How to Get Your First 100 SaaS Users: A Practical Guide for Early-Stage Founders

You've built your SaaS product. The landing page looks good, the core features work, and you're finally ready to launch.

But there is one problem: nobody is using it.

Getting your first users is one of the biggest challenges for early-stage SaaS founders. You might not have a marketing budget, an established audience, or a network of potential customers. Running paid advertisements may not be practical when you're still validating your idea.

The good news is that you don't need thousands of followers or a large marketing budget to get started.

You need to identify the right audience, find people who experience the problem your product solves, and build relationships with them.

In this guide, we'll cover practical ways to get your first 100 SaaS users, including Reddit marketing, startup directories, cold outreach, communities, content marketing, and product-led growth.

Whether you're building a SaaS as a solo founder, an indie hacker, or a small startup team, these strategies can help you get your product in front of the right people.

1. Define Your Ideal Customer Before Promoting Your SaaS

Before trying to acquire users, understand exactly who needs your product.

One common mistake early-stage founders make is trying to build a product for everyone. A product designed for everyone is often difficult to market because the messaging isn't specific enough.

Instead, identify a narrow audience.

For example:

An AI resume builder could target final-year college students applying for software engineering jobs.
A project management tool could target small remote software teams.
An AI customer support tool could target early-stage e-commerce businesses.
A developer productivity tool could target engineering teams working with specific technologies.

Answer these four questions:

Who experiences the problem you're solving?
How are they currently solving it?
Where do they spend time online?
Why would they switch to your product?

Once you understand your ideal customer, finding your first users becomes much easier.

Action step: Write a one-sentence description of your product that explains the target audience, the problem, and the outcome.

For example: "We help small SaaS teams automate customer support without hiring additional support staff."

This sentence can become the foundation of your landing page, outreach messages, and launch posts.

2. Use Reddit to Find Your First SaaS Users

Reddit can be a valuable channel for early-stage SaaS founders because it contains communities organized around specific interests, professions, industries, and problems.

Instead of waiting for people to discover your website, you can participate in discussions where your potential customers already spend time.

However, the goal should not be to spam links to your product. Your goal should be to understand the audience, contribute useful information, and introduce your product when it is relevant and permitted by the community rules.

How to find relevant Reddit communities

Start by identifying communities related to your product and its target audience.

For example:

r/SaaS for discussions about SaaS businesses.
r/startups for startup-related discussions.
r/Entrepreneur for entrepreneurship and business-building topics.
r/SideProject for independent projects and product launches.
r/indiehackers for independent founders and bootstrapped businesses.

Check each community's current rules before posting. Some communities restrict promotional content, while others allow specific launch or feedback threads.

How to turn Reddit discussions into users

Follow this process:

Step 1: Find relevant discussions. Search for questions, complaints, and conversations related to the problem your product solves.

Step 2: Participate genuinely. Answer questions and provide useful suggestions without immediately promoting your product.

Step 3: Ask for feedback. When appropriate, share your product with people who might benefit from it and invite honest feedback.

Step 4: Learn from objections. Pay attention to what people dislike, what alternatives they use, and what prevents them from adopting a new solution.

Step 5: Improve your product. Use recurring feedback to prioritize improvements that matter to your target audience.

Bonus resource: 200+ Reddit communities for SaaS founders

Finding relevant communities takes time, especially when you're starting from scratch.

We've curated a spreadsheet of 200+ Reddit communities that founders can explore to discover relevant audiences, get product feedback, connect with other builders, and identify potential early users.

Explore the resource: 200+ Reddit Communities for SaaS Founders

Use the list as a starting point. Not every community will be suitable for your product, so prioritize relevance and community rules over the total number of places you post.

3. List Your SaaS on Startup Directories

When you're launching a SaaS product, distribution is just as important as development.

Startup directories and product discovery platforms can help potential customers discover your product. They can also provide opportunities to showcase your startup, explain what you're building, and establish an online presence.

Here are five platforms to explore.

1. Product Hunt

Website: https://www.producthunt.com/

Product Hunt is a product discovery and launch platform. It can help you introduce your product to an audience interested in discovering new tools.

