How I got my first 100 paid customers in just months
Hey Indie Hackers 👋
Last year, we launched our screen recorder, FocuSee, on Product Hunt and received many positive comments. Later, we began exploring other growth strategies.
First, let me introduce what FocuSee is.
FocuSee is a screen recording app with automatic zoom effect and some customizable options. It’s built for everyone without video editing skills to effortlessly create captivating tutorials, promos, sales, and demo videos in minutes.
How did we get the first 100 customers?
Getting the first 100 paid customers is a milestone. Once you've got the first 100 customers, you know you're onto something. Here’s how we did it:
1. Product Hunt Launch
We launched FocuSee on Product Hunt and received valuable feedback and advice. The support from there helped us win the 2nd product of the day and gain significant exposure.
2. Twitter & Indie Hackers
FocuSee was initially built for indie hackers, and we know that they mostly build in public on Twitter and Indie Hackers. Therefore, the two are our primary communities for promoting FocuSee. And, it works for us! So, when you promote products, it's important to first analyze your product's target audience and the platforms they prefer, and then choose the best platform to promote.
3. Facebook LTD Group
Members of LTD groups prefer a one-time payment model with exclusive discounts. To engage this valuable audience, we collaborated with some groups. The response was positive - group members actively participated in our events, made purchases, and provided valuable feedback. They also reported bugs and suggested new features that could enhance the product.
What we plan to do next?
SEO and Blogs
SEO may have seemed tough in the past, but it's easier than ever to start putting in the necessary effort. I know SEO is critical, so we are planning to invest more in it and improve our ranking. Hope it can help us get millions of impressions and visits.
AppSumo Launch
We launched FocuSee on AppSumo yesterday. Although AppSumo's commission rates are quite high, we believe it's a great platform that can significantly increase our exposure and help us acquire new users. We're also excited about the valuable feedback and suggestions we can gather from these new users.
Explore the Japanese and French markets
After analyzing our customers, we noticed that there are many paying users from non-English-speaking countries, such as Japan and France. So I just came up with an idea: why not try to spread our FocuSee in Japan and France? So let's expect our future steps.
Any lessons?
A lot! In the past year, even we explored various growth strategies and yeah, we made some mistakes. But you know what? We learned a lot from them. I'm gonna share these valuable lessons in my next post.
We're continuously improving FocuSee by hearing from users. Check out our promotion on AppSumo and leave us a review.
Thank you for your support!
Thank you for sharing
Thanks for sharing! If possible can you share the name of the facebook LTD group?
Hey Indie Hackers 👋
Last year, we launched our screen recorder, FocuSee, on Product Hunt and received great feedback. Since then, we've been exploring various growth strategies to expand our reach.
Thanks for sharing how you got your first 100 customers!
Can you kindly share the name of the LTD facebook group?
How hard was it to get on AppSumo Select?
And what share of revenue did they take from you?
Did they pressure you to price low at $39?
Great insights, Mogan! Congrats on hitting the 100 paid customers milestone!
Thank you for sharing. While these tasks may seem simple, achieving such results is actually quite challenging.
Congrats on the launch, I especially appreciated the tip on exploring the Japanese and French markets. Pretty cool!
nice
Congrats on the launch!
I've had a some experience with non-English-speaking markets suddenly showing interest in one of my previous products as well. Back in 2015/2016, a couple of Japanese and German blogs featured our product, significantly boosting our user base from those regions.
The German users were quite responsive and friendly, we received a lot of feedback, made improvements, and even added German to our product about a year later after seeing more growth there.
On the other hand, despite my efforts to connect with over 1000 registered Japanese users through emails in English and Japanese and LinkedIn outreach, I received no feedback. Not a single Japanese user replied to my emails and messages. The only reply from that market I received was from a Brazilian living and working there. A few years later I heard similar stories from another friend trying to launch their already established product in Japan: there huge cultural and language barriers when it comes to the Japanese market, and you probably want someone native in Japanese to be on your team, preferably located in Japan to get started. Otherwise it might not be make sense focusing on Japanese market during the early stages of your business where you have limited resources.
lifetime deals are a burden because you have to support these users without compensation in the future. What's your plan to start growing monthly billing revenue, which is sustainable?
