HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Start With the People You Already Know

Start With the People You Already Know is a first users & traction tactic for getting your first users: Mining your personal network and relevant founder communities for your earliest users instead of chasing strangers cold.

It's a strong fit for Agencies / services and B2B SaaS teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, consultants, services, any founder-led product. As a first users & traction play, plan for low effort and expect results to show up quickly, all grounded in 4 linked primary sources.

First users & tractionLow effortFast

Why does first users & traction work for this?

Your existing relationships are the lowest-friction source of trust, so the first handful of users come far faster here than through any cold channel.

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 / servicesAny / universalB2B SaaS

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Start With the People You Already Know" 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 "Start With the People You Already Know" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 4 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 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 Watch this to get your first 5 customers and Best SaaS Marketing Strategy to get your first 100 Customers Without Ads, is in the paid library.

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