isn't a reply. It's an ad wearing a disguise.
- Keep score. Note who replied, who tried it, and which search found them. After twenty replies you'll know which of the seven moments is yours.
The rules that keep your account alive
- No bulk mentions or DMs. X's automation rules prohibit sending automated, unsolicited replies, mentions or DMs. Search is fine. Spraying replies is how accounts get limited.
- Don't reply under a stranger's viral post with your link. Thousands of people see you cutting in line.
- Skip anyone who's just venting about their day. Not every complaint is an invitation. If you wouldn't say it to them in a coffee line, don't type it.
- Fill in your bio first. The first thing a curious person does is tap your name. Say what you build and link it there, so your reply doesn't have to.
FAQ
How do I find my first customers on X (Twitter)?
Search for the moments people describe your problem: asking for a tool, venting about it, leaving a competitor, or saying they'd pay. Use the Latest tab, reply by hand to one person at a time, answer their question before mentioning your product, and let them ask for the link.
Do I need a paid X account or the API?
No. Everything on this page works in X's regular search box. We used X's API for our own lead search, but the same idea works free in the app or on the web.
Is replying to strangers about my product spam?
It's spam when it's automated, copy-pasted or ignores what they asked. X's automation rules ban automated unsolicited replies and mentions. A handwritten answer to a real question, with a plain mention that you built something, is just being helpful.
What if my search returns nothing?
Use plainer words (people say "invoices", not "AR workflows"), drop one operator at a time, and try your competitor's name. If nobody on X talks about the problem, your users may live on Reddit or in a niche forum instead. Try the community finder.
Can I share or save my searches?
Yes. After you generate them, copy the seven searches as a checklist, copy a link that reopens the same keyword and competitor, or copy a fill-in-the-blanks first reply. Your keyword (and competitor) stay in the link you share, so only share it if you are fine with that.
Rather have someone do the searching?
Get100Users finds the posts where your users describe your problem, and drafts the replies for you to approve and send yourself. Free for the first 10 indie builders.