A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

24 ways to get your first customers—based on real examples from the last 100 episodes.

Dec 26, 2024

Getting your first customers can be daunting, but inventive strategies can pave the way. The podcast highlights 24 real-world examples, featuring companies like Reddit and Rappi. Learn how building communities and seeding demands can generate interest. Discover the power of connecting with audiences through proven tactics, like cold emailing and in-person outreach. Innovation and resourcefulness are key to overcoming initial hurdles. With these insights, you'll find effective methods tailored to kickstart your startup's growth.

24:10

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Quick takeaways

Acquiring initial customers is vital for startups as it fosters revenue generation and provides insights into user behavior for product-market fit.

Creative acquisition strategies, such as financial incentives and community-building, are essential for overcoming credibility gaps and gaining early customer relationships.

Deep dives

The Importance of Initial Customers

Acquiring the first few customers is crucial for startups as it not only generates revenue but also provides valuable insights into user behavior and product-market fit. Gaining traction helps startups learn from real users about what resonates with them, creating a feedback loop for improvement. The transition from having no customers to just one customer requires significant effort and strategic thinking, as founders often face a credibility gap. Establishing that initial relationship can set the foundation for future growth and development within the business.

Intro

5min

Innovative Customer Acquisition Strategies for Startups

4min

Innovative Strategies for Customer Acquisition

7min

Strategies for Securing Initial Customers in Startups

5min

Strategies for Acquiring Initial Customers

3min

There are a few things harder when building startups than getting your first few customers. When you're on a standstill, getting momentum is incredibly hard. Going from zero to one takes an incredible amount of effort—you have absolutely no credibility, no proof points.

So to help you out I went through 24 ways of getting your first customers using 24 different examples from this show.

Why you should listen:

Figure out how to land your first few customers. You are guaranteed to find at least one example that works for you.

Keywords
customer acquisition, startup strategies, community building, persistence, experimentation, free services

Timestamps
(00:00:00) Intro
(00:01:35) Stay22 - Pay your Customers
(00:02:25) Reddit - Creating your Community
(00:02:58) Rappi - Seeding Supply
(00:04:04) Wattpad - Seeding Demand
(00:05:05) Cameo - Finding Someone With an Audience
(00:05:43) Noibu - Showcasing the Value of the Platform
(00:06:41) Bridgit - Showing up in Person
(00:07:24) Rewind - Attaching to an Ecosystem
(00:08:36) Clio - Adding Friction to the Funnel
(00:09:06) Wealthsimple - Lunch & Learn
(00:09:29) Athennian - Classic Customer Discovery
(00:10:00) Carbon Robotics - Presales from Customer Discovery
(00:10:34) StackAdapt - Creating Custom Software
(00:11:21) ApplyBoard - Identifying Power Users
(00:12:27) Forma AI - Sheer Force of Will
(00:15:01) Blockthrough - Starting with an Obvious Problem
(00:16:25) GoBolt - Finding Problems Close to You
(00:17:08) Shopify - Building a Waitlist & Showcasing the Product
(00:17:43) Fullscript - Cold Emailing
(00:18:30) Spellbook - Running Experiments Exceptionally Quickly
(00:19:27) Legion - Finding a Design Partner
(00:20:18) Knak - Consulting
(00:20:54) Dabble - Building Distrobution
(00:21:55) Zeffy - Making the Product Free