How to find your first customer as a startup

Finding Your First Customers: The Smart Founder's Guide to Reddit Gold Mining

Last month, I watched a founder land their first $10K contract from a single Reddit comment. No fancy sales pitch. No expensive ads. Just the right solution at the right time.Here's the thing about finding your first customers – they're already out there, literally asking for help solving the exact problem your product fixes. You just need to know where to look and how to listen.Let me share what I've learned after helping dozens of startups land their first customers, including some unconventional approaches that actually work.

Start Where the Pain Is Real

Remember that time you needed to fix something urgently and turned to Reddit? You're not alone. Every day, thousands of potential customers hit Reddit to vent about their problems or ask for recommendations. That's pure gold for startups.Here's a real example: A SaaS founder I know spotted someone complaining about their email automation workflow on r/marketing. Within an hour, they jumped in with helpful advice (not a sales pitch), shared their experience, and naturally mentioned their tool. Two days later? Paid customer.

The Art of Reddit Prospecting

Don't just randomly browse Reddit hoping to strike gold. Here's what works:

Track specific keywords related to your industry's pain points
Monitor subreddits where your ideal customers hang out
Set up alerts for phrases like "anyone know how to," "looking for recommendations," or "help needed"
Focus on fresh posts where you can be one of the first helpful responses

Beyond Reddit: Building Your Customer Base

While Reddit's a goldmine, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Here's what else works:

Build in Public Share your journey on Twitter or LinkedIn. People love supporting founders who show their work. I landed three beta customers just by sharing our development milestones.
The Warm Introduction Game Tell everyone what you're building. Your network might surprise you. My first enterprise client came through a former colleague who remembered our coffee chat about my startup.
Create Valuable Content Write about the problems you're solving. Not just product pitches – actual, helpful content. It builds credibility and brings organic traffic.

The Secret Sauce: Timing and Authenticity

Here's what most advice misses: timing is everything. When someone's actively looking for a solution, they're most likely to buy. That's why monitoring platforms like Reddit works so well – you're catching people at their moment of highest intent.But remember: nobody likes a pushy salesperson. Lead with value. Share insights. Build relationships. The sales will follow naturally.

Getting Started Today

Set up monitoring for your key terms on Reddit (shameless plug: our tool makes this super easy)
Create a simple outreach template that leads with help, not sales
Commit to engaging with at least five potential customers daily
Track what works and double down on it

Remember, your first customers aren't just buyers – they're partners in refining your product. Choose them wisely, serve them well, and they'll become your best marketing channel.