HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Help First, Pitch Last

Help First, Pitch Last is a reddit & forums tactic for getting your first users: Solve someone's problem completely in a public comment before you ever mention your product, and treat the mention as an optional afterthought.

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

Reddit & forumsMedium effortSlow

Why does reddit & forums work for this?

Technical audiences ignore or punish anything that smells like marketing, but they reward demonstrated competence by upvoting, saving, and linking back to it later. The help earns the right to mention the 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
B2B SaaSDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Help First, Pitch Last" 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 "Help First, Pitch Last" 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 Reddit Marketing Case Studies and No-Ban SaaS Playbook, is in the paid library.

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