I still remember the pit in my stomach trying to get those first ten customers. It felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack, blindfolded, while someone kept moving the haystack. You've built something cool, right? But nobody's buying. Or worse, nobody even knows it exists.
That's the brutal reality of "how to get first 10 customers". It's not about scale. It's about grit. It's about finding the few, the desperate, the ones who truly need what you're building. It's a completely different game than getting your first 100 or 1,000.
Forget everything you've read about growth hacking for a minute. For these first few, you need to get your hands dirty. You need to become a detective, a therapist, and a problem-solver, all rolled into one. And you probably need to do a lot of things that don't scale. That's the point.
Let's cut the fluff and get into how you actually make this happen.
Stop Building in Silence - Start Talking
This is my biggest contrarian take. Most people tell you to build, build, build. Get to MVP. Polish it. Then launch. Bullshit.
Your MVP is just a hypothesis. It’s a guess. And the fastest way to validate or invalidate that guess - and find your first customers - is to talk to people before it’s perfect. Or even before it exists.
I wasted months on features nobody cared about. My first product was clunky, sure, but the features I obsessed over? Totally ignored. The ones I threw in last minute? Loved.
How do you avoid that? You find the pain.
- Listen to complaints: What are people bitching about in online communities, forums, or even their Slack channels? What problems do they describe over and over?
- Ask direct questions: "What's the most annoying part of your workflow?" "If you had a magic wand, what would you fix about X?"
- Don't pitch yet: Just listen. Empathize. Understand their world. This isn't a sales call; it's market research disguised as a friendly chat.
Seriously, I had my first 3 customers on board with a Figma mockup and a promise. They helped shape the product, and in return, they got insane early access and a direct line to me. That's gold.
Forget "Everyone" - Go After Your Micro-Niche
Another huge mistake founders make: trying to appeal to everyone. Your product isn't for "small businesses" or "marketers". That's too broad. For the first 10, you need laser focus.
Think about it: if you're building a project management tool, "small businesses" is a huge category. Does a local bakery have the same needs as a freelance web designer? Absolutely not.
Instead, define your ideal early customer with excruciating detail:
- Who are they? (e.g., indie game developers, solo podcast editors, bootstrapped SaaS founders with less than $5k MRR)
- What specific problem do they have? (e.g., struggling to manage client feedback, spending too much time on invoicing, can't find affordable design talent)
- Where do they hang out online? (e.g., specific subreddits, Discord servers, niche forums, Twitter lists)
My first product was for "SaaS founders". Too broad. My first paying customers were "bootstrapped SaaS founders building no-code tools who needed to automate customer onboarding". That's a mouthful, but it's specific enough to know exactly where to look and what to say.
This isn't about limiting your future market. It's about finding the absolute best starting point to get those initial wins and learn like crazy.
Go Where Your People Already Are - And Listen (Again)
Once you know who you're looking for, you need to find where they are. They aren't on your website yet. They're in communities.
- Reddit: Seriously, this is a goldmine. There are subreddits for almost every niche imaginable. r/SaaS, r/Entrepreneur, r/smallbusiness, r/webdev, specific industry subreddits. The conversations happening there are raw, unfiltered, and full of pain points.
- Discord & Slack groups: Industry-specific groups are full of people actively discussing their challenges.
- Indie Hackers / Product Hunt comments: Look at what people are saying about competitors or related products. What's missing? What's frustrating them?
Your job isn't to immediately drop a link and sell. It's to participate. Provide value. Answer questions. Build trust. This is the exact opposite of traditional marketing, and it's how you build genuine connections that lead to sales.
This is where tools like LeadsFromURL become invaluable. Instead of spending hours manually scrolling through dozens of subreddits, the Lead Scanner can do the heavy lifting. You can set it up to scan Reddit for specific keywords related to your product's solution or customer pain points. Imagine getting a daily digest of people saying "I wish there was a tool that did X" or "Anyone know a good Y for Z problem?" - that's pure gold. It's how I found early adopters for my own projects without burning out.
The Art of "Unscalable" Outreach
For the first 10, forget automation. Forget email sequences. You need to personalize every single message.
I once spent an entire Saturday crafting 20 personalized messages for people who had posted in a specific subreddit about a problem my tool solved. My conversion rate was insane - like 40%. Why? Because they felt seen.
Here’s the playbook:
1. Find a specific post or comment: "Hey [Name], I saw your post in r/[Subreddit] about [specific problem]." Show them you actually read it.
2. Empathize with their pain: "That frustration with [problem] is totally valid. I've been there myself." Make it clear you understand.
3. Introduce your solution (briefly): "We actually built [Your Product Name] to solve exactly that. It helps [specific benefit]."
