How (not) to gather first users when you are an unknown brand. May be helpful to new product makers
From testing new products, I've come to several conclusions and possibly also identified mistakes that product creators make when launching them.
Whenever you want to attract your first testers (especially those who are well-known), try first to build up your credibility.
During product testing, I encountered the following mistakes that left an inconvenient impression:
🥲 No publicly available contact (about the company, owner)
🥲 Testimonials using "fake" stock photos (this is especially noticeable to people who work in marketing and tech)
🥲 Untraceable product creator – do not know his name, face,...
🥲 Not offering a free trial version and immediately asking for payment
If you do all of these things at once, it leaves a very bad impression.
Recently, I wanted to try a tool, and accepted the terms of use, but couldn’t cancel the trial after submitting my card – the system technically didn’t allow me to cancel. At the same time, the product didn’t even work. There was no person I could contact. Suspicious.
I’m surprised how many people launch products this way, even on Product Hunt, because, with these steps, such a product feels more like a scam than a serious business.
If the business is not supposed to be a scam 😉, please:
☝️ Build trust, ideally also a personal brand, if you’re serious about it.
☝️ If you don’t have testimonials from people yet, use a video where you demonstrate the product; ideally show your face too – human aspect.
☝️ It’s better to let people test the product for free because it might not be technically finished yet, viz. my experience. (People, who don't pay, are not so loud on the internet as people who already paid, IYKWIM.)
Do you have a similar experience?
Next time, we could cover how to prevent fraud, btw. 😀 (I have a lot to share.) 😀
Replies
My-legacy.ai
Great breakdown, Nika! Trust is everything, especially for early-stage products. Clear communication, a transparent team presence, and an easy way for users to test without friction make all the difference.
We’re currently working on launching My-Legacy.ai, and these points resonate—building credibility from day one is a priority. Looking forward to your insights on fraud prevention!
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When are you planning to launch? :)
Great insights! One thing I'd add:
👉🏻 Transparency around pricing. Clear, upfront pricing builds confidence.
@isibol01 100% I haven't signed up to tools I really want and am willing to pay for just because they don't show you the pricing until you sign up.
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@isibol01 This is very good point. Tho many makers use unclear pricing just make people to try their product (otherwise people wouldn't pay) :D
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@isibol01 @alan_rivera Yeah, that's why many people contact support to know the exact price or try to find answer on Reddit.
@isibol01 @alan_rivera Would unclear pricing also deter you from signing up to a product's waitlist or only in cases where the product has already launched?
@alan_rivera @luke_arwayda Good one! If a product is still on the waiting list, the pricing may not be finalized yet. So I'm a bit more flexible for those products :)
But I’d still like to see at least a pricing model, it’s a good starting point!
App Finder
This is clearly very good advice!
Especially regarding fake reviews on the maker's own website I really wonder what some people are thinking (not only are the photos sometimes fake, but the names and the reviews themselves also). I think there was even launched a tool here some time ago to create such fake reviews.
One could add:
Try to get reviews on a reputed independent site and link to them.
Publish a comparison with competing products, clearly showing your advantages.
Don't make exaggerated claims (like 10x better, faster...), instead be precise and provide proof.
Make it possible to try the product for free, without ads, and without entering credit card (or at least make sure the card is not charged automatically after free trial ends).
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@konrad_sx True. Remember how one guy here created a fake account and had a photo of Robert Pattinson. 🤣 Cringe.
@konrad_sx Comparison could possibly backfire if people don’t yet trust your brand. However, if done carefully—highlighting your unique value propositions and differentiators without sounding overly critical—it can show potential customers why you stand out. What’s your take on striking the balance between comparison and not being too forward about it?
@konrad_sx The things that people do these days to get money and attention 😂
App Finder
@luke_arwayda You're surely right that one has to be careful with comparisons, I think the comparison should be
objective, also showing possible disadvantages of your product, and include all the top competitors
if needed, backed up by research
all good points.
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@taniabell Thank you! They came from my own experience :D
Tab Slayer
good advice, just updated my landing page!
thanks for the post.
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@catt_marroll Well, maybe it is not for some people relevant, but I was scammed so many times that I am very cautious! :D And you would be surprised how many people want to contact companies via email instead of Intercom, Crisp or other CRM systems.
