How to Find Your First Users Without a Personal Brand?

The key is to ship your product quickly to a niche community. Look for Reddit subs or Discord servers where your target users are already chatting about their pain points. Offer real value and ask for feedback to iterate on your product. Don't worry about building a personal brand right away—focus on validating demand first.

I've seen the best results when a product addresses a specific and frustrating problem for a narrow audience. Engage in places where these discussions happen, not to pitch but to understand their language and issues. This way, when your solution fits, a simple post about how you built something in response to their complaints can convert viewers into users without you having to be a public personality.

Submitting your product on platforms like Product Hunt can also be an effective strategy to gain visibility and attract initial users from an engaged community.

Focusing on providing value rather than just trying to get seen is essential. Start with a small group who genuinely need your SaaS, have direct conversations to glean their needs, and gather their feedback. You might also consider teaming up with someone who already has access to your target audience, offering them a trial in exchange for feedback. It doesn’t require a huge following, just focusing on a handful of enthusiastic users.

If I were starting from scratch, my approach would be to identify a specific group that's already experiencing the problem your SaaS solves. Engage with them in small forums, niche communities, or Discord groups where they seek help. Real conversations often lead to early users rather than flashy launches. Additionally, keep your website easy to navigate with a straightforward landing page that allows for lead capture. It's less about scaling initially and more about learning fast and addressing real needs.