18 min read

How to Get Your First 100 Users

The tactics that actually work to acquire your first 100 users. Learn the proven strategies from successful founders who have been in your shoes, from leveraging your personal network to scaling through communities and beyond.

Last updated: January 2025

Why Your First 100 Users Matter

Your first 100 users are not just a vanity metric. They represent the critical foundation upon which your entire business will be built. These early adopters serve three essential purposes that will determine whether your startup survives or fails.

Validation Milestone

Getting 100 people to use your product proves that your idea has legs. If you cannot convince 100 people to try what you have built, it is a strong signal that either your product, positioning, or target audience needs adjustment. This milestone forces you to confront reality early, before you have invested years of effort.

The specific number 100 is meaningful because it is large enough to generate patterns and feedback, yet small enough that you can achieve it through direct effort rather than scalable channels. It is the minimum viable evidence that people want what you are building.

Learning Opportunity

Your first 100 users will teach you more about your product than months of speculation ever could. They will find bugs you never imagined, request features you had not considered, and use your product in ways you did not anticipate. This feedback is gold, but only if you are paying attention.

Early users are typically more forgiving and more engaged. They understand they are early adopters and are often willing to provide detailed feedback. This window of opportunity closes as you scale, when users become less personally invested and expect a polished experience.

Foundation for Growth

Your first 100 users become your first advocates. They will provide testimonials, case studies, referrals, and social proof that helps you acquire the next 1,000 users. The quality of these early relationships directly impacts your ability to grow.

Many successful companies can trace their growth back to the dedication of early users. Slack's early adopters evangelized the product to their teams. Dropbox's initial users shared the product to earn storage. Your first 100 users are not just customers; they are the foundation of your growth engine.

The Right Mindset for Early Acquisition

Before diving into tactics, you need to adopt the right mindset. The approach that works for getting your first 100 users is fundamentally different from the approach that scales to 100,000 users.

Do Things That Do Not Scale

Paul Graham's famous advice applies here more than anywhere else. Your first 100 users should be acquired through manual, time-intensive methods that would be unsustainable at scale. This includes personal outreach, one-on-one demos, hand-holding during onboarding, and individualized support.

The reason this approach works is that it creates deep relationships and generates the insights you need to eventually build scalable channels. You cannot automate what you do not understand, and you cannot understand your customers without talking to them directly.

Quality Over Quantity

One hundred engaged users who actively use your product and provide feedback are infinitely more valuable than 1,000 signups who never return. Focus on finding users who genuinely have the problem you solve and who are willing to work with an early-stage product.

This means being selective about who you pursue. Not everyone is your customer, and trying to please everyone will dilute your product and exhaust your resources. Define your ideal early adopter profile and pursue them relentlessly.

Learning Focus

Every user interaction is a learning opportunity. Your primary goal is not revenue at this stage; it is understanding. What made them sign up? What confused them during onboarding? What features do they actually use? What would make them recommend you to others?

Create systems to capture this learning. Keep a running document of feedback. Schedule regular check-ins with users. Track behavior patterns. This information will be more valuable than any metric in your analytics dashboard.

Strategy 1: Personal Network (Users 1-20)

Your personal network is the fastest path to your first users. Friends, family, former colleagues, classmates, and professional contacts already trust you, making them far more likely to try your product than cold prospects.

How to Ask Without Being Awkward

The key to leveraging your network is specificity and authenticity. Do not blast everyone with a generic announcement. Instead, identify people who might genuinely benefit from your product and reach out individually with a personalized message.

Frame your ask around their expertise, not your needs. Instead of saying "I built a thing, can you try it?" say "I remember you mentioned struggling with X. I built something to solve that specific problem. Would you be open to trying it and giving me honest feedback?"

Email Templates That Work

Here is a template that converts:

Subject: Quick favor + something that might help with [their specific problem]

Hey [Name],

Hope you are doing well! I have been working on a project that I think might be relevant to you, given your experience with [specific context].

It is called [Product Name], and it helps [target audience] do [specific outcome]. I know you have dealt with [their specific problem] before, and I would love your perspective on whether this actually solves the problem.

Would you be open to trying it out for 10 minutes and giving me your honest feedback? No pressure either way, but you are one of the few people whose opinion I genuinely trust on this.

If you are interested, I can set you up with free access here: [Link]

Thanks either way!

Follow-Up Strategy

Most people will not respond to your first message. That does not mean they are not interested; they are just busy. Follow up after 3-4 days with a shorter message. After that, try one more time a week later. If there is still no response, move on but keep them on your radar for future updates.

When someone does try your product, follow up within 24 hours to ask about their experience. This is when their impressions are freshest and their willingness to provide feedback is highest.

Expanding Beyond Direct Contacts

Once you exhaust your immediate network, ask for introductions. Every user you acquire should be asked: "Who else do you know who might benefit from this?" A warm introduction from a mutual contact is almost as good as a direct relationship.

