How to Get Your First 10 Customers
The first ten customers almost never come from a launch. They come from going to where the complaint was posted and talking to the person who posted it.
Last updated 2026-08-17
Go back to the evidence
If your idea came from complaints, you have a list of people who publicly stated they have the problem. That is the warmest possible outreach list, and almost nobody uses it.
What to say
- Reference their specific complaint, not a generic pitch
- Ask whether the problem is still live before describing anything you built
- Offer to solve it manually first if the product is not ready
- Charge from the first customer — free users teach you almost nothing
Why launches disappoint
A launch reaches people who are curious about products, not people who have your problem. It is a distribution channel for something already working, not a way to find product-market fit.