# A Practical Guide to Get Your First 100 Users for $0

> A zero-budget marketing playbook for acquiring early SaaS users

This framework outlines actionable, cost-free tactics to acquire the first 100 users for a new software product. Originally shared on r/SaaS, it breaks down early distribution into directory launches, building in public, active social listening, and high-intent SEO content. It offers a structured approach for solo founders and technical creators without marketing budgets.

## The framework

Playbook to get your first 100 users without a marketing budget:

Launch everywhere, launch often: Launch on Fazier; Post on Betalist; Launch on Peerlist; Share in "Show HN" on Hacker News; Launch on Uneed; Share in "Products" on Indie Hackers; Showcase on r/SideProject; Submit to Product Hunt; Launch on Microlaunch.

Build in public on X/LinkedIn: Show what you're building with videos and screenshots; Post product updates; Ask for feedback on specific features; Share testimonials and case studies; Celebrate your wins; Follow 5-10 top accounts in your niche and engage with their posts.

Join online conversations: Scan X, LinkedIn and Reddit for relevant conversations; Track competitor mentions; Track keywords related to the problem you solve; Look for mentions of specific features; Get alerts for your product's category; Contribute meaningfully, share your product and disclose your affiliation.

Start with early-stage SEO: Write \[competitor\] alternative pages; Publish feature pages; Write \[competitor\] pricing pages; Create templates/examples galleries; Turn your FAQs into blog posts; Write \[competitor\] coupon/discount code pages.

## What it is for

- Plan a multi-platform distribution sequence for a new SaaS launch
- Identify free startup directories and developer communities to submit to
- Set up keyword tracking on social platforms to engage potential early adopters
- Create targeted comparison and alternative pages to capture initial search traffic

## Key points

- Launch checklist covering platforms like Hacker News, Product Hunt, Uneed, Fazier, and Betalist
- Build-in-public social strategies focusing on video updates, feedback requests, and niche networking
- Conversation-monitoring techniques to find high-intent mentions across X, LinkedIn, and Reddit
- Early SEO roadmap focusing on competitor alternative pages, pricing breakdowns, and template galleries

## Pricing

Free

## Details

- Type: Framework
- Category: [Marketing & Sales](https://xiry.app/topics/marketing-sales.md)
- Open source: no
- Platforms: Web
- For: Solo founders, indie hackers, and technical creators launching new software
- Tags: saas, bootstrapping, growth, launch, marketing, indie hackers

## Why it was saved

- [@natiakourdadze, 20 July 2025](https://x.com/natiakourdadze/status/1946974383546782152): Concrete launch channels and tactics an engineer can execute without a marketing budget

## Related

- [How to promote your MVP on Reddit](https://xiry.app/resources/how-to-promote-your-mvp-on-reddit): Actionable guide for launching and promoting an MVP on Reddit organically (Article or course, Free)
- [John Rush Marketing Channel Mind Map](https://xiry.app/resources/john-rush-marketing-channel-mind-map): A structured breakdown of marketing acquisition channels for bootstrapped SaaS products (Framework, Free)
- [Marc Lou's Free Distribution Checklist](https://xiry.app/resources/marc-lou-s-free-distribution-checklist): A 10-step checklist to get your first 1,000 visitors for $0 (List, Free)
- [Product Launch & Directory Checklist](https://xiry.app/resources/product-launch-and-directory-checklist): Checklist of 35 product directories and launch platforms for indie software (List, Free)
- [Unicorn Platform Marketing Channel Breakdown](https://xiry.app/resources/unicorn-platform-marketing-channel-breakdown): Channel-by-channel marketing breakdown of growing a SaaS from 25k to 250k users (List, Free)
- [Jenni AI Growth Playbook (0 to $5M ARR)](https://xiry.app/resources/jenni-ai-growth-playbook-0-to-5m-arr): Step-by-step multichannel bootstrap growth framework based on Jenni AI's scaling journey. (Framework, Free)

Updated 11 October 2026. Page: https://xiry.app/resources/a-practical-guide-to-get-your-first-100-users-for-0

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