How I got my first 25 paying users and made $6,500

Just hit 25 paying users for my SaaS (Refgrow) and passed $6,500 in total revenue.

Sharing how I got there from zero, in case it helps someone in the early stage.

I didn’t run ads or do anything that went viral. There was no spike from Product Hunt or other platforms.

Here’s what actually helped:

What worked for me:

• Consistent content on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Threads
• Some cold outreach, mostly Twitter DMs
• A couple of posts on Reddit and Indie Hackers (low traction but helped with visibility)
• I manually embedded demo affiliate programs into potential customers' sites
• I replied to people asking (or hinting) about affiliate features
• I stayed visible over time, and people remembered Refgrow when they needed it

Where users came from:

• 8 customers came through affiliate referrals (using Refgrow.com itself)
• 1 or 2 came from Product Hunt
• The rest found the product through Google or typed the name directly

A few lessons:

• Cold DMs work better if people have seen your name before
• SEO takes time, but people will find you if your product solves a clear problem
• Some users don't engage right away but return later when they need the tool
• Early growth is slow, but momentum builds if you're consistent

If you're at the start: keep showing up and stay in front of your audience.
Small signals add up.

Let me know if you have any questions, happy to share more.