How to Get First Customers for a New SaaS or Product
To get your first customers, go to them one by one: make a list of people who have the problem, reach out directly with a short personal message, offer to set them up yourself, and ask for payment early. For a new product with no audience, the most direct paths to the first ten customers are your network, online communities where your buyers already talk, and direct outreach. Ads and SEO can scale later, once you know what sells.
Below is the step-by-step plan I would follow for a new product, with what each step costs and how to fix the usual mistakes.
Why is getting the first customers so hard?
The problem: nobody knows your product exists, and nobody trusts it yet. You have no reviews, no case studies and no search traffic. A launch post can bring a spike of visits that fades quickly.
The cost of waiting for customers to find you is months of silence, and silence is easy to misread as “no demand.” Sometimes the product was fine and simply never reached the right people.
The fix is to accept that early sales are manual work. Paul Graham’s well-known essay “Do Things That Don’t Scale” makes this point: founders recruit early users by hand. You can automate later, once you know who buys and why.
Who should your first customers be?
Before any outreach, write one sentence: “My first customers are [specific group] who [specific problem].” For example, “freelance video editors who spend hours syncing cuts to music” is better than “creators.”
A narrow group helps in three ways:
- You know where they gather online.
- Your message can use their words.
- Each customer can refer others like them.
If you are not sure the problem is real yet, validate first. The guide on how to validate a startup idea covers that, and the list of market validation survey questions helps when you talk to people.
Where do first SaaS customers come from?
These are the channels I would try first, roughly in order of effort to result.
Your own network
Former colleagues, clients, friends in the industry. Send personal messages, not a mass email. Ask whether they have the problem or know someone who does. Even if they don’t buy, they can introduce you.
Communities where your buyers already talk
Subreddits, Slack and Discord groups, forums, Facebook groups, Indie Hackers. Read first, help people with their questions, and mention your product only where it truly answers something. Many communities have self-promotion rules: read them and follow them, or you can lose the channel.
Direct outreach
Find people who publicly describe the problem (a post, a review of a competitor, a job listing) and write to them. Keep it short: who you are, why you are writing to them specifically, and one question. Don’t paste a sales pitch.
Launch sites and directories
Product Hunt, Hacker News “Show HN” and smaller startup directories can bring a burst of visitors and backlinks. Treat them as a bonus, not a plan. Check who actually visits: on some launch sites, much of the audience is other founders rather than your buyers.
Building in public
Sharing progress on X, LinkedIn or a blog builds an audience that already knows you when you launch. It is slow at first. See build in public for how to start.
How do these channels compare?
Here is my rough comparison for a solo founder with no budget. It is an opinion to adapt, not measured data: your market may behave differently.
| Channel | Effort | Speed | Fit for first customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your network | Low | Fast | High if they match the buyer |
| Communities | Medium | Medium | High when you help first |
| Direct outreach | High | Fast | High, very targeted |
| Launch sites | Low | One-day spike | Low to medium |
| Building in public | Medium | Slow | Grows over months |
| Paid ads | Money | Fast | Low until the message is proven |
| SEO | High | Slow | Low early, strong later |
How do you turn interest into paying customers?
Interest is not a sale. A long waitlist can still turn into very few paying users. These steps help close the gap.
- Put a price on the page from day one. A visible price filters for real buyers. A trial is fine; hiding the price is not. The SaaS pricing post covers the options.
- Onboard people yourself. Offer a short call or a done-for-you setup. You see where they get stuck.
- Ask for payment directly. “Would you like to start the paid plan now?” is a fair question once someone is getting value.
- Be clear before any charge. Show the price and get a yes before a paid action runs. I follow this rule in every product I build: no surprise charges, no awkward refunds.
- Follow up. Many people mean to sign up and forget. One friendly reminder a few days later is normal.
What should you do after the first ten customers?
Talk to every one of them. Ask what almost stopped them from buying, what they use the product for, and where they heard about it. Their answers tell you:
- Which channel to double down on.
- Which words to use on your landing page.
- Which feature matters and which you can drop.
Then write down the pattern. If most came from one community, go deeper there. If they all share a job title, make the page speak to that job.
First customers FAQ
How long does it take to get the first customer?
It varies a lot by product and market. A clear problem, a narrow audience and direct outreach usually shorten it. Waiting for organic traffic usually makes it longer.
Should I give the product away free to the first users?
A short free period is fine, but aim for paying customers early. Payment is a much clearer signal than praise that the problem matters.
Is it okay to cold message people?
Yes, if the message is personal, short and relevant to them. Don’t send bulk messages, and respect each platform’s rules.
Should I run ads to get my first customers?
Usually not first. In my view, ads are easier to make work once you know which message converts. Learn that through direct conversations, then spend money.
What is your next step?
Today, write your one-sentence customer description and list 20 people or communities that match it. This week, send ten personal messages and post one helpful answer in a community your buyers use. Count replies, not likes. If you want to see the range of products this approach applies to, browse the products I built.