How to Get Your First 100 Users for a New Product
For most small products, the first 100 users come mostly by hand. Find the people who have the problem your product solves, in the places they already talk about it, and write to them one at a time. Then launch in several places over several weeks. None of it scales, and it doesn’t have to. At this stage, in our view, the goal is to learn what makes the right people stay, and talking to them is the most direct way to find out.
This guide covers where those first users can come from, how to reach them and how to tell which channel worked. We run LaunchGP, a weekly launch race, so we have a stake in launches and it shows up as one of the channels. Everything else here works without it.
What counts as a user?
Before you count, define it. A signup who never comes back isn’t a user in any useful sense. Pick the action that means someone got value: created a first project, sent a first invoice, ran a first check. Count people who did that.
It makes the number smaller. It also makes it honest, and it tells you where people drop off.
Which channels work for the first users?
| Channel | What it takes | What you learn |
|---|---|---|
| People you can name | A list and a personal message each | Why people try it, or don’t |
| Communities | Time answering questions before you post | How people describe the problem |
| Launch platforms | A listing and a week of replies | How strangers react to your pitch |
| Articles that answer searches | Writing about the problem | What people search for |
| Integrations | A working integration | Which tools your users already use |
| Building in public | Regular, honest updates | Who wants to follow the product |
The sections below take them one at a time.
Who should you contact first?
Write a list of everyone who has the problem and who you could reach today: former colleagues, people in communities you’re part of, people who complained about the problem in public, people who signed up for a waitlist.
For each one, write a personal message. Not a template with their name swapped in, a real note:
- Why you thought of them.
- What the product does, in one line.
- One question about how they deal with the problem today.
Some will try it. Some will tell you why they won’t, which is just as useful. Ask the ones who try it what almost stopped them.
Where is the problem discussed?
Your users talk about their problem somewhere: a forum, a subreddit, a Slack or Discord group, the comments under a popular blog, a Q&A site. Spend time there before you post a link. Answer questions you know the answer to. When your product is the honest answer to someone’s question, say so and say that you made it.
Every community has rules on self-promotion. Read them. A removed post can also cost you your standing in that community.
Why launch in rounds instead of once?
A launch on a launch platform puts your product in front of people who are looking for new things to try. One launch gives you a burst. Several launches, a week or two apart, each give you a new burst and new feedback to fix before the next one.
- On LaunchGP, a Grand Prix runs Monday to Monday with 26 cars. A free seat needs the badge on your site, and each product gets one free entry per season (a calendar quarter).
- Different platforms reach different people. Product launch platforms compared by how they work helps you pick a mix.
- Before each one, run through the SaaS launch checklist.
Write the page that answers their question
Your future users are searching for how to solve their problem. A clear, useful article that answers one of those questions can keep bringing people in long after you publish it. It’s slow to start, so begin early, and write about the problem rather than about your product.
The same goes for the tools they already use. If your product connects to one, ask to be listed on its integrations page.
Show your work
Sharing what you’re building, what you shipped and what you got wrong brings in people who like following a product as it grows. Some of them become early users. We cover what to share in building in public: what to share and what to skip.
How do you know which channel worked?
Keep a source log. For each user who reaches the action you chose, note where they came from. A spreadsheet is enough: date, source, whether they’re still active after a few weeks.
After a month, you’ll see which channels brought people who stayed, not just people who signed up. Do more of those. Drop the rest.
Keep the ones you get
The first users can tell you what’s broken, what’s missing and what they’d pay for. Reply fast, fix what they report and tell them when it’s fixed. How to keep users after launch week ends goes into that follow-up, and on LaunchGP, every update you log keeps your car fueled in Endurance.
What should you not do?
- Don’t buy signups yet. In our view, paid traffic before you know who stays mostly teaches you how to spend money.
- Don’t spam communities. One helpful answer beats ten links.
- Don’t fake activity. Fake reviews, fake votes and fake numbers tend to get noticed, and they hide the signal you need.
The work is slow and specific. Write the list of names first.
FAQ
How long does it take to get the first 100 users?
It depends on the product, the market and how much time you can spend on outreach. Nobody can give you an honest fixed timeline. Tracking sources weekly tells you whether you’re speeding up.
Should I use paid ads to get my first users?
Usually not yet. Until you know who stays and why, ads buy signups you can’t learn much from. Talk to people first.
Do friends and family count as users?
Only if they have the problem and use the product for it. Count them separately so they don’t hide what strangers do.
Is a launch directory enough to get 100 users?
Rarely on its own. Treat each launch as one channel among several, and combine it with direct outreach and communities.
What if nobody replies to my messages?
Look at the message and the list. A shorter note with one clear question gets more replies, and the people on the list should be people who actually have the problem.