Strategy 2: Online Communities (Users 20-50)

Online communities are where your potential users already gather. Reddit, Indie Hackers, Hacker News, Discord servers, Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, and niche forums are all hunting grounds for early adopters.

Finding the Right Communities

Start by identifying where your target users spend their time online. If you are building for developers, explore Hacker News, specific subreddits like r/SideProject or r/startups, and Discord communities. If you are building for marketers, look at GrowthHackers, specific marketing subreddits, and Facebook groups.

Quality matters more than size. A small, engaged community of your exact target audience is more valuable than a massive community with tangential interest. Spend time observing before participating to understand the culture and norms.

Adding Value First

The single biggest mistake founders make is showing up in a community, dropping a link to their product, and disappearing. This is spam, and it will get you banned and blacklisted.

Instead, become a genuine member of the community before you ever mention your product. Answer questions related to your expertise. Share insights and resources. Participate in discussions. Build a reputation as someone who adds value. This investment pays off when you eventually share your product, because people will actually pay attention.

Launch Post Templates

When you do share your product, frame it as a contribution to the community, not a sales pitch. Here is a template that works on most platforms:

Title: I built [Product] to solve [Specific Problem] - here is what I learned

Hey everyone,

I have been lurking here for [time period], and I have noticed a lot of discussion around [specific problem]. I faced this same issue when [your context], so I decided to build something to fix it.

[Product Name] does [clear explanation of what it does]. The core insight that makes it different is [your unique approach].

It is still early, so I am looking for feedback from people who actually deal with this problem. If you want to try it, here is a link: [Link]

Happy to answer any questions or hear why you think this approach is wrong. Honest feedback is more valuable than polite encouragement at this stage.

Platform-Specific Tactics

Reddit: Build karma in relevant subreddits before posting. Read each subreddit's rules carefully. Some allow self-promotion on specific days; others ban it entirely. Consider doing an AMA in a relevant subreddit.

Indie Hackers: This community is explicitly startup-friendly. Share your journey, including failures and lessons. Engage with other founders' posts. The community values authenticity and reciprocity.

Twitter/X: Build in public. Share your development process, user feedback, and milestones. Engage with others in your space. When you launch, your followers become your first wave of users and amplifiers.

Discord: Many niche communities have active Discord servers. Join relevant ones, participate genuinely, and share your product when appropriate. Some servers have dedicated channels for sharing projects.

Strategy 3: Content Marketing (Users 30-60)

Content marketing is a longer-term play, but starting early establishes your authority and creates an asset that continues generating users over time. The key is creating genuinely useful content that attracts your target audience.

SEO for Early Startups

Do not try to rank for competitive head terms immediately. Instead, focus on long-tail keywords that your target audience is searching for. These are often questions or specific problems that larger sites ignore.

For example, if you are building a project management tool, you probably cannot rank for "project management software" immediately. But you might rank for "how to manage remote design team handoffs" or "Notion vs Coda for small marketing teams."

Create content that genuinely answers these questions, and include a natural mention of your product where relevant. This builds both traffic and credibility.

Guest Posting

Writing for established publications in your space gets you in front of existing audiences. Identify blogs and publications your target users read. Study their content to understand what they publish. Pitch articles that would genuinely interest their audience.

Your bio typically includes a link to your product. More importantly, a byline in a respected publication builds credibility that helps with all your other acquisition efforts.

Social Content

Different platforms require different content approaches:

  • Twitter/X: Short insights, threads about your expertise, behind-the-scenes of building
  • LinkedIn: Professional insights, industry commentary, company updates
  • YouTube: Tutorials, demos, educational content
  • TikTok: Quick tips, personality-driven content (if it fits your audience)

Pick one or two platforms where your audience is most active and go deep rather than spreading yourself thin across all platforms.

Strategy 4: Cold Outreach (Users 40-70)

Cold outreach gets a bad reputation because most people do it poorly. Done well, it can be an efficient way to reach exactly the people who need your product.

LinkedIn Strategies

LinkedIn is particularly effective for B2B products. The key is personalization and relevance:

  • Identify people with the job title most likely to benefit from your product
  • Look at their recent activity, posts, or company news for personalization hooks
  • Send a connection request with a personalized note (not a pitch)
  • After connecting, share value before asking for anything
  • When you do pitch, be specific about why you reached out to them specifically

Email Outreach

Cold email works when it is highly targeted and valuable. The structure that converts:

  • Subject line: Specific and curiosity-inducing, not salesy
  • Opening: One sentence showing you researched them
  • Problem: One sentence about the problem you solve
  • Solution: One sentence about how you solve it differently
  • Ask: Specific, low-commitment request (demo, trial, call)

Keep emails under 100 words. Nobody reads long cold emails.

Personalization at Scale

True personalization for every email is not sustainable, but you can create "personalization at scale" through segmentation. Create different email templates for different segments (industry, role, company size), and personalize the opening line for each recipient.

Tools like Hunter.io, Apollo.io, and Lemlist can help automate prospecting and outreach while maintaining personalization.

