How did you get your first 100, 1k, 10k users?

Question

For us:
0 ==> 100 was very manual. 
- Friends & family
- Userinterviews.com participants: We used screeners to setup user interviews on userinterviews.com and a number of people we interviewed became early users. Also we found a hidden gem, that you can get thousands of answers to survey questions for free when you submit the screeners on userinterviews.com, even if you only plan to interview a few dozen users. Survey platforms like Survey Monkey charge an arm and a leg for the volume of survey answers we essentially got for free.

100 ==> 1k we started leaning into bigger platforms
- Reddit played a big role here. We posted, with permission, on subs like r/CreditCards - communities on Reddit are usually supportive if you follow their rules. 
- We tried working with micro-influencers on TikTok, but learned quickly that the algorithm suppressed views on sponsored posts, so this was a flop. 
- We built out our own social presence on TikTok by posting daily videos about our niche (helping people earn more from their credit cards) https://www.tiktok.com/@joinkudos

1k ==> 10k we did this in 3 months via a combination of PR, referrals, YouTube influencers & remnant newsletter integrations
- We announced our launch on Techcrunch & Axios which was a good momentum event and also helped with social proof
- We launched our referral program over the holidays, which was also a high shopping period
- We worked with YouTube influencers, both niche influencers in the credit card space, and more general influencers with low CPMs  
- We found cheap remnant ad slots in newsletters
- We tested paid ads, but decided to discontinue. Apple's privacy changes make the cost and attribution of FB/IG/TikTok ads untenable for a lot of early stage companies.

As we plan our path to 100k, we plan to lean more heavily on product led growth levers like referrals and built in product incentives that make the product work better with friends e.g. group discounts when you make purchases using Kudos with friends.

We are also finally launching on Product Hunt this Thursday, so hopefully that helps us build some additional momentum https://www.producthunt.com/products/kudos-smart-wallet

Tikue Anazodo · Accepted Answer

@shubham_pratap what market are you targeting? sounds like India? Is this for a specific ride service? Are there existing communities where people talk about the ride service you are targeting? e.g. Reddit?

Amal Abdullaev · Answer

When we first launched our product, our initial focus was on getting feedback and iterating quickly based on that feedback. So, we reached out to our personal networks and asked them to test the product and provide feedback. This helped us to refine the product and make it more appealing to potential users.

Carmela Padasas · Answer

Thanks for sharing Tique!

Shubham Pratap Singh · Answer

@iamtikue no it's not specific to any ride service. Users can add reviews for any drivers or places. Also it can be used out of india as well. 
No currently there is no place for communities, I am still figuring out the right way for brand building and user acquisition.

Shubham Pratap Singh · Answer

Thanks for sharing this and all the best for your launch 💯 I would love to hear your advice on how can I get users for my platform Safe Selection: https://www.safeselection.in Safe Selection is a platform for the safety of women and travelers. It provides user-generated reviews and ratings about cab drivers from other users past experience, so that travelers can make better decisions about their safety and will be able to choose the right cab drivers. The platform also includes ratings and reviews for hotels and other travel services, helping travelers to make informed decisions about where to stay and how to get around.

How did you get your first 100, 1k, 10k users?

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