# How I Created an AI Startup in a Weekend
Starting a business is always a challenging endeavor, but launching an AI startup in just a weekend? That’s an ambitious goal. Here's how I did it, step by step, and how you can too.
## Step 1: Identify the Problem
Every successful startup begins with a problem that needs solving. For me, the problem was clear: small businesses needed an affordable, efficient way to leverage AI for customer service. Chatbots and AI-driven customer support systems were either too expensive or too complex for smaller enterprises.
## Step 2: Market Research
Before diving in, I conducted quick yet thorough market research. I explored forums, read industry reports, and spoke with small business owners. This confirmed my hypothesis: there was a significant demand for affordable AI solutions.
## Step 3: Assembling the Team
A great idea is nothing without a team to execute it. I reached out to a few talented friends and colleagues who were experts in AI, machine learning, and software development. We agreed to commit the weekend to build a minimum viable product (MVP).
## Step 4: Planning and Tools
We outlined a clear plan:
We used tools like Trello for task management, Slack for communication, and GitHub for version control.
## Step 5: Development
### Day 1: Ideation and Design
We brainstormed features and designed the user interface. The goal was to create an intuitive dashboard where users could set up their AI chatbot without needing any coding skills. We created wireframes and mockups using tools like Figma.
### Day 2: Building the MVP
Our team worked tirelessly, splitting into two groups: one focusing on the backend, the other on the frontend. We leveraged pre-built AI models and open-source libraries to accelerate development. Key technologies included Python, TensorFlow, and React.js.
### Day 3: Testing and Deployment
We spent the final day rigorously testing the product. We fixed bugs, polished the interface, and ensured the AI chatbot could handle a variety of customer queries. By the end of the day, we deployed our MVP on a cloud server, ready for demo and feedback.
## Step 6: Marketing and Outreach
Once the product was ready, we needed to get the word out. We created a simple website and started a social media campaign. I also posted about our project on tech forums and platforms like Reddit and LinkedIn.
## Step 7: Gathering Feedback and Iterating
We reached out to our initial target audience—small business owners who had expressed interest during our market research. Their feedback was invaluable, helping us refine the product and prioritize features for the next iteration.
## Conclusion
Creating an AI startup in a weekend was intense but incredibly rewarding. It proved that with a clear problem, dedicated team, and focused plan, it's possible to build a functional MVP in a very short time. The experience taught me the importance of speed, collaboration, and iterative development.
Source : wink mod APK
Congratulations on the amazing journey with FocuSee! 🎉
It's inspiring to see how you've grown from the Product Hunt launch to exploring new markets like Japan and France.
Keep up the great work, looking forward to seeing FocuSee's continued success!
Cheers to your team!
Great advice!
Saw a lot of people mention about LTD Facebook group lately. Any case study out there?
Thanks for sharing! Currently, I am working on an AI-powered app, and some of these options are not possible like AppSumo / one-time payment, etc. or I couldn't find a profitable way. Because AI solutions cost for usage so, I am open to opinions on this issue.
Best of luck!
Good and insightful post. Thanks for sharing
I love that you're going international so early! Best of luck!
Can you kindly share the name of the LTD facebook group?
Thank you for sharing, I also plan to bring Tapmention to AppSumo :)
Your product lineup is amazing. I guess, while having some overlap, there could be a number of products:target user:use case combo, which, later can be translated into a handful of BoFu/MoFu content ideas.
Best of luck!
I secured my first 100 paid customers in months by leveraging targeted social media ads, offering initial discounts, engaging with online communities, and delivering exceptional customer service and follow-ups.
Congratulations on your launch! Are you running a Select deal or a regular one?
Congrats! Thank you for sharing your journey. Can't wait to read your next post.
Awesome Mogan! Thanks for sharing. Could you get customer from the Product Hunt Launch?
How did you find the Facebook groups? Are you able to share the outreach messsages?
Can you share more details about who your target customers were? I'm targeting e-commerce brands/websites and wondering if these tactics are also viable optios for me to try.
To gain your first 100 paid customers in months, leverage targeted marketing, offer promotions, engage on social media, network strategically, provide excellent customer service, and gather testimonials to build credibility.