HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Deliver It By Hand Before You Automate

Deliver It By Hand Before You Automate is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: Run a "concierge" version where the front end looks like a product but the work is fulfilled manually, so you learn what to build while already serving real customers.

It's a strong fit for AI products and B2B SaaS teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, AI tools, productized services. As a first users & traction play, plan for high effort and expect results to show up quickly, all grounded in 6 linked primary sources.

First users & tractionHigh effortFast

Why does first users & traction work for this?

Doing the work by hand proves people want the outcome before you sink time into engineering, and the close contact generates a steady stream of improvement ideas straight from paying users.

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
AI productsB2B SaaS

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Deliver It By Hand Before You Automate" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for AI products and B2B SaaS — 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 "Deliver It By Hand Before You Automate" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 6 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 fast.
Where can I see the exact step-by-step?
The full step-by-step a founder ran, documented via $28k/mo SaaS Portfolio and $1M SaaS in 87 Days, is in the paid library.

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