HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Land Marquee Clients for Borrowed Credibility

Land Marquee Clients for Borrowed Credibility is a partnerships & affiliates tactic for getting your first users: Take on a few high-status clients (they worked with Y Combinator-backed startups) so their reputation rubs off and makes your agency look aspirational to every future prospect.

It's a strong fit for Agencies / services and B2B SaaS teams, and works especially well for agencies, services, B2B. As a partnerships & affiliates play, plan for high effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

Partnerships & affiliatesHigh effortSlow

Why does partnerships & affiliates work for this?

Prospects trust you far faster when respected brands already have.

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
Agencies / servicesB2B SaaS

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Land Marquee Clients for Borrowed Credibility" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for Agencies / services 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 "Land Marquee Clients for Borrowed Credibility" 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 high 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 Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

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