Here's how I went from 0 to 10,000 registered users very quickly. :D

Hey everyone.
I'm Aron.

We created a simple site at www.validatorai.com and we have over 10,000 registered users in a matter of a couple of weeks. Averaging 500+ new users every day. Zero paid ads. The site helps people with their startup ideas.

Here's the secret that has worked for me, more than once:

Create a free tool.

A free tool will bring in masses of users/customers if done correctly. I started doing this 10+ years ago. The first free tool I owned was a website traffic estimator - it was the very first site to estimate web traffic. It was used by tens of thousands of people. I eventually sold the startup to a company that monetized the user base and added additional services.

It doesn't have to be sexy either (the tool).

It needs:

1. to be free
2. to be simple to use (i.e. a search box with a user entry)
3. a hint of virality where people want to share what they learned and found out
4. the ability to show what others have searched/learned so people come back often
5. to be easy to share on social media
6. user registration so you can reach out to them later with a paid product or additional services

Then, tell people what you are up to on social media and your immediate network. Get feedback but you’ll also get users - ask for feedback. Don’t sell. You are providing value to these users, for FREE, so they should be willing to give you quick feedback on how you can solve their problems. Once you've made a free tool, then you have something to talk about on Reddit, Facebook Groups, Twitter, Forums, Product Hunt, Beta List etc. -- you can start the conversation about the industry, problems people are facing and how to solve them. You'll be able to establish yourself as a key voice in the space and then work on solutions to problems.

What is listed above is key -- if you want to build a startup, you need to be a problem solver. Take user feedback and build what they want. AND, the easiest way to get this feedback is to build a quick tool for potential customers to use, because this gives them value. It's much more difficult to be a key voice and talk about solutions and problems just out of the blue. Giving value first opens the door to these conversations.

Check out our quick AI tool at www.validatorai.com
And, follow along there to see what we do next to solve problems for startup founders. Since we have this tool, we can now talk about problems and solutions and NOW build what we had in mind in the first place.

Thanks everyone!
Any questions?
Ask below.