How to spot high-intent customers in 5 minutes, for free.
I am creating a multimodal AI note taking app and tried different strategies cold emails, random posting, product directories. Some work better than others, but I do not have sufficient time or money to waste on things that don't convert.
I needed a way to find high-intent users without spending all day hunting for them.
Then I combined "chasing people" with "starting listening to them". When someone takes the time to post online looking for a specific software recommendation or complaining about a competitor, they aren't just browsing, they are a day one user standing there with their wallet out.
So, I came across this ridiculous low-effort trick, using Google to scan public social channels for active pain triggers. It takes around 5 minutes to find real, ready to convert users. And it is completely free.
Here is the exact cheat sheet I use, tailored for a note taking app (which is my product type):
Note: You can modify these strings with your actual industry or product, and add a city or country if you have a specific target market.
- Facebook Groups (Search public feeds directly)
You don't need to waste time joining thousands of spammy groups; you can search indexed public group discussions straight from Google.
Broad query: site:facebook.com/groups "looking for" "notetaking app"
Geo-targeted / Local target: site:facebook.com/groups "looking for" "notetaking app" "New York"
- Reddit (Targeting active discussions & frustrated users)
Reddit is an absolute goldmine for catching people right when they are dissatisfied with a competitor’s update, lag, or price hike.
The direct ask: site:reddit.com "looking for" "note taking app"
The competitor switch: site:reddit.com "alternative to" "Competitor" "note taking"
- Hacker News (Targeting developers, power users, and tech professionals)
HN threads are incredibly high-intent for software tools, especially when users are discussing productivity workflows or complaining about complex enterprise software.
Show HN/Ask HN discussions: site:news.ycombinator.com "recommend" "note taking"
Competitor frustration: site:news.ycombinator.com "alternative to" "Competitor 1" OR "Competitor 2"
- LinkedIn (Professional / B2B intent)
If your product targets founders, researchers, or executives who need structured notes, target public feed posts.
site:linkedin.com/posts "looking for a" "notetaking" "recommend"
site:linkedin.com/groups "how do you manage notes"
- Quora & Independent Tech Forums
Quora: site:quora.com "what is the best note taking app"
Niche forums: site:discourse.group OR site:vbulletin.net "best app for notes"
Experiment with the keywords. Don’t run these manually every day. Take your winning search strings and plug them into Google Alerts with the deliverability set to "As it happens." You’ll get an email notification the exact minute a high-intent prospect posts a question online.
Pro-tip to keep your inbox clean: In your email provider (like Gmail, godaddy, etc), create a dedicated folder/label named "High-Intent Leads." Then, set up an email filter so every time an email arrives from [email protected], it skips your primary inbox and automatically goes straight into that folder. This keeps your main workspace free while organizing all your fresh, daily leads in one easy to review spot.
That's it for now. If you feel like a "thank you" is not enough, please subscribe to the app 😉:
Web app: https://www.mindnote.online
Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mindnote.app&pli=1
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/app/mindnote-ai-notetaking-app/id6757657079
Wow you are smart! This is next level.
This is a good distribution angle because you are not guessing who might care. You are finding people already showing pain, competitor frustration, or active buying intent.
But I think the stronger insight here is not just the Google search trick. It is that note-taking apps are extremely crowded, so the product needs to win on a clearer wedge than “AI notes.” High-intent discovery helps, but when those users land, the product still has to feel sharper and more ownable than another note app.
That is where I’d pressure-test the name. Mindnote is clear, but it also sits very close to the generic note-taking category. Since you are building a multimodal AI note workspace across web, Android, and iOS, the brand may need to feel broader than notes alone.
Xevoa .com would fit that direction better if the product becomes more of an AI workflow and memory layer, not just a note-taking app. The current name explains the category, but a stronger brand could make the product feel more serious before users compare it against every other AI notes tool.
If you are already pushing distribution, I’d think about this before more users, app listings, and content start locking the product into the Mindnote frame.
In this example, the clear pain point is note taking instead of the workflow. I know that you want to bring your product "organically", but in this case, you are not listening to the pain point.
If this is an automated message, you need to tailor better so it brings actual value to the customers by solving their real pain points.
P.s. the website is not working.
Good luck!