Getting First Users
Tactics for getting your first 10, 100, and 1000 users without a big audience or ad budget.
12 articles
Writing Cold Emails That Actually Get Replies (A Solo Founder's Playbook)
The specific cold email formula that gets 25-35% reply rates for indie founders — subject lines, opening lines, structure, and what to do after the first reply.
Feb 15, 2026
How to Find a Profitable Niche for Your SaaS as a Solo Founder
The step-by-step process for identifying a viable niche for your SaaS — small enough to dominate, large enough to build a real business.
Feb 14, 2026
Product Hunt Launch Strategy for Solo Founders: The Complete Playbook
Everything you need to run a successful Product Hunt launch as a solo founder — timing, preparation, launch day execution, and what to do after.
Feb 12, 2026
How to Leverage Online Communities to Get Your First Users
A guide to finding and engaging niche online communities to get early users for your product — without being spammy or annoying.
Feb 10, 2026
How to Get Beta Testers for Your App When You Know Nobody
Practical ways to recruit beta testers for your app without a network, without paying people, and without getting useless feedback.
Feb 9, 2026
Using Reddit to Find Your First Users Without Getting Banned
The right way to use Reddit as an indie hacker to find early users, get feedback, and build awareness — without being labeled as a spammer.
Feb 7, 2026
Community-Led Growth for Indie SaaS: Building Around Your Product
How to use community as a genuine growth engine for your indie SaaS — what it means at the solo scale, how to start one, and what keeps it alive.
Feb 6, 2026
Building in Public to Attract Users: A Practical Guide
How to use building in public as an actual user acquisition strategy — what to share, where to share it, and how to turn followers into users.
Feb 5, 2026
Cold Outreach That Doesn't Feel Sleazy (And Actually Gets Replies)
How to do cold outreach as a solo founder without being gross about it — the mindset shift, the message format, and what a 30% reply rate looks like.
Feb 3, 2026
Free Marketing Channels That Actually Work for Indie Hackers
A ranked breakdown of the free marketing channels that consistently deliver results for solo founders — with no budget and minimal time.
Feb 2, 2026
How to Get Testimonials for Your Product When Nobody Knows You
A practical guide to collecting compelling product testimonials as an indie founder — who to ask, how to ask, and how to turn them into social proof that converts.
Jan 28, 2026
How to Get Your First 100 Users With No Audience
The unglamorous, actually-works playbook for getting your first 100 users when you have no following, no budget, and no team.
Jan 27, 2026