Strategy 5: Partnerships (Users 50-80)

Partnerships let you leverage other people's audiences. The key is finding partners where the relationship is mutually beneficial.

Finding Complementary Products

Look for products that serve the same audience but solve different problems. If you built a design tool, partner with project management tools. If you built an email marketing tool, partner with CRM providers.

The best partnerships are those where each product becomes more valuable when used together. This creates genuine motivation for both parties to promote the integration.

Integration Partnerships

Building integrations with established products can expose you to their user base. Many established products have partner directories, marketplaces, or integration showcases that drive significant traffic.

Start with the integrations your users request most. This ensures you are building something valuable, not just chasing distribution.

Cross-Promotion

Even without a technical integration, you can partner on:

  • Joint webinars or content
  • Newsletter swaps
  • Social media cross-promotion
  • Bundle deals
  • Referral partnerships

The key is approaching potential partners with a clear value proposition for their audience, not just a request for exposure.

Strategy 6: Product Hunt and Directories (Users 60-100)

Launch platforms can provide a significant boost, but timing and execution are critical. For a comprehensive guide, see our Product Hunt Launch Strategy guide.

Timing Your Launch

Do not launch on Product Hunt or similar platforms until you have validated your core value proposition with earlier users. These platforms give you one shot at a first impression with their audience. Wait until you have addressed initial feedback and have testimonials to include.

Maximizing Exposure

Beyond Product Hunt, submit to relevant directories and listicles in your space:

  • Industry-specific directories
  • Best of listicles (reach out to curators)
  • Alternative comparison sites (e.g., Alternative.to)
  • Beta testing platforms (BetaList, Launching Next)
  • Startup databases (Crunchbase, AngelList)

Each listing creates a permanent backlink and potential traffic source.

Tracking and Optimization

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Set up tracking before you start acquisition efforts so you can understand what is working.

Metrics to Watch

  • Traffic sources: Where are your users coming from?
  • Signup rate: What percentage of visitors become users?
  • Activation rate: What percentage of signups complete key actions?
  • Retention: How many users come back after day 1, 7, 30?
  • Referral rate: How many users refer others?
  • Cost per acquisition: How much does each user cost (time or money)?

Iteration Strategy

Review your metrics weekly. Double down on channels that are working and cut those that are not. But give each channel enough time to generate meaningful data before making decisions.

A single user from a channel is not enough data. Try to get at least 10-20 users from each channel before evaluating its effectiveness.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Many founders stumble on the same obstacles. Learn from their mistakes.

Premature Scaling

Do not invest in scalable channels before you have product-market fit. Scaling a leaky bucket just wastes resources. Fix your retention first, then scale acquisition.

Ignoring Feedback

Your first 100 users are telling you what is wrong with your product. Listen. It is tempting to dismiss negative feedback, but patterns in criticism are gold. If multiple users mention the same issue, fix it.

Wrong Audience

Not all users are created equal. Users who are not in your target market will give misleading feedback and churn quickly. Be selective about who you pursue as early users. For more guidance on building your initial user base, check out our Build a Waitlist guide.

Moving Too Fast

It is tempting to rush through early acquisition to get to "real" growth. But the lessons you learn in this phase are irreplaceable. Take time to have real conversations with users, not just collect signups.

Case Studies

Superhuman: Extreme Selectivity

Superhuman famously kept their product invite-only for years, with a detailed onboarding call for every user. This approach meant slow initial growth, but they built an intensely loyal user base and achieved extremely high product-market fit scores. Their first 100 users were hand-selected and deeply engaged.

Product Hunt: Community First

Ryan Hoover built Product Hunt by first building a community around a simple email list. He gathered a group of early adopters who were passionate about discovering new products. By the time he launched the website, he had an engaged audience ready to use and promote it.

Buffer: Building in Public

Buffer acquired their first users by being extremely transparent about their journey. Joel Gascoigne blogged about every aspect of building the company, from revenue to struggles. This transparency attracted early users who felt invested in the journey.

Key Patterns

Across successful early-stage companies, we see common patterns:

  • Deep engagement with early users, not just transactional relationships
  • Willingness to do things that do not scale
  • Focus on a specific audience rather than trying to appeal to everyone
  • Transparency and authenticity that builds trust
  • Patience to learn before scaling

Putting It All Together

Getting your first 100 users is not about finding a silver bullet channel. It is about relentless execution across multiple approaches, learning from every interaction, and refining your product based on real feedback.

Start with your personal network, expand to communities, build content, try outreach, explore partnerships, and launch on platforms. Not every strategy will work for your specific product, but each attempt teaches you something valuable.

The founders who succeed at this stage are those who treat every user as an opportunity to learn, not just a number to add to their metrics. Your first 100 users are the foundation of everything that comes next. Treat them accordingly.

Once you have your first 100 users, check out our Post-Launch Playbook to learn how to turn that momentum into sustained growth.