How to Get Your First Users as an Indie Developer
Getting your first users is often harder than building the product itself. The good news: you don’t need ads or a big following, just a few consistent, authentic actions.
1. Launch in the right communities
Share your app in communities where people actually need it: Reddit, Indie Hackers, Discord servers, or niche subreddits. Don’t just drop a link. Explain the problem you’re solving and ask for feedback.
2. Build in public
Share your progress on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn. People love following product journeys, and it helps you find early users who care about your success.
3. Offer early-access rewards
Give early users something special, like free lifetime credits, feature input, or visibility on your site. It creates buy-in and word of mouth.
💡 Tip: Your first 10 users matter more than your first 1,000. Treat them like co-founders.