How to use it: Prepare a clear product description, screenshots, a working landing page, and a plan to respond to questions and feedback.

2. AlternativeTo

Website: https://alternativeto.net/

AlternativeTo helps people discover alternatives to existing software. It may be particularly relevant if your product competes with an established tool.

How to use it: Explain which products your SaaS can replace and what makes your approach different.

3. SaaSHub

Website: https://www.saashub.com/

SaaSHub is a software discovery platform that helps users explore software products and alternatives.

How to use it: Create an accurate listing that clearly explains your features, use cases, and target audience.

4. Uneed

Website: https://www.uneed.best/

Uneed is a platform for discovering and launching products, including tools built by independent developers and small teams.

How to use it: Present a concise value proposition, attractive product visuals, and a landing page that makes trying your product straightforward.

5. StartupsMap

Website: https://startupsmap.co.in/

StartupsMap is a startup discovery platform designed to help people discover startups, founders, and the products being built.

For early-stage founders, it offers another place to showcase a startup and make its information accessible to people exploring the startup ecosystem.

You can explore StartupsMap and submit your startup for listing through the platform.

How to use it: Add your website, a clear description, relevant startup details, and links to your public profiles. Keep your listing accurate and up to date.

Do startup directories actually bring users?

They can, but results vary.

A directory listing does not guarantee traffic, sign-ups, or paying customers. The value depends on the platform's audience, the relevance of your listing, competition, and how effectively your landing page converts visitors.

Track referral traffic and sign-ups to understand which platforms are worth your time.

4. Reach Out to Potential Customers Directly

You don't need to wait for organic traffic to start growing.

For many early-stage SaaS products, direct outreach is one of the most practical ways to learn about customers and acquire initial users.

The important part is to contact people who are genuinely likely to benefit from your product.

Where to find potential customers

Depending on your target audience, you can explore:

LinkedIn profiles and professional communities.
Relevant startup and industry directories.
Public company websites and professional contact pages.
Communities where your target customers participate.
Existing networks of colleagues, friends, and industry contacts.

Avoid sending the same generic message to hundreds of people. Personalized outreach is more useful for both customer discovery and relationship-building.

Example cold outreach message

Subject: Quick question about [problem]

Hi [Name],

I noticed that you're working on [relevant role, company, or activity].

I'm building [product name], a tool that helps [target audience] solve [specific problem].

I'm speaking with people who experience this challenge to understand their current workflow and see whether our approach would be useful.

Would you be open to taking a quick look and sharing your feedback?

Here's the website: [your website]

Thanks!

Focus on conversations, not just sign-ups

Your first 100 users should help you understand your market.

Ask early adopters what attracted them to your product, what almost stopped them from trying it, and which features they find most useful.

These conversations can reveal opportunities that analytics alone won't explain.

5. Share Your Product in Founder Communities

Founder communities can help you connect with people who understand the challenges of building and launching a product.

Some members may become users, but even those who don't use your product can provide feedback, share resources, or introduce you to relevant people.

Explore communities on platforms such as:

Indie Hackers: https://www.indiehackers.com/
Hacker News: https://news.ycombinator.com/
Relevant startup subreddits.
LinkedIn founder groups and professional networks.
Developer communities related to your product's technology.

The best approach is to participate consistently instead of appearing only when you want to promote something.

Share your progress, explain what you're learning, discuss mistakes, and ask specific questions.

For example, instead of posting "Try my new SaaS," you could share:

"I built a tool to help small teams automate their reporting workflow. I've been testing it with a few users and discovered that onboarding is the biggest challenge. How do you currently handle this in your team?"

This creates a more useful conversation and gives people a reason to engage.

Always check each community's guidelines before sharing promotional content.

6. Build in Public to Attract Early Adopters

Building in public means sharing your product development journey openly.

You can share progress, challenges, experiments, customer feedback, and lessons learned while building your SaaS.

This approach can help potential users understand your product before they try it.

What should you post?

Consider sharing:

Why you decided to build the product.
A short demonstration of an important feature.
Your first customer feedback.
Product improvements based on user requests.
Experiments that succeeded or failed.
A transparent account of what you're learning about your market.

