How to find your first 10 users.
Your first users are not a growth problem. They are a learning opportunity.
The first ten users of a product rarely arrive through a perfect marketing funnel. They usually come from conversations, communities, introductions, and a founder willing to ask for help before everything feels finished.
That can feel uncomfortable. It is also one of the fastest ways to understand whether your product solves a real problem for a specific group of people.
Start with the problem, not the audience size
Write down the exact problem your product solves and the situation in which it appears. “Small businesses” is too broad. “Freelance designers who lose project feedback across email threads” is specific enough to guide your search.
Specificity makes outreach more natural. You are not asking strangers to care about an abstract product; you are asking people who recognize a familiar frustration whether they want to try a possible solution.
Look where the problem is already visible
Search for conversations about the problem rather than conversations about your product category. Read support threads, community questions, review comments, and posts where people describe workarounds.
These places reveal the language people actually use. That language is valuable for your landing page, your launch post, and your next product decision.
Invite people into a conversation
A short, personal message usually works better than a long pitch. Explain why you think the problem is relevant to them, ask whether they would be open to trying the product, and make it easy to say no.
When someone agrees, do not disappear behind an onboarding sequence. Watch how they use the product. Ask where they hesitate. Listen for the words they use when they describe the outcome they wanted.
Treat every user like a research session
Your first users are not just a number to add to a dashboard. They can show you what your product means in the real world. Notice which features they find without help, what they ignore, and what they try to do that you did not anticipate.
Keep a simple record of the patterns. One person’s request may be an edge case. The same friction appearing three or four times is a strong signal worth investigating.
Make it easy to return
After someone tries the product, follow up with a useful update. Tell them what you changed based on their feedback, ask whether the change helped, and give them a clear way to come back.
People are more likely to stay connected when they can see that their time mattered. Early traction is often built through a series of small, credible moments—not one dramatic launch.
Give those conversations a home
Publishing your product gives interested people somewhere to return after the first conversation. LaunchOrbit helps founders keep their product discoverable, share a clear description, and connect a launch to the product itself.
Publish your product on LaunchOrbit · Discover products in the orbit
