120 Views, 20 Comments — Locking in “Score Breakthrough for 6–6.5 → 7” (0 Users, 0 Income)
Monday update from Ulaanbaatar.
My first post now has 120 views and 20 comments. The thread with Aryan has been one of the most useful conversations I’ve had since starting.
Current reality:
120 views
20 comments
0 users
0 income
Still completely pre-launch
Thanks to the discussion, I’m locking in a much sharper positioning:
“Score breakthrough for students stuck at 6–6.5 → 7”
I’m shifting from generic before/after examples to showing “why you’re stuck at 6.5” using the 3-color annotation system (green = strong, yellow = improve, red = fix now). This diagnosis angle feels 10x stronger.
I’m also planning to test value-first comments under recent IELTS YouTube videos (no links at first) — just pure value that makes someone think “this is exactly my problem”.
Here’s my honest ask to the Indie Hackers community:
As a solo founder in Mongolia with almost no budget, what would you do in the next 2–3 weeks to get the first real users?
Specifically:
Best low-budget or zero-budget distribution moves right now?
Any YouTube comment strategies that work well without getting ignored?
Should I run a short $99 lifetime flash sale this week (June exam urgency is real)?
What mistakes should I avoid at this super early stage?
I will test the strongest suggestions and report back with real results — what worked, what didn’t, and how many signups I actually got.
Even one or two concrete ideas would mean a lot.
Thank you to Aryan and everyone who’s commented. This kind of open thread is gold when you’re building alone from Ulaanbaatar.
Saw your post — getting the first users is always the hardest part. We’ve helped similar early-stage projects get targeted initial users. Happy to share what worked if you’re open.
Yes, I’m very open and would genuinely appreciate any advice. Getting the first real users has been the hardest part so far (still at 0 users, 0 income).
We’ve helped similar early-stage projects — what worked best for them?
A few specific things I’m struggling with right now:
Best low-budget / zero-budget channels for an IELTS AI tool (targeting students stuck at Band 6–6.5)
How to turn value-first content (diagnosis-style posts) into actual signups
Whether a short $99 lifetime flash sale makes sense during June exam season
Any mistakes I should avoid at this super early stage
I’m happy to share more details about the product (3-color annotation system, 21-Day Challenge, etc.) if that helps give better advice.
Really appreciate you reaching out. This kind of comment is gold when you’re building solo from Mongolia.
Hey, really appreciate your openness — that’s actually the biggest advantage at this stage 👏
Since you’re at 0 users, the focus right now shouldn’t be ads or complex funnels — it should be getting your first 20–50 real users manually.
For an IELTS AI tool, I’d suggest:
The $99 lifetime deal can work, but only after you have at least some user validation — otherwise it’s hard to convert cold traffic
One thing I’ve seen work really well for early-stage tools is using targeted creator promotion to get those first real users fast instead of waiting organically
If you want, I can share a simple plan on how we’ve helped similar early-stage apps get their first users 🚀
This is exactly the clarity I needed — thank you.
The "diagnosis-style" angle is strong. I've been posting
generic IELTS tips when I should be posting "why your Task 2
keeps stalling at Band 6" with real essay examples. Reframing
that immediately.
On free value → convert: agreed. I'm pivoting from "try the
tool" to "send me your essay, I'll show you why it scores
6.0" as the entry point. Lower friction, higher signal.
On creator promotion — I appreciate the offer genuinely.
Real talk: I'm pre-revenue with a $1000 bill due this week.
I can't invest in paid promotion until I have at least a
few paying customers proving the model works.
I'd love to hear the simple plan as a thought exercise though,
no pressure to buy. The frameworks help even when the budget
doesn't. If you ever write up your "first 100 users" approach
as a public post, I'll be the first to comment.
— Logshir
Hey 👋 thanks for sharing your thoughts! I love the shift to specific content like “why your Task 2 keeps stalling at Band 6” — that’s going to help a lot of students.
Totally get the budget situation. We’d be happy to keep in touch, and when you’re ready to scale, we’ll have plenty of low-cost promotion ideas to discuss. I’m confident we can help you grow further.
Looking forward to working together in the future! No pressure — just here to support your journey.