How did you get your first customer (Please help my sister with her school project 🙏)

Hello all!

My sister is working on a school project about how hard it is for companies to get their first customer. And therefor she needs to ask people about their experience getting their first customer.

So my questions to you is: how did you get your first customer? what where your main struggles? Did you do any research into potential customers? Did you have a (minimum viable) product? What would be your number one tip for someone with ideas to get customers tomorrow?

Please talk about your experience, I’m very interested in your story!

Thanks in advance from my sister.