Of course. Finding your first users is one of the most critical and challenging phases for any startup. Y Combinator (YC) has a wealth of advice on this, which can be summarized as "Do things that don't scale."

Here is a synthesis of YC's core advice, broken down into a step-by-step guide.

The Core YC Principle: Do Things That Don't Scale

Before you automate, before you build a massive marketing funnel, you need to manually recruit and deeply understand your first users. This means:

• Manually reaching out to people individually (email, DMs, phone calls).


• Going to where they are (online communities, physical locations, conferences).


• Onboarding them yourself and watching them use your product.


• Responding to their feedback instantly and building features they request.

Step 1: Define EXACTLY Who Your First User Is

You can't find users if you don't know who you're looking for. Get specific.

• Bad: "People who want to be more productive."


• Good: "Marketing managers at tech startups with 10-50 employees who spend 5+ hours a week in meetings."


• Even Better: Create a list of 10-50 specific individuals or companies that perfectly fit this description. These are your initial targets.

Step 2: The "Manual User Acquisition" Playbook

This is where you put "doing things that don't scale" into action.

1. Leverage Your Personal Network (The Easiest Win)

• Who to contact: Friends, former colleagues, college classmates, LinkedIn connections.


• What to say: "Hey [Name], I'm building [Your Product] to solve [Specific Problem]. I know you've faced this before. Would you be willing to be one of our first users and give me brutally honest feedback? It should only take 5 minutes."


• Why it works: They already know and (hopefully) trust you. They are more forgiving and more likely to give detailed feedback.

2. Go to Online Communities (The Digital Watering Hole)

• Where to go: Relevant subreddits, Slack/Discord groups, LinkedIn Groups, Twitter/X communities, niche forums (e.g., Indie Hackers, Product Hunt).


• How to do it RIGHT:


• Don't just drop a link. That is spam.


• Do become a genuine member first. Answer questions, provide value.


• Then, when you have a reputation, you can post: "Hey everyone, I've been a member here for a while and I'm building a tool to help with [problem the community often discusses]. I'm looking for 3-5 people to try it for free and tell me if it's complete garbage or not. DM me if you're interested."


• Pro Tip: Search for people complaining about the exact problem you solve. That's your golden ticket. Message them directly: "I saw your post about [problem] and I'm building a solution. Can I give you free access to see if it helps?"

3. The "Collison Launch" (A YC Favorite)

• List your product on every relevant platform on the same day: Product Hunt, Betalist, Hacker News, Reddit startups, etc.


• The goal is to create a massive spike of traffic and sign-ups, giving you a large pool of early users to learn from very quickly.

4. Go Offline (If Applicable)

5. Create Content (The Long Game)

• Start a blog, a Twitter/X account, or a YouTube channel focused on the problem you're solving.


• Answer common questions. Share your journey. This builds authority and attracts people who are already interested in your space.

Step 3: What to Do When You Have Their Attention

Getting a user to sign up is only half the battle. You need to convert them into a happy user.

• The High-Touch Onboarding: For your first 10-20 users, offer to do a 15-minute video call to onboard them personally. Watch them use the product. See where they get confused. This is invaluable.


• The Feedback Loop: After they've used it, ask specific questions:


• "What was the moment you realized this was useful?"


• "What was the most confusing part?"


• "What's the biggest thing missing that would make you use this every day?"


• Build a "Core Group": Create a dedicated Slack channel or email list for your first 10-50 users. Make them feel like insiders and co-creators. Implement their suggestions quickly and give them credit. They will become your evangelists.

What to Avoid

• Don't build a "viral" or "referral" mechanic yet. Your product isn't ready for it, and it won't work without a solid core experience.


• Don't spend money on ads. It's a waste of cash at this stage. You won't know who to target or what message will convert.


• Don't be afraid of a "No." You are searching for the "Heck Yes!" Early on, a "no" is just as valuable as a "yes" because it helps you refine your target profile.

Key YC Quotes to Remember

• "It's better to have 100 users that love you than a million users that just sort of like you." - Michael Seibel. Depth of love is your early indicator.


• "Write code and talk to users." - Paul Graham. This is your only job as a founder at the start.


• "If you can't find a way for your users to pull your product out of your hands, then you need to rethink your product." - Paul Buchheit. Your goal is to build something people need.

Summary: Your Action Plan

• List: Write down 50 specific people/companies that are your ideal first users.


• Reach Out: Manually email or DM them with a personal, low-pressure ask for feedback.


• Observe: Get on a call and watch them use your product. Take notes.


• Iterate: Fix the problems and build the features they request. Do this within days, not weeks.


• Repeat: Go back to step 1 until your first 10 users are actively, happily using your product without you pushing them.