For example:

"We launched our SaaS to help freelancers automate invoice tracking. After speaking with five early users, we realized that payment reminders mattered more than our original dashboard design. We're rebuilding the onboarding around that insight."

This type of content demonstrates that you're listening to customers and actively improving your product.

Where should you build in public?

Choose platforms based on your audience.

LinkedIn may be useful for B2B products and professional audiences. X can help you connect with founders and developers. Reddit can provide feedback when your participation fits the community rules.

You don't need to publish everywhere. Start with one or two channels where your ideal customers are active.

7. Create Useful Content That Solves Customer Problems

Content marketing can help your SaaS attract people who are already searching for solutions to a problem.

Instead of writing only about your product, create content around the problems your customers experience.

For example, if you build an AI resume tool, potential topics include:

How to improve a resume for software engineering jobs.
How to tailor a resume to a job description.
Common resume mistakes made by fresh graduates.
How to prepare for technical interviews.

If you build a project management SaaS, you could cover workflow automation, project planning, and team collaboration.

Start with search intent

Think about what your target customers would search for before discovering your product.

You can organize your content into three categories:

Problem-aware content: Explain a problem and possible solutions.

Solution-aware content: Compare approaches, tools, or workflows.

Product-focused content: Show how your product solves a specific problem.

Create useful articles, tutorials, templates, and practical resources. Where appropriate, connect readers to relevant product pages.

Content marketing usually takes time, so combine it with direct outreach and community engagement rather than relying on SEO alone during your first few weeks.

8. Offer a Free Trial, Freemium Plan, or Beta Access

Getting someone to visit your website is only one part of customer acquisition. You also need to give them a compelling reason to try your product.

For an early-stage SaaS, consider one of these approaches.

Free trial

Allow users to experience the core value of your product for a limited period.

This can work well when the product's value becomes apparent after users complete a meaningful workflow.

Freemium plan

Offer a useful free tier with optional paid upgrades.

This may work for products where users can experience value without needing every advanced feature.

Private beta

Invite a small group of users to test your product and provide feedback.

This can be especially useful when your product is still evolving and you want to understand user behavior before scaling acquisition.

Whichever model you choose, make the first experience as simple as possible.

Remove unnecessary onboarding steps, explain the next action clearly, and help users reach their first meaningful outcome quickly.

9. Turn Your First Users Into Referrals

Your earliest users can become a valuable source of future customers if they genuinely benefit from your product.

However, referrals rarely happen automatically. Make it easy for satisfied users to recommend your product.

You can:

Ask happy customers to share their experience.
Offer a simple referral program where appropriate.
Create shareable reports, results, or outputs.
Encourage users to invite teammates when collaboration improves the experience.
Ask for honest testimonials after users achieve a meaningful outcome.

Don't focus only on the number of referrals. Focus on why users recommend your product and which customers benefit most.

A small group of highly engaged users can teach you more than a large group of people who sign up but never return.

10. Follow a 30-Day Plan to Get Your First 100 SaaS Users

Instead of trying every marketing channel at once, follow a structured plan.

The numbers below are illustrative activity targets, not guaranteed acquisition results.

Week 1: Validate the problem and prepare your launch

Define your ideal customer.
Speak with potential users about their existing problems.
Improve your landing page and product messaging.
Prepare a demo, onboarding flow, and simple analytics.
Identify 20 to 30 relevant communities, directories, and outreach prospects.

Goal: Establish a clear value proposition and a focused acquisition plan.

Week 2: Start conversations and collect feedback

Reach out to relevant potential customers.
Participate in suitable Reddit and founder communities.
Invite people to try your product.
Record feedback and common objections.
Fix the most important onboarding issues.

Goal: Find your first active users and understand why they try or reject the product.

Week 3: Improve distribution

Submit your SaaS to relevant startup directories.
Share useful content and product updates.
Publish a tutorial addressing a customer problem.
Follow up with interested prospects.
Test different messages to see which attract qualified users.

Goal: Identify the channels that generate genuine interest.

Week 4: Double down on what works

Review traffic, sign-ups, activation, and retention.
Follow up with users who have not completed onboarding.
Ask active users for feedback and referrals.
Improve the product experience based on recurring problems.
Invest more effort in the best-performing acquisition channels.

