Ask HN: Founders, what was the major sourcing channel for your first 100 users?

Hacker News Discussion ↗

Main acquisition channels reported

  • Niche communities: Facebook groups, Reddit subs, LinkedIn networks, meetups, industry events, and personal networks were repeatedly cited as core early sources.
  • Hacker News: Several founders got their first significant wave from Show HN or organic mentions; others used it mainly for visibility and feedback.
  • Ads: Google, LinkedIn, Capterra, Microsoft Ads, Instagram, and Meta Ads drove early traffic/email signups and paying users for some.

Paid ads and targeting

  • Advocates claim “marketing to buyers” via targeted ads beats broad blasts on Product Hunt, HN, Reddit, etc., which often bring “tire‑kickers.”
  • Others note constraints: early bootstrapped teams may lack budget and can easily waste money due to ad platform defaults and poor keyword control.
  • Some shifted from Google to more targeted platforms (LinkedIn, Capterra) after attracting the wrong users.

Cold outreach and spam debate

  • Cold email and DMs (often fueled by tools like Apollo or homegrown bots) were effective for B2B and even led to new products around outbound.
  • Strong disagreement on ethics: some label all unsolicited outreach as spam; others distinguish low‑effort bulk spam from researched, targeted outreach with easy opt‑out.

Reddit, HN, and social platforms

  • Reddit works well for niche products when founders are genuine community members; many subs are hostile to blatant self‑promotion or non‑FOSS products.
  • HN is seen as better for accepting paid/closed‑source posts but more for feedback and initial attention than long‑term customers.
  • Building in public on X/Twitter and using Instagram DMs/ads brought momentum for some; LinkedIn worked when paired with thoughtful problem‑oriented posts.

SEO, content, and email lists

  • SEO and content marketing (technical blog posts, tutorials, niche keyword focus) produced compounding traffic and users.
  • Email lists and newsletters from earlier products became a powerful channel; once built, they lowered the cost of launching new products.

Product, pricing, and ICP insights

  • Knowing the ideal customer profile is emphasized as essential; starting with no ICP is called impractical.
  • Low price points make outbound sales uneconomical; inbound/viral and SEO are preferred.
  • Freemium can work if limits are tuned; waitlists and early‑adopter traffic are seen as noisy signals for true willingness to pay.