How to Get Your First 100 Users - Proven Strategies That Actually Work

Your MVP is live. Now comes the hard part: getting people to actually use it.

The first 100 users are the hardest—and the most important. They'll shape your product, provide testimonials, and become your early advocates.

This guide shares real strategies that work, not theoretical advice.

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Table of Contents

1. Why the First 100 Matter Most
2. The Foundation: Before You Launch
3. Day 1-7: Launch Week Strategies
4. Week 2-4: Building Momentum
5. Month 2-3: Scaling What Works
6. Channel-by-Channel Breakdown
7. What NOT to Do

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Why the First 100 Matter Most

They're Not Just Users—They're Partners

Your first 100 users will:

• Shape your product through feedback
• Become testimonials for marketing
• Refer others through word of mouth
• Validate (or invalidate) your assumptions
• Set the culture of your user base

The Math of Early Growth

If your first 100 users are the right people:

• 20% become power users
• 10% refer others
• 5% provide testimonials
• 2% become paying customers (for freemium)

That's 20 power users, 10 referrers, 5 testimonials, and proof of revenue.

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The Foundation: Before You Launch

Build Your Waitlist (2-4 Weeks Before Launch)

Why: Having people waiting creates launch momentum.

How:

1. Create a landing page with email capture
2. Explain the problem you're solving
3. Show the solution (screenshots, video)
4. Offer early access or founding member benefits

Target: 200-500 signups before launch

Tools: Carrd, Webflow, Launchrock

Seed Your Communities (4-8 Weeks Before Launch)

Why: Cold launches fail. Warm launches succeed.

How:

1. Identify 5-10 communities where your users hang out
2. Become a genuine, helpful member (not a spammer)
3. Share value, answer questions, build relationships
4. Mention your project casually when relevant

Communities to consider:

• Reddit (find relevant subreddits)
• Discord servers
• Slack communities
• Facebook groups
• Twitter/X communities
• LinkedIn groups

Create Anticipation

Tactics:

• Build in public (share progress on Twitter/X)
• Create behind-the-scenes content
• Tell the origin story
• Tease features and launch date

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Day 1-7: Launch Week Strategies

Day 1: The Soft Launch

What: Share with your inner circle first

Who:

• Friends and family who fit your ICP
• Email list/waitlist
• Close online connections
• Previous customers (if applicable)

Goal: 20-30 users, initial feedback, bug catching

Day 2-3: Community Launches

What: Share with communities you've been part of

Platforms:

• Indie Hackers (Show IH)
• Hacker News (Show HN)
• Relevant subreddits
• Discord/Slack communities

Keys to Success:

• Be genuine, not spammy
• Tell your story
• Ask for specific feedback
• Respond to every comment

Day 4-5: Product Hunt Launch

Preparation (start 2 weeks before):

1. Build a hunter network (or hunt yourself)
2. Prepare all assets (logo, screenshots, video)
3. Write compelling tagline and description
4. Alert your waitlist about the launch date

Launch Day:

1. Launch at 12:01 AM PT (for full 24 hours)
2. Email your list at 8 AM their time
3. Post on social media
4. Respond to every comment
5. Update your listing with new features/info

Realistic Expectations:

• Top 5: 500-2000 visitors
• Top 10: 200-500 visitors
• Top 20: 100-200 visitors

Day 6-7: Social Media Push

Twitter/X Strategy:

1. Write a thread about your launch
2. Share the story behind the product
3. Tag relevant people (genuinely)
4. Engage with replies

LinkedIn Strategy:

1. Write a personal post about your journey
2. Share what you learned
3. Ask for feedback
4. Connect with commenters

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Week 2-4: Building Momentum

Content Marketing Quick Wins

Goal: Create searchable content that drives ongoing traffic

Quick wins:

• Write 3-5 blog posts answering questions your users ask
• Create comparison posts (Your Product vs. Alternative)
• Write tutorials for your product
• Guest post on relevant publications

Leverage Your Early Users

Ask for:

• Testimonials (with permission to use)
• Case studies (for notable users)
• Referrals (implement a referral program)
• Reviews (on G2, Capterra, or relevant sites)

Template for asking:

Hi [Name],

I noticed you've been using [Product] for [activity]. 
I'd love to hear how it's going!

Would you be open to sharing a quick testimonial 
about your experience? It would really help other 
[target users] discover us.

If you have 5 minutes, I'd love to learn:
- What problem were you trying to solve?
- How has [Product] helped?
- Would you recommend it?

Thanks so much!
[Your name]

Direct Outreach

Identify 100 ideal users and reach out personally:

1. Find them on LinkedIn, Twitter, or email
2. Research their specific situation
3. Send a personalized message
4. Offer free access or a call to show the product

Template:

Hi [Name],

I noticed you're [relevant situation/role]. 
I'm building [Product] to help with [specific problem].

