how do you build a 1000-person waitlist for a product launch?

asking for a friend. (ok, it’s me. i’m the friend.) i’m launching a product waitlist very soon. it’s an ai-powered tool that’s going to save people hours of grunt work every week. and i want to build a killer waitlist before the big reveal. like, 1,000 people kind of killer. why? because a solid waitlist means: → instant momentum when we go live. → a direct line to the people who actually care about what we’re building. → early feedback that keeps us from wasting time building the wrong thing. so here’s my question: what’s the best way to hit 1,000? what’s worked for you? email campaigns? giveaways? smoke signals? some ideas i’m considering: → running a referral campaign (hello, word-of-mouth). → launching a “first 100 get a bonus” offer. → writing content so good, it makes people drop their email immediately. but i know the product hunt community is full of people who’ve already done this (or wish they had). what’s your secret sauce for building hype before the launch button gets clicked? drop your wisdom below. 🙌 p.s. if you’re curious about the tool, hit me up. I’d love to share a sneak peek!