Your first 10 customers without ads

Your first ten customers are different from your next thousand. You won't find them through clever funnels. You'll find them one conversation at a time — and that's a feature, because those conversations teach you what to build next.

Start with people you can already reach

Make a list of everyone who matches your ideal customer, or knows someone who does: former colleagues, community groups you belong to, people you've helped before. Send a short, personal note explaining what you've made and who it's for. Ask for feedback or an introduction, not a sale.

Show up where your customers already gather

Find two or three communities where your people ask questions. Spend a couple of weeks being genuinely helpful before mentioning your offer. Answer questions in full. When someone's problem is exactly what your offer solves, it's natural to mention it — and follow each community's rules about promotion.

Give away something useful

A free checklist, a short guide or a sample lesson lets people experience your thinking with no risk. Ask for an email in return so you can follow up. A small, useful freebie often outperforms a long sales page.

Offer a founding-customer deal

Early buyers take a risk on you. Recognise it with something genuine: a lower price for the first group, extra personal help, or a say in what you build next. Be clear about why it's special and when it ends — and don't invent scarcity that isn't real.

Ask every customer two questions

1. "What almost stopped you from buying?" — this tells you what to fix on your page.
2. "Who else do you know with this problem?" — this is how your next customers find you.

Keep a simple log

Track who you contacted, where, what they said and what happened. After a few weeks, patterns appear: which channels bring interested people, which messages get replies, which objections come up again. Double down on what works and drop the rest.