4. Offer value, not a hard sell: "I'd be happy to give you a quick 15-minute demo to show you how it works, no pressure to buy. Or, if you'd prefer, I can just share a quick video walkthrough." Or even, "I'd love your feedback on what we're building."
This isn't about pitching your product. It's about starting a conversation about their problem and positioning your product as a potential solution. It's a subtle but critical difference.
A Note on Reddit Outreach and Karma:
If you're new to Reddit, jumping into outreach without a strong account can get you flagged as a spammer fast. Many subreddits have karma requirements for posting or commenting. You need to build credibility.
This is where LeadsFromURL's Karma Farmer can be a lifesaver. It helps you build karma automatically by posting helpful, relevant comments in various subreddits. This way, when you do engage with a potential lead based on a buyer-intent post found by the Lead Scanner, your comment actually sticks and isn't immediately removed by a mod bot. It builds the foundation you need for effective Reddit lead generation.
Your Offer for the First 10: Make It Irresistible
These first customers aren't just transactions. They're your co-founders, your early testers, your biggest advocates, and your feedback loop. Treat them like gold.
What can you offer that makes it a no-brainer?
- Deep discounts: "50% off for life" or "free for the first 6 months."
- Direct access: A dedicated Slack channel with you. Priority support. A direct line to the founder.
- Influence on the roadmap: "You'll have a direct say in what we build next." This is incredibly powerful for early users.
- Exclusive features: Early access to betas, custom integrations, white-glove onboarding.
I gave my first 5 customers 75% off for life and a dedicated Slack channel. They provided brutal, honest feedback that transformed my product. They became my first testimonials, my first case studies, and my loudest cheerleaders. They're still with me today.
What do you get in return? Validation, invaluable feedback, testimonials, case studies, and critical social proof. You're buying data and trust, not just making a sale.
The Follow-Up Game - Don't Give Up (But Don't Be Annoying)
Most sales don't happen on the first touch. People are busy. They forget. They need more information. This is especially true when you're trying to get your first 10 customers.
My typical follow-up sequence for early customers looks something like this:
- Day 1: Initial personalized message (as above).
- Day 3-4: "Hey [Name], just checking in. Did my message about [problem] make sense? Happy to clarify anything or just share a quick video of [feature] if that's easier."
- Day 7-8: "Quick thought on [problem] - I just read an article about [related topic] and it reminded me of our conversation. Here's the link if you're interested." (No hard sell, just value).
- Day 14-16: "Just wanted to let you know we just pushed a small update for [feature that addresses their specific problem]. Thought you might find it useful. Still happy to chat when you have a moment."
Be persistent, but always provide value or a low-friction way to engage. Don't just say "checking in." Always have a reason.
Common Questions
"How much should I charge my first customers?"
Enough to make it feel valuable, but don't focus on maximizing profit. Your goal is to get users, learn, and iterate. If your ideal price is $100/month, maybe offer it at $25-$50/month for the first few, with the understanding that they're early adopters and their feedback is crucial. Make it clear it's a special early-bird rate. Or offer free access for a short period in exchange for a mandatory feedback session.
"I'm worried about looking spammy on Reddit. How do I avoid that?"
Authenticity is key. Don't just drop links. Engage in conversations, provide genuine help, and only then (and subtly) mention your solution if it truly fits the context. Build up karma and credibility first. If you're using LeadsFromURL's Lead Scanner to find buyer-intent posts, make sure your initial comment or DM is highly personalized and directly addresses their pain, not just a generic sales pitch. Think helpful friend, not aggressive salesperson.
"What if nobody responds to my outreach?"
This happens. It's a numbers game, but also a quality game. If you're getting zero responses, one of three things is usually off: your targeting is too broad, your message isn't compelling enough or too salesy, or your offer isn't irresistible. Iterate quickly. Try different subreddits, refine your keywords for the Lead Scanner, experiment with different opening lines, and sweeten your offer. Ask a trusted friend or mentor to review your outreach messages. Don't take it personally; just learn and adapt.
Go Get 'Em
Getting your first 10 customers is a grind. It's not glamorous. You'll hear "no" a lot more than "yes." You'll feel like you're yelling into the void sometimes.
But every single one of those first 10 is a win. Each one provides invaluable feedback, validation, and the fuel you need to keep going. They'll teach you more than any blog post or course ever will. Stop looking for shortcuts, and start looking for people with problems you can solve.
And when you're ready to stop sifting through endless Reddit threads yourself, remember tools like LeadsFromURL can help you find those buyer-intent conversations faster, so you can spend less time searching and more time connecting with your future customers. Stop guessing, start finding.