HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

DM to Learn, Not to Pitch

DM to Learn, Not to Pitch is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: Personally message everyone who shows interest and open with curiosity about their problem rather than a sales pitch, turning lukewarm sign-ups into committed users.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS, Consumer / mobile apps, and Dev tools / technical teams, and works especially well for consumer apps, B2B SaaS, dev tools. As a first users & traction play, plan for low effort and expect results to show up quickly, all grounded in 2 linked primary sources.

First users & tractionLow effortFast

Why does first users & traction work for this?

A real conversation makes a sign-up feel seen and invested, and the use cases you uncover double as free product direction — fewer, deeper conversations beat raw traffic.

The exact steps (4)

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 SaaSConsumer / mobile appsDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "DM to Learn, Not to Pitch" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS, Consumer / mobile apps, 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 "DM to Learn, Not to Pitch" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 2 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 low 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 How to Get Your First 100 Users and I shipped my app in 12 hours and now it makes $15K/month, is in the paid library.

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