How to Get the First 100 Users for Your App
Zero users after you launched your app? Pick who has the problem worst, find where they hang out, and talk to ten of them this week.
On this page
You launched your app, the dashboard says zero, and your answer to "who's it for?" is "everyone". So nobody feels it's for them.
Every week at zero, people who need a tool like yours pick something else, and you keep building on guesses.
Book a free 15-min audit.
Pick a time →For: founders with fewer than ten real users.
Copy this prompt
Works in Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor or any agent. Asks before paid tools, sends nothing.
Help me get my first users. My website: [your website]. Read it first. Then pick the one group of people who have the problem I solve worst (role plus situation) and tell me why. Write search strings for Reddit, X, LinkedIn and online communities which find people asking for this right now, like "anyone know a tool for", "alternatives to" and "how do you handle", then run them and show me the best posts from the last 30 days. Then read https://www.ekoslabs.com/skills/buying-signal-scan.md and use it to list 10 people or companies (with the role to contact) that have a recent public signal of this problem, each with the date and source link. Draft a short DM for each one which mentions their exact post or signal and asks them to try it and give feedback. Ask before using any paid API. Send nothing, show me everything first.
By Eshaan Kansal, founder of Ekos Labs in Germany: 35M+ organic views, a startup taken to 5000 users ($6 back per $1 on Meta), first agency client at 18 from 200 cold calls.
Everyone started with a few
Facebook opened at Harvard only, then school by school. Airbnb's founders met early New York hosts and helped with their listings and photos. Start with a group small enough to talk to.
01Who to pick
Skip the six-week ICP project (ICP = your exact type of customer). Pick one group today: who has it worst.
They hit the problem:
- Often: weekly, not yearly
- Personally: their own time, money or nerves
- With a workaround: a spreadsheet, hack or tool they hate
Role plus situation: not "freelancers" but "freelance designers chasing late invoices".
Can't name ten of them, or ten places they post? Go narrower: How to Create Your ICP for Your Startup.
Do this today: pick your group
| Group (role + situation) | Hits it every week? (Y/N) | Costs them personally? (Y/N) | Workaround today | Can you name 10? (Y/N) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Write three groups, each a role plus a situation
- Pick the one with the most Y's
- Draft a homepage headline for that group
02Where they are
Search the problem the way they'd say it, not the way your homepage does.
Google, or Reddit without site:.
site:reddit.com "anyone know a tool for" [problem]
site:reddit.com "alternatives to" [competitor]
site:reddit.com "how do you handle" [problem]
site:reddit.com "is there an app" [problem]Search, then Latest.
"anyone know a tool" [problem]
"looking for a tool" [problem]
"[competitor] alternative"
"how do you all" [problem]Posts, sorted by Latest.
"any recommendations" [problem]
"how do you handle" [problem]
"struggling with" [problem]Slack, Discord, Facebook groups, Indie Hackers, niche forums.
recommend [problem]
struggling with [problem]
anyone else [problem]A good find: last 30 days, their own words, a question. Keep the two places that work.
Do this today: run the searches
| Search string | Where | Posts found (last 30 days) | Best post link |
|---|---|---|---|
- Run eight searches across Reddit, X, LinkedIn and one community
- Save matching posts, circle the two best places
03The first ten
No launch post, no ad. Ten real conversations about their actual post.
Best, because they asked. Help first.
[One real tip which answers their question.] I'm also building a small tool for exactly this, it [one line on what it does]. Happy to send it if you want to try it, free.Found via a post or signal (a public sign they need you now).
Hey [name], saw your post about [their exact words]. I built [app] for [your group] who deal with this. Would you try it and tell me what's broken? Takes 5 minutes, and I'll fix what you find.They're building too.
Hey [name], fellow founder here. Saw you're dealing with [problem] at [company]. I launched [app] for exactly this and I'm looking for ten people to use it properly and be brutally honest. Want in?Thank you, here's the link: [link]. Two things would help me most: what confused you in the first five minutes, and what you expected it to do which it didn't. Can I check in on [day] for 10 minutes?Check in, fix one thing they hit, tell them.
Rules: under 60 words, their post first, ask for feedback not money, no link unless asked.
From 10 to 100
- Repeat weekly: ten a week is 100 in ten weeks
- Ask for referrals: one intro beats ten cold DMs
- Build in public: post what you learned
- Fix the homepage: use your first ten's words
- Add a "made with" link: every Lovable app links back to Lovable
Do this today: the ten tracker
| # | Name | Where you found them | Their post (link) | Sent | Replied | Using it | Referred someone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||
| 2 | |||||||
| 3 |
- Send five messages today, five tomorrow
- Book a 10-minute check-in with every yes
- Every Friday, count replies, users and referrals, then search again
04The skill
Searching by hand misses half the signals. buying-signal-scan is an Ekos skill for your own agent, built by one of the best GTM companies.
- In: your group or target companies
- Checks: hiring for the role owning the problem, funding, tool changes, new leaders
- Out: who to reach this week, date, source link, a one-line reason and a non-creepy opener
It shows when to reach out, not whether they'll buy. Best for B2B (selling to businesses); for consumer apps, use the searches in 02.
buying-signal-scan.mdAn Ekos skill. Made in Germany.
ekoslabs.com.mdDo this today: run the scan
- Paste the prompt at the top with your website and group from 01
- Delete names that don't fit
- Rewrite the drafts in your words and send them yourself
05Reach them by founder type
One DM won't fit every founder. Rewrite each in your words.
Where: X build-in-public posts, LinkedIn, Indie Hackers, Product Hunt comments, Slack, Discord.
"building in public" [problem]
"just launched" [your category]
"we're struggling with" [problem]Wants: traction this quarter. Save them time.
Hey [name], saw your post about [their exact words]. I built [app] for founders who deal with exactly this. Would you try it for 5 minutes and tell me what's broken? If it saves you time this week, keep it, free.Quick one: I fixed [one thing] since I messaged, based on what another founder said. Still happy to set you up, takes 5 minutes. If now's bad, tell me when.Now an operator, advisor, angel or in a big company. Has scars and a network.
Where: LinkedIn, accelerator and startup program mentor lists.
"ex-founder" [industry]
"former founder" [problem]
"angel investor" [your category]Wants: to tell their story, not be sold to.
Hey [name], you built [their company] and dealt with [problem] back then. I'm building [app] for exactly that. Could I ask how you solved it at the time? And if you have 5 minutes, I'd love your honest take on the first version.Thanks again for reading. One more ask: do you know one or two founders dealing with [problem] right now who'd want to try it free? Happy to share what I learn with you.Builds in public on Instagram, X, YouTube or TikTok. Reads DMs in batches.
Where: their posts. Search Instagram and TikTok, X by Latest, YouTube build-video comments.
"day [number] of building" [your category]
"how I" [problem]
"my stack" [your category]Wants: their audience and next post. Give first.
Hey [name], your post on [specific post] was the clearest take on [problem] I've seen. I built [app] for people like your audience. Want free access to try it on camera or off, no strings? If it's useful, I'd love to hear what you'd change.One more thing: under your [post], people kept asking about [question]. [app] answers that in [one line], could make a good post. No reply needed, the access stays open.Pick who has it worst, find where they ask for help, talk to ten this week. From zero, ten is infinite growth.
What's next
Want your first users found for you? That's what we do.
Get leads →Rather do it yourself? Skills built by one of the best GTM companies. Made in Germany.
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A name found today beats the same name in four weeks.
Book 15 minutes and we'll pick your group and first ten together. I only take a few calls a week.
