I used these 19 hacks to make over $150k with my products
I never had money for ads. So I had to think “outside the box” instead.
It helped me make $150k+ from my products like SupaBird, Beep, LearnFromFred, etc... without paid traffic.
Here are 19 growth hacks I used myself and you can copy today to get your first customer this week
1. Use breaking news to drive traffic (4k visits)
What I did: X (Twitter) released its algorithm code. I immediately skimmed the code, pulled out the most important takeaways, wrote a simple article explaining how the algorithm works, and submitted it to Hacker News the same day.
What happened: The post reached the front page of Hacker News, got picked up by multiple newsletters, and brought \~4,000 visitors to me overnight.
2. Get Traffic From Reddit Showoff Threads
What I did: I posted my project in the r/webdev subreddit during their weekly Saturday Showoff thread, where people are allowed to share what they built.
What happened: The post got a lot of attention, brought meaningful traffic, and led to new users. Since it was posted in the correct thread, it wasn’t removed.
3. Show Your Product at Offline Events
What I did: I brought my startup Beep to offline events and simply showed it to people. Sometimes I had a small stand (often free), sometimes I just stood with my laptop open. People walked up, I demoed the product, and we talked.
What happened: I got direct, honest feedback and early users who were genuinely interested in new tech. The conversations were high-quality and helped shape the product.
4. Partner With Organizations That Already Have Your Audience
What I did: I looked for organizations that already had access to my target audience. For example, I worked in a coworking space with many IT specialists, which matched my product perfectly. I contacted the coworking manager and asked if they could share my product in their newsletter. I offered members a free trial.
What happened: They agreed and shared it with their members. I got new users and valuable feedback with almost zero effort and no paid ads.
5. Use X Search to Find Customers From Competitors
What I did: I used X search to find people publicly complaining about tools in my space (for example, tweeting that they were frustrated with Wix or similar products). I reached out to those users directly and offered a better alternative.
What happened: I was able to start real conversations with warm leads who were already unhappy with an existing solution.
6. Befriending Your Potential Customers Before Contacting Them
What I did: I identified people I wanted as users (for example, product managers) on X or LinkedIn. Before sending any DM, I regularly replied to their posts, left thoughtful comments, and interacted naturally for a few days. After they had seen me around and replied back, I sent a DM explaining what I was building and offered free access in exchange for feedback.
What happened: Conversations felt natural, not salesy. I collected valuable feedback and turned some of those people into early users and clients.
7. Get Early Users From Active Communities (Facebook, X, Discord...)
What I did: I joined Facebook groups closely related to my product’s niche. I stayed active, replied to posts, helped people, and had real conversations. After building some familiarity, I either DMed people or shared my solution in the group when it made sense.
What happened: I got interested users and useful conversations. Because I was already active, it didn’t feel spammy.
8. Partner With AppSumo or similar companies ($35k made)
What I did: I partnered with AppSumo, a marketplace for lifetime deals. I applied to their AppSumo Select program so they handled the marketing while I focused on the product.
What happened: I got sales, a wave of first users, and a lot of early feedback. Even with commission taken, it was far better than having no distribution.
9. Reverse‑Engineer Viral Reddit Posts
What I did: I analyzed niche subreddits related to my product and filtered posts by top results from the last week or month. I studied which posts performed best, then created similar posts with my own angle and value. Depending on subreddit rules, I either included a link or just mentioned the product name.
What happened: The posts blended in naturally, got strong engagement, and drove traffic and awareness without getting removed.
10. Seed Your Product in Reddit Q&A Threads
What I did: I created or joined question-based posts in niche subreddits asking what tools people use to solve a specific problem. When relevant, I replied in the comments mentioning my own product as one of the solutions.
What happened: If the post or comment got traction, it drove targeted traffic and interest. It worked best when the discussion became popular.
