How to Get Your First Customer: 11 Tactics Ranked by Speed
Getting the first customer is pretty hard. The thing is it's not because it requires the most skill, but because you have no proof, no testimonials, and no idea if anyone will pay. Sometimes you don't even know who should pay!
Most advice tells you to "do things that don't scale" or "just talk to users." Whilst true, it's also pretty vague. Here's a concrete breakdown of some of the tactics that actually work, ranked by how fast you can expect results, and my recommendations of actions to take immediately.
Fast Plays (Days to Weeks)
1. Personal Network
Lowest effort.
Your first customer is probably someone you already know. Former colleagues, Twitter mutuals, friends who run businesses. They don't need convincing that you're legit, they already trust you. Because you guys are friends, I'm betting you probably see the world the same and they're already warm to your ideas. (this is far from ideal validation but it's a start to get those wins coming in)
The mistake you might make is feeling weird about asking. Don't pitch. Just tell them what you're building and ask if they know anyone who might need it. Often, they'll say "actually, I might."
Action: List 10 people in your network who might have the problem you solve. Message them.
2. Cold DMs and Emails
High effort
Cold outreach gets a bad reputation because most people do it badly. The key is relevance, you shouldn't aim to just spray and pray. Find people who clearly have the problem, and lead with value. This will take some effort in actually getting to know what they do, scanning their recent activity and leading with something they will resonate with.
Here is what a good DM does:
- Shows you've done research on them
- Names the problem specifically
- Offers something useful (not just a pitch)
- Keeps it short
Action: I would aim to send 30-40 personalized messages per day. Track responses. Iterate on what's working.
3. Building in Public
Medium effort.
Share your progress on Twitter or LinkedIn. Not just wins, the struggles, the decisions, the lessons. This builds an audience of people who feel invested in your success.
It's important to do this if you feel like part of your audience resides in these networks. Posting where noone who may buy your product hangs out is really just shouting in outer space. You want to build and be seen where there's a clear upside.
Action: Post 3-5 times per week about what you're building. Be honest, not polished. A personal touch to things helps with authenticity and you gain a following not just for your product but your personality.
4. Communities
Effort: medium
Reddit, Indie Hackers, niche Slack groups, Discord servers. These are where your potential customers already hang out and talk about their problems.
Don't join and immediately pitch. Be helpful first. Answer questions. Share experiences. When your product is genuinely relevant, mention it naturally.
Action: Find 2-3 communities where your target customers are active. Spend 20 minutes per day adding value.
5. Launch Platforms
Medium
Product Hunt, Hacker News, BetaList. These give you exposure to early adopters who actively want to try new things.
Results here vary wildly. Some (most) launches flop. Some bring hundreds of signups. The key is preparation, have your landing page ready, line up supporters to comment/upvote early, and be available all day to respond.
The good thing about these is that they often bring out a spike in traffic and sometimes a good DR backlink which will always be great for SEO long term.
Action: Prep your launch, pick a date, and commit. Don't overthink it - you can always launch again.
Medium Plays (Weeks to Months)
6. Comparison Content
Effort: Medium
Why it works: Captures people actively looking for solutions like yours.
When someone searches "[Competitor] alternatives" or "[Tool A] vs [Tool B]", they're in buying mode. They already know they have a problem and are comparing options.
If you create content that ranks for these searches, you show up exactly when prospects are ready to decide. And you control the narrative - positioning your product favorably against competitors.
This works especially well if you're entering a market with established players. Their brand recognition becomes your traffic source.
Action: Identify 3-5 competitors. Create comparison pages targeting "[Competitor] alternatives" searches. ContentBoost can generate these for you if you don't want to write them manually.
7. Free Tool or Lead Magnet
Effort: High upfront
Give away something useful - a calculator, template, mini-tool, or guide. Capture emails. Nurture those leads into customers.
The free thing should be related to your paid product but not a watered-down version of it. It should solve a small problem completely, building trust for when you pitch the bigger solution.
Action: What's a small, useful thing you could build in a weekend that your target customer would actually use?
8. Partnerships
Effort: Medium / Hard
Find people who already have the attention of your target customers. Podcast hosts, newsletter writers, community leaders, complementary tools.
Offer value - a guest post, an interview, a collaboration - in exchange for exposure. One good partnership can bring more customers than months of solo grinding.
Action: List 5 people with audiences that overlap with your target customer. Reach out with a specific collaboration idea.
9. Marketplaces and Deals
Effort: Low to medium
AppSumo, deal sites, lifetime deal communities. These give you volume, lots of customers at low margins.
Tradeoffs: you'll attract deal-seekers who may not be your ideal customer, and you'll leave money on the table. But for validating demand and getting feedback, it can work.
If you're willing to cold email strangers and offer value, this is in the same domain with something for you, albeit at a discounted price.
Action: Research if AppSumo or similar platforms make sense for your product stage.
Slow Plays (Months to Years)
10. SEO and Blog Content
Effort: High (ongoing)
Write content targeting keywords your customers search. Rank on Google. Get consistent traffic forever.
The catch: it takes 6+ months to see results. Not a first-customer tactic, but essential for long-term growth. Start now, benefit later.
Action: Write one high-quality article per month targeting a keyword your customers actually search for.
A lot of people think its about quantity, not really. ONE high performing article can bring in tons of traffic. A great SEO play targets backlinks, content and domain ranking strategically.
11. Paid Ads
Speed: Days (but expensive to learn)
Google Ads, Facebook, LinkedIn. Pay for attention, convert to customers.
The problem for early-stage, you don't know your messaging or audience well enough yet. You'll burn money learning.
In my opinion, do this if you have the budget, otherwise save for when you have something understandable and repeatable. A well defined ICP.
Action: Hold off until you have proven messaging and a few customers. Then test with a small budget.
Where to Start
If you have zero customers:
- Message 10 people in your network this week
- Send 20 cold DMs per day
- Post about what you're building
- Join 2 communities and start being helpful
If you have 1-5 customers and want to scale:
- Create comparison content for "[competitor] alternatives"
- Start writing one SEO article per month
- Explore one partnership
The first customer often comes from somewhere you didn't expect. Your job is to put yourself in enough places that you get lucky.
