How I’m Growing Without a Following, Budget, or Team (Sort of)

I am building a niche product solo, without a budget, no real following, and no team. Just wanted to share what has actually been working in case anyone else is in a similar spot.

I decided to focus on recruiting affiliate recruiters instead of just affiliates. That means I am finding people who go out and recruit other people to promote my kits. They get a cut of every sale made by the affiliates they bring in. I give them a welcome doc, branding info, and sample content. It is not fully automated yet, but it is lightweight and scrappy.

Most of my traffic comes from unpaid community posts, and I track it all in Google Sheets (clicks, DMs, notes, whatever). I am using tools like Payhip, Tally, and MailerLite to hold things together. Honestly, half the time it feels like digital duct tape, but I can see momentum building.

The hard part? Staying motivated, testing different messaging, and keeping things moving when responses are slow. But even small wins are helping; a few recruiters are bringing in their own mini networks, and interest is growing without me having to be everywhere at once.

I am curious how others here are getting early traction without big budgets or existing audiences. Have you found any scrappy systems that actually work?