How to get first users for new SaaS product

Quick answer

Stop refreshing analytics. Your first users come from direct, persistent outreach aimed at solving specific, urgent problems for a small, clearly defined audience. Forget scale for now; focus on one-to-one conversions.

You launched. You posted the launch announcement everywhere you could think of. You waited. You refreshed. The graph is flat. That pit in your stomach? It’s normal. This isn't a post about overnight success stories or unicorn dreams; it's about getting hands-on when no one's clicking and your brilliant idea is gathering digital dust.

Identify and target your ideal early adopter

Your "target market" is not "everyone." It's a handful of people with a very specific, painful problem your product solves right now.

1. Define your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) with extreme precision:

• What industry are they in?
• What's their job title?
• What specific, quantifiable problem do they face daily that your product alleviates? (e.g., "manual data entry taking 3 hours a day for sales managers at SMEs using HubSpot" not "busy sales professionals").
• What tools do they already use, or what workflows are they stuck with?

1. Find where these people congregate online:

• Niche subreddits: Search for keywords related to their pain points or existing tools (e.g., r/salesops, r/financetech). Read discussions, understand their language.
• Slack/Discord communities: Many industries have private, active groups. Search "\[industry] Slack community" or "\[tool they use] Discord server." Don't spam; genuinely engage first. Provide value.
• LinkedIn Groups: Less active than they once were, but still valuable for finding specific roles.
• Industry forums: Old school, but often goldmines for deep, technical discussions.

1. Mine review sites for pain points: Go to G2, Capterra, etc., and look at reviews for your closest competitors. Filter by 1-star reviews. What do people hate? What features are missing? That's your entry point. Your product is the answer to those frustrations.

Craft irresistible, problem-centric outreach

Your outreach isn't about your product's features; it's about their specific, identifiable pain.

1. Personalize everything:

• Initial cold email/DM: Subject line: "Quick question about [their industry problem X]" or "Idea to solve [pain point at their company]?"
• Body: Directly reference a piece of content they created, a comment they made, or a public company announcement. Lead with: "I noticed you mentioned [pain point] on [platform/post]."
• Example: "Hi [Name], I saw your comment on r/marketing about struggling to automate Google My Business posts. We built [Product] specifically for that – a 5-minute solution. Would you be open to a quick 10-minute demo to see if it saves you half an hour a day?"

1. Offer extreme value upfront:

• Free trial without credit card: Non-negotiable for early stage. Remove all friction.
• Offer free 1:1 onboarding and support: Your early users are your co-founders. Treat them like gold. Offer to personally set up their account, import data, or even build a custom report.
• Unusual guarantees: "If it doesn't save you 2 hours a week in the first month, I'll personally buy you coffee." (Metaphorically, or literally, if you're local!)

1. Leverage your existing network (even if small):

• Personal email: Don't just announce; ask for specific feedback from professional contacts. "I'm building X to solve Y. Do you know anyone who struggles with Y who'd be willing to give me 15 minutes of feedback on an early version?"
• Friends & Family (with caveats): Only ask for intros to people who genuinely fit your ICP. Don't waste their time or your own.

The art of the manual "product hunt"

You don't need a viral launch; you need targeted visibility where your audience already looks for solutions.

1. Direct outreach on platforms like Product Hunt and BetaList (even after launch):

• Don't just post; actively engage. Find product hunters in your niche. Send them thoughtful DMs before launching, asking for feedback on your idea, not just a launch upvote. Build relationships.
• Post-launch strategy: Even if you launched weeks ago, you can still gain traction. Focus on "mini-launches" by sharing specific features or integrations as new products.

1. Answer questions on Quora, Reddit, and Stack Overflow:

• Search for "[Your problem] SaaS" or "Alternatives to [Competitor] for [Pain Point]".
• Provide genuinely helpful, comprehensive answers. Naturally, contextually drop in how your product solves that specific problem, without being overtly promotional. Do this consistently. Two good answers a day for a month will yield more than a single blog post.

1. Guest posting (micro-scale):

• Find small to medium-sized blogs or newsletters in your niche.
• Reach out with a hyper-specific, solved problem title (e.g., "How we cut SaaS churn by 15% using predictive analytics"). Don't plug your product much in the article, but position yourself as an expert. Your product link can be in your bio.

Build a feedback loop (and act on it)

Your first users are your most valuable asset. They'll tell you what works and what's broken.

1. Schedule calls (not just surveys):

• Offer incentives for a quick 15-minute Zoom call. A $25 Amazon gift card for their time is a tiny price for invaluable insight.
• Ask open-ended questions: "What was your biggest hesitation before signing up?" "What's the one thing you need this to do that it doesn't?" "If this disappeared tomorrow, what would you miss most/least?"

1. Monitor usage intensely:

• Set up Mixpanel, PostHog, or a similar analytics tool. Track key activation metrics. Where do users drop off? What features are ignored?
• Reach out directly to users who are active but not fully engaged. "Hey, noticed you tried feature X but didn't complete Y. Anything I can help with?"

1. Iterate visibly and communicate changes:

• Release small, frequent updates based on feedback.
• Email your early users with a "What's New This Week" summary. Show them their input matters. This builds loyalty and turns them into advocates.

Where Lifto fits in

Once you've honed your message and started to dial in your ICP through manual outreach, you need a scalable way to stay top-of-mind. This is where Lifto helps. Instead of just a static launch page, Lifto gives you a dynamic space to showcase your product through short, engaging video reels. It allows you to rapidly test different features, use cases, and messaging with an audience actively seeking new tools, ensuring your product remains discoverable long after the initial launch buzz fades and your manual efforts have yielded initial traction.

FAQ

How to reach out to potential users without being spammy?

Focus on genuine problem-solving. Research their specific pain point from their public activity, then offer your solution as a direct answer to that problem, not a generic sales pitch. Keep it short, personalized, and offer clear value.

What's a realistic timeline to get the first 100 users?

Manually, if you're consistent and your product genuinely solves a problem, anywhere from 1 to 3 months. It's an intensive process, 5-10 targeted outreaches per day, every day. It's not about speed but about learning and connection.

Should I offer my product for free to early users?

Yes, often. Consider offering a free trial, a heavily discounted lifetime deal, or even free access in exchange for comprehensive feedback during the early stages. The insights and testimonials from these users are worth more than early revenue.

My product doesn't have many features yet, is it too early to get users?

No. An early, focused product that solves one major problem exceptionally well is often more attractive to early adopters than a bloated, feature-rich solution with a higher learning curve. Focus on solving that one pain point perfectly.

Takeaway

Stop brainstorming vague marketing strategies. Pick one specific type of user and one specific problem they have. Go find them right now, and offer a real, personalized solution. Your next user is waiting for you to reach out.