Finding First Users Without Ads

One of the toughest parts of building something new isn’t coding the MVP, it’s getting the first 10, 50, or 100 people to actually use it.

I’ve been chatting with other founders and this keeps coming up:

“How do I find users without throwing money at ads?”

I’ve been there. Launching without an audience feels like shouting into the void. But I’ve seen some things work again and again:

Start in small communities.
Don’t try to “go viral” from day one. Find 1-2 niche groups (forums, Discords, subreddits) where your ideal users hang out. Be genuinely useful there before you ever mention your product.

Show work in public.
Tweet a thread, share updates on Indie Hackers, or post on LinkedIn. Building in public attracts people who care about the problem you’re solving. Sometimes your first users are just folks curious about your journey.

Offer something lightweight.
Not everyone will jump into a full product. Sometimes a free tool, a checklist, or even a simple Notion template can open the door to conversations.

Ask for conversations, not sign-ups.
“Can I get 15 minutes of your thoughts?” works far better than “Please sign up.” Early users want to be heard more than they want polished features.

Don’t ignore referrals.
Your first 5 users can lead to 10 more if you simply ask, “Do you know one other person who’d benefit from this?”

Finding first users is messy, but the common thread I’ve noticed: it’s more about talking to people than “marketing.”

I’m curious, for those of you who’ve launched before:
How did you get your first users? Was it friends, communities, cold outreach, or something else?