You built the thing. Nobody has seen it. That is the real problem with most AI products.
I used to be a domain reseller and blogger, so I know the feeling of hitting publish and hearing nothing. The product was fine. Nobody knew it existed.
Here is how to get your first 10 customers without an ad budget.
Free stuff to grab first
- The open source AI Employees. Eight roles, all MIT licensed, free to hire on every plan including Free. A Social Media Employee, a Sales Employee, an SEO/AEO Employee and five more. Handy for drafting launch posts and outreach. Grab the AI Employees
- Product Hunt. The launch guide says it is "100% free to use." You submit from your personal account, since company accounts are not allowed. Product Hunt launch guide
- Show HN. Free, and it has rules. Your thing has to be something people can try. Landing pages and sign-up pages do not qualify. Show HN rules
- BetaList. A directory for early-stage startups. The page shows a "Submit startup" button but does not state a price, so check before you commit. BetaList
I only link what I opened today.
Customers 1 to 3: people you already know
Skip the launch. Message people who have the problem.
- Pick 20 people who would plausibly use it
- Send a short note. What it does, one link, one question
- Offer to set it up for them. Do the first run yourself
Three yeses is a win. You are not scaling. You are learning what they say back.
Customers 4 to 7: communities, by the rules
Post where builders hang out. Follow the rules or get removed.
Product Hunt says: don't ask people to upvote. Ask them to visit and comment. Show HN says the same, and it excludes "requests for friends to upvote or comment."
If your plan needs a vote ring, your plan is the problem.
Product Hunt also says to launch when you are ready, not on a magic day. Believe it.
Customers 8 to 10: let other founders push you
This is where I built something.
Favors.dev is a marketing co-op for founders. You do small tasks for other founders, like a testimonial, a share or feedback. You earn points. You spend points to get help with your own launch.
What the live site says:
- Joining is free. No card required.
- 250 starter points: 50 on signup, 200 after your first favor.
- Points are earned, never bought.
- Nothing mints until the work is verified. Fraudulent points get clawed back.
- Rallies. Bundle launch-day shares, feedback rounds and testimonials into one request.
- A public project page with a backlink. Paste your URL and the AI writes the listing.
Examples of what favors are worth: an upvote is +5, a review +50, a testimonial +500, a featured article up to 2,500.
It is the tool I wished I had when I was the one posting into silence.
The 10-customer checklist
- Message 20 people you know
- Set up the first three by hand
- Submit to one directory
- Post one honest Show HN if it is truly try-able
- Join Favors.dev and trade for launch-day help
Start with number one today.
If you build with AI agents, come hang out in the Vibe Coding is Life community on Skool. Drop your project in there.
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