How to get your first 100 users for a SaaS product

The first 100 users are the hardest, and the most valuable. They tell you what's broken, what's missing and why people really buy. You won't get them from ads; you'll get them by doing things that don't scale.

Start with people you can name

Write down 50 people who have the problem you solve: former colleagues, people in your industry, folks who asked about it online. Message each one personally. Not a launch blast, but a short note: "I built this because of X. Would you try it and tell me what's confusing?" A personal ask converts many times better than any landing page.

Go where your users already talk

Every audience has its places: subreddits, Slack and Discord communities, forums, newsletters, LinkedIn groups. Join a few, read for a while, and help people with their questions. When your product is a genuine answer to someone's problem, mention it, and say you built it. Communities reward helpful members and punish drive-by promotion.

Be easy to find

People actively searching for a tool like yours are the warmest users you'll ever get. Make sure they can find you:

• List in directories. A listing on ZoraHunt is free, reviewed by a person, and keeps bringing visitors who are already comparing options.
• Name your category clearly on your site, so search engines and people understand what you are.
• Publish a comparison page against the tools people already know. Honest comparisons rank well and convert.

Write about the problem, not the product

One genuinely useful article, like a checklist, a template or a teardown, can bring in users for years. Write for the person who has the problem today and doesn't know your product exists.

Partner with complementary tools

Find products your users already use alongside yours. A simple integration, a co-written guide or a mention in each other's newsletter can introduce you to an audience that already trusts the partner.

Make every signup count

Early on, a signup is a conversation waiting to happen:

1. Email new users personally within a day. Ask what they hoped to do.
2. Watch where they get stuck and fix it fast.
3. Tell them when you ship their request. Nothing turns a trial user into a fan faster.
4. Ask happy users for a review on the directories you're listed in.

Measure what matters

At 100 users, revenue matters less than whether people come back. Track how many return in their second week. If that number is growing, the rest follows.

Ready to be found? List your product on ZoraHunt, it takes a couple of minutes.