Where to Get Your First 100 Users for Your Startup (8 Channels That Work)

Short answer: the fastest way to get your first 100 users is to list your product where people already browse for new products, then talk to the people who match your problem one at a time. Do both in your first two weeks.

I am Pranesh, and I build StartupWiki. StartupWiki has a weekly launch board for newly shipped products, ranked by community upvotes with a decaying boost for recent launches, plus a public research directory of startup profiles. Weigh that when you read the list below, I picked these channels by how well they work for a product with no audience.

Where can you get your first 100 users?

Here are eight channels, in the order I would try them.

1. Launch boards. Sites where visitors browse new products and vote. You get a page for your product and a burst of attention.
2. One-to-one outreach. Message people who have the problem you solve and ask for feedback.
3. Communities. Subreddits, Slack and Discord groups, and forums where your customers already talk.
4. Your own writing. Short posts that answer the question your product answers.
5. Product directories. Listings that people find later through search.
6. Newsletters in your niche. Many accept a short product mention.
7. Friends of friends. Ask every early user for one introduction.
8. Build in public. Share progress on X or LinkedIn so people can follow along.

Why start with a launch board?

A launch board gives strangers a reason to visit this week. The visitors are already looking for new tools, so they are more forgiving of rough edges and more likely to leave feedback.

StartupWiki's launch board works like this: a submission verifies a "Featured on StartupWiki" badge on your product's site, gets its own page, and stays on the board ranked by community upvotes, with a decaying boost for the most recent launches. Verification is about the badge, not an editor's approval. Your page does not disappear after a week, so the listing keeps working after launch day. Outbound "Visit site" links on the board are nofollow, so treat it as a source of visitors and a public page, not a backlink tactic. You can see how it works at StartupWiki's launch board.

Other boards work on similar lines, so check the rules of each one before you submit.

How do you do one-to-one outreach?

This is the channel that finds your first ten to twenty users.

1. Write down who has the problem. Be specific: "freelance designers who invoice by hand" beats "creatives."
2. Find ten of them in a community or on social media.
3. Send a short message. Say what you built, ask one question, and offer to help them set it up.
4. Reply fast, while the conversation is still fresh.
5. Ask each user who else should see it.

Do not send the same text to everyone. People can tell.

How do you use communities without being spammy?

1. Join before you post. Read the rules and watch for a week.
2. Answer questions first. Mention your product only when it solves what someone asked.
3. Say it is yours. People forgive a founder, they do not forgive a hidden plug.
4. Share what you learned, not only what you built.

Which channel should you pick first?

• A software tool for developers: launch boards, then developer communities.
• A consumer app: communities and friends of friends, then a launch board.
• A service business: outreach and niche newsletters, then directories.
• A content or research product: your own writing and newsletters, plus a board listing for a first wave of readers.

How do you know it is working?

Add a tag to each link you share, for example a simple source parameter. After two weeks, count visits and sign-ups per channel and do more of what worked. A channel that sends ten people who stay beats one that sends a hundred who leave.

What mistakes slow people down?

1. Waiting until the product is perfect. Launch when it solves one problem.
2. Posting everywhere in one day with the same text.
3. Ignoring feedback in the first replies.
4. Chasing votes instead of users. A few real users who write back are worth more than a high rank.
5. Paying for ads before you know who your user is.

FAQ

How do I get my first 100 users with no audience?

List your product on a launch board, message people who have the problem one at a time, and join communities where they already talk.

How long does it take to get 100 users?

It depends on your market and how much outreach you do. Plan for weeks, not days, and measure each channel as you go.

Is a launch board worth it for a new product?

Yes, if your product is new and you want feedback quickly. It costs time, and the visitors are people who like trying new tools.

What is StartupWiki's launch board?

It is a weekly launch board for newly shipped products. Listings are ranked by community upvotes with a decaying boost for recent launches, and each launch gets its own page.

Should I pay for promotion?

Not at first. Learn who your users are from free channels, then decide.