HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Pre-Sell: Don't Build the Real Product Until Someone Pays

Pre-Sell: Don't Build the Real Product Until Someone Pays is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: They wrote only enough code to prove the custom-domain problem was solvable, then refused to build the actual working product until the first person paid.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for solo founders avoiding wasted build time. 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?

Payment is the only real validation and it stops you from sinking months into something nobody wants.

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 / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "Pre-Sell: Don't Build the Real Product Until Someone Pays" 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.

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