HowTheyGotUsersHowTheyGotUsers

Target Buying Signals, Not Random Lists

Target Buying Signals, Not Random Lists is a cold outreach tactic for getting your first users: Cold outreach with no context underperforms; aim it at people showing intent or timing signals and tie your pitch to one of their biggest problems.

It's a strong fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical teams, and works especially well for B2B SaaS, dev tools. As a cold outreach play, plan for high effort and expect results to build gradually over time, all grounded in 6 linked primary sources.

Cold outreachHigh effortSlow

Why does cold outreach work for this?

Only a small slice of any market is actively buying, so intent and timing dramatically raise reply rates, and tying the pitch to a real top-priority problem makes it impossible to ignore.

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.

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Sources

Works for
B2B SaaSDev tools / technical

Frequently asked

What kind of products does the "Target Buying Signals, Not Random Lists" tactic work for?
It is a good fit for B2B SaaS and Dev tools / technical — 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 "Target Buying Signals, Not Random Lists" tactic verified?
It is drawn from 6 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 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 5 Smartest SaaS Marketing Strategies 2026 and AI's Real Impact on Sales (SaaStr), is in the paid library.

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