You don’t need an app to get users.
Surprising? Maybe. But smart founders know that building a product comes after understanding who you're building for. Before you write a single line of code, your biggest priority is finding the right users who care about what you're solving.
Most people get stuck because they wait for the “perfect” version of their product. But early traction doesn’t come from code, it comes from clarity.
Two simple steps to begin with:
- Know the problem inside out. What pain point are you solving? For whom?
- Talk to real people. No surveys. Real conversations. Online or offline.
Got these two? Great. Now let’s go beyond.
1. Create a Waitlist That Doesn’t Feel Like a Waitlist
Everyone says, “Create a landing page and collect emails.”
But nobody signs up unless they care.
Make your waitlist feel like a VIP club. Add scarcity. Tell people exactly why they should join now:
- “Get early access + lifetime 30% off”
- “Be part of our beta community and shape the product”
- “Only 100 early testers accepted for Phase 1”
Add a simple Typeform or Notion form if you don’t want to build anything.
2. Build a "Minimum Story" Instead of an MVP
Before building a product, build a story your users want to follow.
It can be:
- A newsletter about the topic you're solving
- A series of Instagram reels or tweets
- A Medium blog that shares the journey of solving this problem
- A behind-the-scenes video diary
The goal? Show your obsession with solving the problem. Let people root for you.
This builds trust faster than code ever can.
3. Use Communities the Right Way
Reddit, Discords, Slack groups, Facebook groups, or indie hacker forums. Go wherever your users hang out.
But don’t just drop links. Instead:
- Comment helpfully
- Share an insight or frustration you faced
- Ask for feedback on a quick mockup
- Offer something useful for free (like a checklist, free guide, or tool)
Once people know you’re not just there to “sell,” they’ll listen when you do pitch.
4. Partner With Micro-Influencers (The Smart Way)
You don’t need celebrity influencers. You need niche voices with trust.
Find creators or community builders in your space. DM or email them. Offer them early access or rev-share. Ask if they’d be open to collaborating.
Bonus: Let them co-create a feature. You’ll win their audience’s trust too.
5. Share Screens, Not Features
No one cares about “cloud-syncing” or “AI-integrated dashboards.”
They care about what it does for them.
So: Use Figma. Canva. Loom. Even PowerPoint. Show a screen or two explaining:
- How the user would use your product
- What problem does it solve
- How does it feel better than their current solution
Ask: “Would this help you? What would you change?”
Those responses = early users.
6. Turn Early Fans into Ambassadors
Once you get 50–100 people who genuinely care, involve them.
- Give them a referral link
- Create a private community for feedback
- Let them pick the name or logo
- Feature them in your story
When people feel ownership, they talk about you. And that’s how your first 100 users bring in the next 900.
You Don’t Need a Product. You Need a Movement.
Your first 1000 users won’t come because you launched a perfect product. They’ll come because they believed in your why, and you showed up before asking for anything.
Start messy. Be human. Solve a real problem.
Want Help Turning Early Interest into a Real Product?
At Pardy Panda Studios, we help founders like you build products that users actually love, starting from an idea, a sketch, or even a tweet.
If you're testing the waters or growing a waitlist, let's talk.Book a free consultation with us, and we’ll help you validate and grow before writing a single line of code.
