HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Pre-Sell to a Pre-Committed Quota and Don't Count Friends

Pre-Sell to a Pre-Committed Quota and Don't Count Friends is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: Before building, he set a hard goal (talk to 100 qualified leads, get 10 to pre-pay $19) and deliberately excluded a friend's purchase so he wouldn't fool himself into false validation.

It's a strong fit for teams of almost any kind, and works especially well for any founder validating a paid product idea. As a first users & traction play, plan for medium effort and expect results to arrive at a steady pace, all grounded in 1 linked primary source.

First users & tractionMedium effortMedium

Why does first users & traction work for this?

A pre-set bar stops you from moving the goalposts and faking validation when reality falls short.

The exact steps (5)

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
Any / universal

Frequently asked

How is the "Pre-Sell to a Pre-Committed Quota and Don't Count Friends" 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 medium effort, and results tend to be medium.
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 & tractionMedium effort· Medium

Funnel Your Old Side Projects' Traffic to Your New Product

Tap the steady visitor streams from passion-project sites you already own by adding a modal pop-up that points those visitors to your latest product.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionMedium effort· Fast

Pre-Sell the Minimum Viable Offer Before Building

Pitch the outcome and process you'll deliver to real prospects and close revenue before any MVP exists, without even a company name.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionLow effort· Fast

Gate the Free Giveaway Behind a Google Form Plus Follow

Use the giveaway entry process to capture leads and grow your social following, not just hand out freebies.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionHigh effort· Slow

Build Distribution Density, Not One Magic Channel

Instead of hunting for one breakout growth hack, you stack several modest channels so prospects keep encountering you across content, search, communities, and your own posting. The overlap creates familiarity that no single channel delivers.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionLow effort· Fast

Drop a Stripe Pre-Order Link at the End of Your Build-Story Article

Publish a short write-up describing the product idea, then place a live Stripe payment link for a lifetime deal at the bottom so readers can buy before anything is actually built.

Read the steps →
First users & tractionMedium effort· Slow

Sequence 3–5 Tactics for Your Stage Instead of Doing Everything

Rather than attempting every growth tactic at once, you deliberately choose the few that fit your current stage and run them in a sensible order. Focus and sequencing beat raw hustle.

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