Well said! Trust is everything and something that needs to be built for new startups. Where would you suggest putting the founder's information? On the about page?
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@kenny_hawkins Yes – about page. Because not everybody has a time to scan Terms and conditions to find email or address.
Fedica
Some banger advice as always, Nika :)
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@jonwesselink Thank you, Jon :) I can see you are gonna to launch. When is the date? 👀
Great advice.
Build trust from day 1 you build the app, by showcasing what you build, why you are the person to build it and why users should start following you. That is called Trust.
I offered the product for free to early adopters. It is still free(for 3 users forever with no feature locks) so they get used to my product and my business grow with them as they flourish. the free forever was a bold move as we are still bootsrapped.
Get testimonials and review from long time real users with their name, pic and company name.
Recently, have started doing webinars like you said apart from videos on you tube too.
Wherever possible, we have given chat for users to talk to product owners(there is no support yet for me) or support. If response and resolution users are happy.
And, publish roadmap and customer wishlist.
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@rameshkumar_astravue Do you have those webinars or YouTube videos publicly available?
Yes, it is available publicly. It is my youtube channel @astravue it may not be perfect. We are looking to progress
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@astravue @rameshkumar_astravue Can you share the link?
@busmark_w_nika https://www.youtube.com/@astravue All our videos uploaded here including our last webinars too
While I do think there are definitely some scams out there, sometimes it can be just that it's a solo founder and things slip through the cracks. I've been thinking of creating a checklist to make sure nothing escapes because like you said for the cancelling payment I hadn't realized until yesterday that I had totally forgot to add a cancel subscription flow it wasn't until I saw some reel about a guy complaining how some companies made cancelling their subscriptions almost impossible.
Regarding fake testimonials and stuff like that honestly that's a straight turn off and most of the times an obvious one I would prefer to help out someone who openly says this is an early version of the product yada yada vs bombarding you with fake testimonials and user numbers.
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@alan_rivera I know what you are talking about! I was also a part of a business where people were auto charged and it frustrated them (even had worse meaning about the service). These facts should be communicated before.
@busmark_w_nika This hits hard! Too many products feel sketchy due to missing transparency. Trust-building should be step one, not an afterthought. Appreciate the insights! 🔥
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@ravi_sharma55 Thank you, Ravi! I hope this will open eyes to more people.
Totally agree! I often speak with founders who claim their product will be the next big thing and try to create buzz by treating it like the 'hot' new thing. While it's essential for founders to strongly believe in their product, I think honesty is especially crucial in the early stages you've described. Charisma and modesty, saying "It's not perfect yet, but we can get there with your support" makes it much more likely to support new products as I am onboard of a journey, not a V1.
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Never underestimate yourself, but never overestimate yourself either.
I personally prefer to proclaim success after it happens rather than paint a false picture of something. :)
Great points - Transparency and authenticity will always win!
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@cameron_froese That's my approach :)
Nice points! Gonna discuss these potential problems with our mates. Thx, Nika
Thank you so much for writing this. This is very helpful for me as I am getting ready with my product launch.
I can certainly concur with the fact that building trust with the customers is key to building a high quality product
This is solid advice. I've come across a few apps where it's unclear how to contact the company, or the bot you're talking to can't even answer your question. Some apps also make cancellations difficult to find, you have to dig through the whole website or email customer service and wait days for a reply. There should always be an easy-to-find cancellation section on the website.
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Understandable. I have also an experience with the customer support (I am a part of it) and sometimes I need to also wait until the developer has a look at the problem and I also receive the answer after days so I can report it to the end customer. It is a kind of pressure for me too because the end customer is mad on me. :D
Absolutely - building trust is essential! We've been leveraging Tiktok and the whole "building in public" movement (coupled with webinars), which has created a really great connection between the founder and our users.
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@lauren_godwin Aren't you afraid that TikTok will be banned in the US and you will loose some of the US users?
@busmark_w_nika Great question - not exactly. I think there will just be an inevitable transition to another platform instead. Plus, it's always great to not invest in just 1 place at a time — we save our videos to repurpose on other platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube Shorts). I also think building a founder's personal LinkedIn as a touchpoint for users is a great supplementary strategy :)
Intelswift
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@iuliia_demchyk It is a pity that companies damage their trust from the day 1 :/