How to get your first 100 customers

The first hundred customers are won differently from the next thousand. You do it by hand, and you learn from each one.

1. Start with people you can reach directly

Friends of friends, past colleagues, communities where your audience gathers, local groups and your existing contacts. A direct message that is specific and honest often beats an ad.

2. Do things that do not scale

Call early customers. Offer a personal onboarding. Ask what almost stopped them from buying. This is how you find what matters.

3. Ask for reviews and referrals

Early customers who are happy are your best marketing. Make it easy for them to leave a review or introduce someone.

4. Go where your audience already is

Find the forums, groups, newsletters, events and search terms your customers use, and show up usefully, not with a pitch.

5. Test one paid channel

When you know who buys and why, run a small paid test with a fixed budget and track every lead and customer.

6. Write down what works

Record where each customer came from and what they said. Repeat what works and drop the rest.

7. Fix the experience

Make sure your site, pricing and sign-up are simple. Every extra step loses people.