HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Build the Group Around a Pain, Not Your Product

Build the Group Around a Pain, Not Your Product is a communities tactic for getting your first users: Found your Slack community on a recurring frustration your target users live with, not on the tool you sell. The product becomes one answer among many in a room that exists to wrestle with the problem itself.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, dev tools, niche prosumer tools. As a communities play, plan for medium effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

CommunitiesMedium effortSlow

Why does communities work for this?

People stay loyal to spaces that reflect their identity and daily struggles; a problem outlives any single product, so the community keeps generating reasons to return.

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
B2B SaaSDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Build the Group Around a Pain, Not Your Product" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical — 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 Group Around a Pain, Not Your Product" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 1 primary source — a real founder write-up or interview, not generic advice. It is linked in the Sources section above so you can read the original account yourself.
How much effort is it and how fast are results?
It is medium 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 Community-Led Growth for B2B SaaS, is in the paid library.

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