Ask HN: How should i acquire my first 100 customers?
Hello Everyone, I am going to launch my product with in 20 days and what i am looking for advice and tips that work for you and that you think can work for me. It could be anything. I am hoping for going door to door for acquiring my first 100 or 200 customers.
@dprophecyguy's retrospective from 2017 captures the critical transition from initial concept to the first dollar of customer revenue.
Core Principles for Independent Builders:
Early traction rarely comes from passive launches; it requires direct manual outreach, personal network activation, and high-touch customer support.
Narrowing down the target audience to a specific niche allows solo founders to out-position generic horizontal competitors.
Underpricing out of fear of rejection is common; founders who set premium pricing often discover higher customer satisfaction and lower churn.
Community Debate Themes:
Discussions analyzed Show HN launch mechanics, cold DM outreach conversion rates, and the psychology of validating customer demand before writing code.
CATEGORY Zero to One →
HISTORICAL ERA Cloud & Mobile Era (2014–2019)
COMMUNITY SCORE 5 points
TOTAL DISCUSSIONS 3 comments
Hustle as hard as you can. Read, "Do things that don't scale" by Paul Graham for inspiration. Acquiring customers is as important as building a good MVP, actually, more important. If you struggle to think where to find your first 100 customers it's usually a sign for caution. Get them by whatever (legal and honest) means necessary. If you are solving a real problem, complete strangers will gladly try your product. So again, try everything: Reddit, Twitter, Facebook Groups, Forums, Coffee Shops, Shopping Malls, etc. Get Out of the Building! If your target customer doesn't sign up quickly, pivot. There are better uses of your time.
Small tip: describe your product in the description of this post and link to it. You might find your first 5 customers here or generate word of mouth. Lost opportunity. Try to be reasonably shameless. If you are solving a problem no one will find you distasteful. People love to be sold good stuff.