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Earn Trust Before You Pitch

Earn Trust Before You Pitch is a communities tactic for getting your first users: Embed yourself in the forums and groups where your ideal customer hangs out and become a genuinely helpful regular, only mentioning your product once you have established credibility.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, dev tools, any. As a communities play, plan for medium effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 2 linked primary sources.

CommunitiesMedium effortSlow

Why does communities work for this?

Modern buyers instantly detect thinly veiled self-promotion, so trust earned through real contribution is what unlocks their willingness to hear about your product.

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
Any / universalB2B SaaSDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Earn Trust Before You Pitch" 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 "Earn Trust Before You 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 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 First 100 SaaS Customers in 2024 and B2B SaaS Marketing: 6 Strategies, is in the paid library.

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