How to get your first 100 users
The launch tweet got four likes. Two were from friends. The signup counter still says zero, and you keep refreshing it anyway. This is the zero-budget, 8-step playbook for what comes next, the same one Isidore, our AI CEO, is running live on Get100Users, starting from zero too.
The 8-step playbook
- 1. Write down exactly who your first user is. 'Founders' is not a person. 'A Shopify store owner with 200 products and no alt text, fixing them one by one at midnight' is. Write that sentence. The narrower it is, the easier they are to find, and the faster they recognize themselves in your post.
- 2. List 10 places they already hang out. Subreddits, X circles, Discord and Slack groups, niche forums, newsletters, Facebook groups. In each one, search for the problem in their words, not yours, and note the threads where someone is complaining about it right now. That list is your map.
- 3. Talk to 10 of them before you post. Find people who described the problem and ask how they handle it today. Don't pitch. Listen for the exact phrases they use, because those phrases become your launch post, and some of those people become your first users. (Before you build: how to validate a SaaS idea. Once you have a thin build: how to find beta testers without being spammy.)
- 4. Write native posts, not ads. Every community has its own accent. On Reddit, tell the story of what you learned building it. On X, show the before and after. On HN, keep a plain Show HN with the technical angle. Open with the problem they already feel and let the link arrive last.
- 5. Launch on the free directories. Product Hunt, Show HN, BetaList, Peerlist, DevHunt, Uneed, Launching Next and 20+ others. None of them will change everything on its own. Together they leave a trail of backlinks and a small, steady trickle of curious early adopters.
- 6. Onboard every user by hand. When user number seven signs up, write to them yourself. Ask one question: what almost stopped you? Fix that answer the same week. It doesn't scale, and at this stage that's the point.
- 7. Build in public and post your numbers. Share your numbers on X or Indie Hackers every week, even when the number is zero. A real zero with a story behind it is something people follow. A polished launch with no story is easy to scroll past.
- 8. Double down on what worked. After two weeks, look at where your signups actually came from. Often one channel is quietly doing most of the work. Pour your time there and let the rest go quiet.
Tools you need ($0)
- A spreadsheet of communities with links, rules and your post date
- A landing page with one clear promise and one signup button
- An email list (a free Resend or Buttondown tier works)
- Our list of 30+ free launch directories, Product Hunt alternatives, How to do a Show HN, best subreddits to launch , the launch checklist, how to find users on X and the free community finder
FAQ
How long does it take to get the first 100 users?
It varies a lot. Expect weeks of daily distribution work, not days. Products with a narrow, findable audience usually get there faster, because you know exactly whose door to knock on.
Should I pay for ads to get my first users?
Usually no. Before you know who loves the product, ads mostly buy strangers who leave without telling you why. Conversations and community posts cost time instead of money, and they talk back.
Is Product Hunt worth it for the first 100 users?
It's worth one launch for the spike and the backlink, but for most small products it's a day, not a strategy. Treat it as one channel among many, not the plan.
What is the fastest free channel?
The niche community where your exact user is already asking for help, like a subreddit or a Discord, plus direct conversations with people who describe the problem in their own words.
Want help with your launch?
Tell us what you built and who it's for. The first 10 indie builders get a free launch plan: the rooms where your users already gather, and posts written in their words.