11. Use LinkedIn Connections + Email Outreach
What I did: I carefully selected potential clients on LinkedIn and sent connection requests only to people who could realistically use my product. After connecting (and sometimes interacting with their posts), I found their email address and reached out via email, referencing the LinkedIn connection.
What happened: Reply rates were noticeably higher than cold email. Some conversations led to feedback and early users. It wasn’t explosive, but it worked consistently.
12. Launch on Multiple Product Directories (1st place on PH)
What I did: I submitted my product to multiple directories - not just Product Hunt, but also smaller niche directories. I didn’t aim for first place; the goal was simply visibility.
What happened: Each listing brought some traffic, and combined, they resulted in new users and clients. Even small directories added up.
13. Drive Traffic With Interesting Blog Content
What I did: While promoting SupaBird, I wrote blog posts about real indie hackers and their journeys. Instead of generic SEO content, I focused on stories people actually wanted to read. I shared these articles on Reddit, Medium, and other platforms, and repurposed them into short-form content like Instagram Shorts.
What happened: The articles consistently brought traffic to my website. Because the content was genuinely interesting, people shared it and kept reading.
14. Turn Community Answers Into Viral Content (10k visits)
This was first viral moment for Beep and our team.
We asked a simple question on Hacker News: “What advice would you give your younger self as a startup founder?” A lot of people replied with thoughtful answers. We then turned those replies into a blog post, framed as advice from founders to their younger selves, and shared that article back on Hacker News.
What happened: The article performed extremely well and brought \~10,000 visitors overnight to our website.
15. Contact People Where They Don’t Expect It
What I did: Instead of only DMing people on X or LinkedIn, I reached out on platforms where DMs are less crowded - like Instagram or Facebook. These inboxes are quieter, so messages are more likely to be seen. I’ve personally replied to many Instagram DMs and even started working with someone who contacted me there.
What happened: Reply rates were higher compared to X or LinkedIn. Conversations felt more human and less salesy.
16. Use Niche Platforms as a Personal Touchpoint
What I did: Instead of contacting people randomly, I looked for very specific places where my ideal users already hang out. For example, if I were building for freelancers, I’d look them up on platforms like Upwork, study their profiles, then search for their socials and reach out there. Referencing their Upwork profile immediately creates a strong, personal context.
What happened: Reply rates were higher because the message felt relevant and intentional. People were curious why I reached out and were more open to a conversation.
17. Use Your Existing Contacts (Don’t Be Afraid to Ask)
What I did: A lot of people who are building here are afraid to share their product with friends or family and keep things private. When I was building a product for agencies, I reached out to a friend who worked at an agency. I told him about the product and gave them a free trial. They liked it and even referred it to other agencies.
What happened: I got my first real users through people I already knew. Some of them helped via referrals, which led to more conversations and early clients through word of mouth.
18. Record Dozens of TikTok Videos (Volume Wins)
Example: This one works best for B2C. I didn’t personally run a B2C product, but helped my brother. We studied what was already going viral on TikTok and copied proven formats instead of trying to innovate. He recreated the same idea many times with different captions, edits, and video lengths, and posted consistently.
What happened: A few videos went viral and drove a large number of users. Volume dramatically increased the odds that something would hit.
19. Build Free Tools and Share Them Everywhere
What I did: For one of my products, I built a free tool that analyzes a website and suggests how to improve conversions. I hosted it on my main website and made it completely free. I then shared it across multiple platforms like Product Hunt, Reddit, and other directories.
What happened: People loved the free tool, shared it, and it started ranking in the top 10 Google search results within a week. It brought consistent traffic and funneled users naturally to my main product because the tool lived on the same domain.
Got questions?
Feel free to ask questions about specific strategies and I will do my best to reply. If this was useful save and share to help me spread this.
P.s. (Long term strategy)
If you are looking for a long term strategy that will allow you to get first users for any project you are starting then building an audience on X is one of the best options available. My latest product SupaBird helps you create quality content to grow your audience and keep them engaged :)
