HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Mine Your Inner Circle for the First 25 Signups

Mine Your Inner Circle for the First 25 Signups is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: Before touching any public channel, the founder hit up everyone he already knew who fit the target profile (SaaS founders) - peers, former colleagues, mentors - and asked them to sign up and spread the word.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS teams, and works especially well for solo founders, B2B SaaS with a defined niche. As a first users & traction play, plan for low effort and expect results to show up quickly, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

First users & tractionLow effortFast

Why does first users & traction work for this?

People who already trust you convert far more readily than cold strangers and give honest early feedback.

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.

Unlock the steps · $29 oncePlus all 3,000+ tactics and the new ones we add weekly.

Sources

Works for
B2B SaaS

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Mine Your Inner Circle for the First 25 Signups" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS — pick it when your product looks like that, since the play is shaped around how those users find new tools.
How is the "Mine Your Inner Circle for the First 25 Signups" 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 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 Source — IndieHackers, is in the paid library.

Related tactics

First users & tractionLow effort· Fast

Soft-Launch with a Landing Page Plus Light Twitter/LinkedIn Chatter

With almost no formal marketing, the founder just stood up a landing page, casually chatted on Twitter, posted a couple of times there, and did a bit on LinkedIn, then woke to organic signups (8 overnight, 35 total).

Read the steps →
First users & tractionLow effort· Fast

Seed Early Users With Free or Discounted Access

Lower or remove the price for your first cohort in exchange for real usage, honest feedback, and permission to feature them as success stories.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionLow effort· Fast

DM to Learn, Not to Pitch

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.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionMedium effort· Slow

Land an Enterprise Logo Through an Insider Friend

Use a personal contact working inside a large company as your internal champion to surface a real need and get your product in the door.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionMedium effort· Fast

Validate by Asking Willingness-to-Pay, Then Collecting Cash

Interview target customers about their biggest hassles, find where they've already paid for failed fixes, then ask what they'd pay and take the money on the spot.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionLow effort· Fast

Cross-Post the Same Share to Reddit and Indie Hackers at Once

Publish the same value-first resource on both a niche subreddit and Indie Hackers within the same window to stack traffic from two communities simultaneously.

Read the steps →

Get all 3,000+ tactics in one place

Filter by your product and channel, follow the exact steps, and get the new tactics we add every week. One payment, yours for good.

Unlock for $29 onceBrowse by channel