I had zero problems acquiring first 1K customers for my product. Just spammed some relevant forums. Actually I got way more then 1K this way. Problem was that said amount was not making it worth for me. And acquiring more presented a challenge. Basically lacking external investment to increase market share by whatever means I put that particular product on a diet (invest few hours here and there). Since then it brings me small but steady income without investing much. As I have other products and also create those for other companies I am ok and happy with what I got for my efforts. But if I had to live from that single product it would not be a comfy life to say it mildly
How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
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Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#32What about the PayPal way? They took a certain amount of VC money and used it to buy and sell on EBay and demand to pay/sell using only PayPal. It basically acted as a parasite on EBay until they reached critical mass. I call it "gamification of established platform". Diabolical but effective. PayPal's company mascot should be the Sea Lamprey.
I believe the primary way they succeeded was giving away money. When you signed up they'd give you $10. Later it was reduced to $5. You could also get that amount by signing up friends
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#33What about the PayPal way? They took a certain amount of VC money and used it to buy and sell on EBay and demand to pay/sell using only PayPal. It basically acted as a parasite on EBay until they reached critical mass. I call it "gamification of established platform". Diabolical but effective. PayPal's company mascot should be the Sea Lamprey.
See also: Airbnb and Craigslist.
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#34I bet the companies using inventive ways to get their first users like the ones listed in the article are in the minority (but certainly make for more interesting stories to read/write about). I launched a SaaS product recently, and after a pretty successful HN launch, I've been trying different ways of marketing. What I learned, and this may be obvious to many, is that the boring path of getting users by gamifying S…
I've come across a few other startups that got started this way, but from this research it was interesting to see that wasn't big for any of the biggest consumer apps.
Since you've got a SaaS product, (hopefully) you'll be happy to hear I'm doing a follow-up looking at how the fastest growing SaaS companies got started.
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#35I used to do that Apple store trick with reddit.
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Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#36Surprised the Reddit 'solution' to this (fake accounts and activity until real people decide to join) isn't on the list. Fake it til you make it is definitely a strategy that a fair few successful products, services and communities used to kick things off.
That's not a strategy to get new users though. It makes a social site more appealing to new users, but it doesn't attract them. Reddit used the "tell your friends" method first, and then "have PG blog about us", which really accelerated their growth, and falls under "Leverage Influencers".
Thanks jedberg <3
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#37I used to do that Apple store trick with reddit.
That's amazing
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#38> Get Press Always wondered about this - do I just email an news outlet and tell them "my story" and see if they roll with it? I'm starting to advertise my business around with the idea of growing a userbase before the official release. Ironically enough mentioning a link to it on my previous HN comment lead to more visitors than either of the Facebook or Reddit ads that I put up. With that said, if you're into 3D pr…
Press release with a story attached will get picked up on the newswire.
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#39> Get Press Always wondered about this - do I just email an news outlet and tell them "my story" and see if they roll with it? I'm starting to advertise my business around with the idea of growing a userbase before the official release. Ironically enough mentioning a link to it on my previous HN comment lead to more visitors than either of the Facebook or Reddit ads that I put up. With that said, if you're into 3D pr…
Yes, absolutely. Do your homework and find a reporter/ blogger that, based on past reporting, you think would be interested in your company.
Email them and keep it short, make it timely (what have you accomplished recently, how is it relevant to a current event or trend) and offer to provide other pieces of the story (e.g. do you have a customer or investor who’d be willing to speak to the reporter? Do you have photos, graphics, data you could send the reporter). Offer to jump on a call and speak on the record.
One mistake I’ve seen founders make is they treat the reporters as a marketing channel. I.e they want the reporter to help them “get the word out.” That is not a reporters job. Their job is to bring their readers timely, interesting and novel stories, so your goal is to help the reporter accomplish that.
Re: How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1k users
#40What's that first app in Create FOMO, the logo with the Bill Murray lookalike's face? Honest question, not trolling.
Clubhouse, apparently? Which is some kind of faddish social networking app that will never be heard from again after they run out of their current round of funding, I assume? https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-clubhouse-why-does-silic...
I thought it was weird to feature Clubhouse when the app launched fairly recently. Feels like this article is a way to market them?