We just launched and I'm looking for feedback from 
people like you. Would you be open to trying it 
(free) and sharing your thoughts?

I'd genuinely value your perspective.

[Your name]

Expect: 10-20% response rate, 5-10% convert to users

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Month 2-3: Scaling What Works

Double Down on Winners

By now you should know:

• Which channels drive users
• What messaging resonates
• Who your best users are

Action: 2x investment in top 2 channels, cut losers.

Content Flywheel

Create content that compounds:

1. Answer questions your users ask (SEO)
2. Create comparison/alternative posts
3. Write tutorials and guides
4. Build tools (calculators, templates)

Partnership & Integrations

Find complementary products:

• Integrate with tools your users already use
• Cross-promote with non-competitive products
• Guest on podcasts in your niche
• Collaborate with influencers

Paid Acquisition (Maybe)

Only if:

• You have some organic traction
• You understand your unit economics
• You have budget to experiment

Start with:

• Retargeting (cheap, high intent)
• Small Google Ads tests
• Sponsor relevant newsletters

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Channel-by-Channel Breakdown

Reddit

Works for: B2C, developer tools, niche products

How:

1. Find 5-10 relevant subreddits
2. Become a contributor (not promoter)
3. Share genuinely helpful posts
4. Mention your product when relevant

Don't: Drop links and disappear. You'll get banned.

Twitter/X

Works for: B2B, developer tools, thought leadership

How:

1. Build in public (share progress)
2. Engage with your target audience
3. Share insights and learnings
4. Create threads about your journey

Target: 5-10 meaningful interactions daily

LinkedIn

Works for: B2B, professional services, enterprise

How:

1. Share your founder story
2. Post about problems you're solving
3. Engage with target companies
4. Use DMs for outreach

Product Hunt

Works for: New products, tech audience

How:

1. Prepare for 2+ weeks
2. Build anticipation
3. Execute on launch day
4. Follow up with voters

Realistic outcome: 100-500 signups from a good launch

Cold Email

Works for: B2B, clear value proposition

How:

1. Build targeted list (Apollo, Hunter)
2. Personalize every email
3. Short, clear value prop
4. Follow up 2-3 times

Expect: 10-20% open, 2-5% reply, 1% convert

Communities (Discord, Slack)

Works for: Niche products, engaged audiences

How:

1. Join relevant communities
2. Be helpful for weeks/months
3. Share your product naturally
4. Build relationships

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What NOT to Do

Don't: Spam Communities

Problem: You'll get banned and damage your reputation.

Instead: Build genuine relationships over weeks before mentioning your product.

Don't: Focus on Vanity Metrics

Problem: 1000 signups mean nothing if they don't become users.

Instead: Focus on activation (users who complete key action).

Don't: Build More Features

Problem: "If we just add X, users will come" is a trap.

Instead: Talk to users, understand why they're not converting.

Don't: Wait for Perfect

Problem: Waiting to launch until it's "ready" costs time.

Instead: Launch when it solves one problem well enough.

Don't: Ignore Your First Users

Problem: Early users feel forgotten, don't provide feedback.

Instead: Email every early user personally. Ask for feedback.

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The First 100 Users Checklist

Pre-Launch (2-4 weeks before)

• Landing page live
• 200+ waitlist signups
• Active in 5+ communities
• Product Hunt prepared
• Launch announcement written

Launch Week

• Day 1: Soft launch to inner circle
• Day 2-3: Community launches
• Day 4-5: Product Hunt
• Day 6-7: Social media push
• Respond to every comment/message
• Fix urgent bugs

Post-Launch (Weeks 2-4)

• Email all signups who haven't activated
• Ask power users for testimonials
• Publish 3-5 SEO blog posts
• Double down on best channel
• Direct outreach to 50+ ideal users

Month 2-3

• Implement referral program
• Launch on secondary platforms
• Partnership outreach
• Content marketing flywheel
• Consider paid tests

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Measuring Success

Key Metrics to Track

What Success Looks Like

Good: 100 users, 40 activated, 20 retained, 5 referrals, 3 testimonials

Great: 100 users, 60 activated, 40 retained, 15 referrals, 10 testimonials

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Conclusion

Getting your first 100 users is about:

1. Preparation - Build waitlist and community presence before launch
2. Execution - Coordinated launch across multiple channels
3. Follow-through - Personal outreach and relationship building
4. Iteration - Double down on what works

There's no hack or shortcut. It's consistent, focused effort over weeks and months.

The good news: these first 100 users are the foundation for everything that comes next.

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