How to get your first users for a SaaS or app

Your first users come from doing things that don't scale: messaging people who have the problem one by one, showing up where they already talk about it, and launching on a few platforms where makers and early adopters browse. Ads and SEO come later, once you know who signs up and why.

Start with who, not where

Before picking channels, write one sentence: "My first users are ___ who are struggling with ___." The narrower it is, the easier everything after it gets, because you'll know which communities to join, which people to message and what to say to them. "Freelance designers who chase late invoices" is findable. "Small businesses" isn't.

1. Message people one by one

The most reliable source of the first ten users. Find 20 people a day who clearly have the problem (they posted about it, they use a tool you replace, their job title fits) and send a short, personal note: what you noticed, what you built, and a question. Ask for feedback, not a signup. People who reply become users far more often than people who see an ad.

2. Be useful where they already talk

Subreddits, Discord and Slack groups, forums, Indie Hackers, X and LinkedIn: find where your users ask questions and answer them properly, without a link, for a week or two. Then share what you built when it genuinely fits a question. Communities remove self-promotion and reward people they recognise.

3. Launch in several small places

Launch platforms and directories put you in front of makers and early adopters who like trying new things, and each listing keeps working after the day is over. Start somewhere small enough to be seen, then work through a list over two weeks.

• A free launch on IndieLaunch goes live the day it's approved.
• Our list of free startup directories covers the rest, in the order to do them.
• Save Product Hunt for when you have users who'll turn up on the day.

4. Build in public

Post what you're building, what broke and what you learned, with real numbers. It's slow at first, but every post is a reason for someone to check out the product, and the people who follow along become your first advocates.

5. Turn early users into the next ones

• Talk to every one of your first users. Ask what almost stopped them signing up.
• Ask the happy ones for a sentence you can quote, and who else they know with the same problem.
• Fix the thing that confused people before chasing more of them.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get the first 100 users?

For most indie products, a few weeks to a few months of steady outreach, community posts and launches. It's faster when the problem is narrow and painful.

Should I run ads to get my first users?

Usually not yet. Until you know who signs up and why, ads mostly buy expensive, confusing data. Talk to people first.

Where do I find my first users for free?

One-to-one messages, communities where your users already ask questions, launch platforms and startup directories, and building in public.