Ask HN: How did your startup get its first real users?

#1

Post by paulwilsonn » Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 4:25 PM UTC

A lot of startup advice is vague. I’m interested in concrete stories:

How did you actually get your: first 10 users first 50 users first 100 users?

What channels worked? What totally failed?

Any tactics that still work in 2025 despite all the noise?

Please share your experience.

Re: Ask HN: How did your startup get its first real users?

#2

Post by SMAAART » Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 4:38 PM UTC

> A lot of startup advice is vague.

Sure, but in an ocean of quantity you need to know where to look for quality:

1. https://www.startupschool.org/

2. Book: The Lean Startup.

Those 2 resources address everything you need to know and then some, with concrete advice.

> What channels worked?

You have it all wrong.

Re: Ask HN: How did your startup get its first real users?

#3

Post by eastoeast » Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 5:10 PM UTC

I’m documenting my exact process of this here: https://opus.cafe/goal/jj/26#progress-6

Still a lot of learning to go, though

Re: Ask HN: How did your startup get its first real users?

#4

Post by herbst » Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 5:36 PM UTC

I usually don't start anything before I know where to market it. So the first 10 or 100 users are usually day 1 after the first one or two public posts.

That likely doesn't help other than, think about where your customers are