Blog / launch
How to get your first users for a side project
Your first ten users matter more than your first thousand. They tell you whether the project is any good, and they come from effort, not advertising.
Start with people who have the problem
Who would use this tomorrow? Find where they already talk: a community, a forum, a group chat. Join as a member first, not as an advertiser.
Ask directly
Send a short, personal message: what it does, why you thought of them, and one request. “Would you try it for five minutes and tell me what is confusing?”
Show the build
People follow a project they have watched grow. A public log gives them a reason to care before you ask for anything, and a reason to come back.
Make trying it easy
- No sign-up wall before the first useful moment.
- A clear first step.
- A way to tell you what went wrong.
Learn from every user
Ask what they were trying to do and what got in the way. Fix the thing that trips up the most people and say so in your log.
Be patient
Growth is rarely a spike. It is usually a slow climb made of people telling one other person.
Keep your own build log
Write numbered entries, follow other builders, and let people watch your idea become real.
Join vibFolioIn vibFolio
- Follow the builder, or only the project
- A public build log for everything you make with AI
- Some projects have an empty seat