Goal: Build a repeatable process for acquiring and retaining users.

If you don't reach 100 users in 30 days, that doesn't necessarily mean your strategy failed. Your sales cycle, product category, and target audience may require more time. Use the results to improve your approach rather than chasing sign-up numbers at the expense of product quality.

11. Measure the Metrics That Actually Matter

A growing sign-up count can look impressive, but it doesn't always mean your SaaS is succeeding.

Track these metrics from the beginning.

MetricWhat it tells youWebsite visitorsHow many people discover your productSign-up conversion rateHow effectively your website converts visitorsActivation rateHow many new users reach a meaningful first outcomeRetention rateHow many users continue returningCustomer acquisition costHow much you spend acquiring customersPaid conversion rateHow many users become paying customers

For an early-stage product, activation and retention deserve particular attention.

If people sign up but never use your product, increasing traffic may not solve the underlying problem.

First understand where users drop off, then improve the experience.

12. How StartupsMap Can Help Early-Stage SaaS Founders

Discoverability is an ongoing challenge for new startups. Founders need ways to explain what they're building and help relevant audiences find their products.

StartupsMap is a platform for discovering startups, founders, and emerging products.

If you're building a SaaS, you can explore StartupsMap and submit your startup for listing.

A useful startup listing should include:

Your startup's name and website.
A clear explanation of the problem you solve.
Your product category or industry.
Relevant founder and company information.
Links to your public profiles and product pages.

Keep your information accurate and make the value of your product easy to understand.

A startup directory should be one part of your distribution strategy, not your entire marketing strategy. Combine discoverability with customer conversations, relevant communities, useful content, and a product that keeps users coming back.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I get my first 100 SaaS users?

Start by defining your ideal customer and identifying where they spend time online. Use targeted outreach, relevant Reddit communities, startup directories, founder networks, and useful content to introduce your product. Measure activation and retention as well as sign-ups, then focus on the channels that bring engaged users.

2. How can I get SaaS users without spending money?

You can start with organic channels such as community participation, personalized outreach, building in public, SEO content, and free startup directories. These methods require time and consistent effort, and some platforms may charge for particular features or promotional placements.

3. Is Reddit good for SaaS marketing?

Reddit can be useful for customer discovery, feedback, and reaching niche audiences. Results depend on whether your target customers participate in relevant communities and whether your contributions are helpful. Always follow each subreddit's promotional rules.

4. Where can I list my SaaS for free?

You can explore platforms such as Product Hunt, AlternativeTo, SaaSHub, Uneed, and StartupsMap. Check each platform's current submission requirements, eligibility, and pricing before submitting your product.

5. How long does it take to get the first 100 SaaS users?

There is no universal timeline. A product with a clear niche, strong customer demand, and an existing distribution channel may acquire users quickly. Other products need months of experimentation, customer interviews, and product improvements. Focus on finding the right users rather than hitting an arbitrary deadline.

6. Should I focus on marketing or product development first?

You need both, but early on, customer conversations should inform product development. Start marketing and validating demand before your product is perfect. Use feedback to improve the core experience, then scale the channels that consistently bring suitable users.

7. Can startup directories help a new SaaS get customers?

Startup directories can provide additional opportunities for discovery and referral traffic. However, listing your product does not guarantee customers. Evaluate each directory based on the relevance of its audience and the actual traffic, sign-ups, and customers it generates.

8. What is the best way to get early feedback on a SaaS?

Talk directly to people who experience the problem your product solves. Invite them to try the product, observe where they struggle, and ask specific questions about their workflow. Reddit communities and relevant founder groups can also be useful when participation is appropriate.

Final Thoughts

Getting your first 100 SaaS users is not about finding one secret growth hack. It's about understanding your customers, showing up where they already spend time, and making your product valuable enough for them to keep using it.

Start small. Have real conversations. Test a few acquisition channels. Learn from every interaction and improve your product based on what users actually need.

If you're building a SaaS and want another place to showcase what you're creating, explore StartupsMap.

Building something new? Discover startups, share your product, and keep learning from other founders.