HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Build the Crowd Before You Build the Product

Build the Crowd Before You Build the Product is a communities tactic for getting your first users: Gather a focused group of the exact people you want to sell to first, then let their interest and feedback tell you what to build and ship to them.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS, Consumer / mobile apps, and Newsletters / media teams, and works especially well for any (especially consumer, creator tools, B2B SaaS). As a communities play, plan for high effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 5 linked primary sources.

CommunitiesHigh effortSlow

Why does communities work for this?

A warm, pre-qualified audience removes the cold-start problem: you launch to people who already trust you and have signaled they want what you're making, so conversion and word-of-mouth start on day one.

The exact steps (5)

The full step-by-step this founder ran, what they posted, where, and in what order, plus the watch-outs, is part of the library.

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Sources

Works for
Any / universalB2B SaaSConsumer / mobile appsNewsletters / media

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Build the Crowd Before You Build the Product" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS, Consumer / mobile apps, and Newsletters / media — pick it when your product looks like one of those, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Build the Crowd Before You Build the Product" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 5 primary sources — real founder write-ups and interviews, not generic advice. They are linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original accounts yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is high effort, and results tend to be slow.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via First-Time vs Second-Time Founders and Why Paid Ads Too Early Kill Startups, is in the paid library.

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