Show HN: How you got your first 10 users for your product?

The product I make is a very specialised system in the agriculture industry. The first 10 customers were a mix of old clients from a previous job and new clients who read about the product from an ag news source. I had to rely heavily on my personal reputation in the early days but that has become less important now. I also hired a sales coach to help me (technical background) break through my limitations in closing deals. One interesting thing was the original direct sales model was terrible, drove 45,000km that year around my country doing delivery and training to ensure those customers had the best chance of success. Sold some gear to a customer who rents the equipment out and all the subsequent growth came from that model.

Those first customers didn't turn out to be as critical as I thought, the real change came from finding a scalable business model. There was no way I could have continued what I did that first year.

One way that really worked for us in the beginnings was through participating to a local startup weekend or an event of that nature. This is a slightly less traditional approach, but one you should definitely take to your advantage. I’ve been a participant myself and now, as an organizer, I’ve seen many ides fully blossom and set sale to becoming a full-blown business.

You will find people you could bring on in your team, develop the idea further and have the chance to present it in front of established entrepreneurs who could fund it, or help you find someone who can.

YC offer's startup school. I recommend you join it.