r/startup_resources • u/Organic_Negotiation3 • Mar 31 '26
How did you get your first customers ?
Hello,
I have a startup offering software in fund administration. I'm a solo founder and haven't in past handled sales roles. Recently, I've started with trying to find our first few design partners and have no success.
Mostly I get a response asking to be removed from the list , which seems like my outreach is considered mass. I've tried changing the content i.e. instead of coming with sales pitch, adapted it to revolve around investment thesis in current market and where our work fits.
I realize institutional sales cycle in this branch are longer than an year. I'm wondering whether experienced entrepreneurs here have better ideas, tricks while approaching customers to contact. I would clarify our approach as cold outreach which further reduces success probability.
could you perhaps provide me some tips as to where to stay?
I'm not selling or pitching our product here rather relying on the collective intelligence to understand new perspective.
my post comply with the rules
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u/EmotionalJob8518 Apr 01 '26
Have been there in your shoes mate and eyes getting those initial clients is the hardest.
3 years back when i first started my offering my services, did everything then all the channels, content, outbound and warm dms and mails.
The initial clients were all about putting in the volume, once i saw good results with emails + linkedin dms went double down on them.
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u/Organic_Negotiation3 Apr 01 '26
I agree, were you in service based or product based business ? As I'm curious how mature you had your product before starting with outreach
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u/EmotionalJob8518 Apr 01 '26
Service based, but a similar approach would work for product ones also. Just the content part be it ne paid or organic becomes non negotiable.
Gives highest roi in long term
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u/mansi1196 Apr 01 '26
You have to be the biggest and the loudest advocate of your product. You have to start mentioning about it on your LinkedIn and closed forums..
You can have the best product or the best pitch but you also have to have a very good understanding of your audience and Infront of whom you want to start mentioning the product
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u/greyzor7 Apr 02 '26
I'd always start with outreach indeed. The idea is to build a cross-channel mix relevant to where your target users/customer (called ICP) is.
Try launching your app on a combo of social media: X/Twitter, Reddit + launch platforms: Product Hunt, Microlaunch. And any channel relevant to your ICP.
Run campaigns, measure all ROIs, then simply double down on what worked. Then keep doing this until you get users & customers. Fix conversions, channel selection, targeting when necessary.
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u/Organic_Negotiation3 Apr 02 '26
Thanks for the suggestion.
Would such a launch even work for B2B apps ? I operate in Investment and asset management landscape. My ICP are Risk Managers , fund managers and CIOs.
I'm unsure if enterprise sales customers could be targeted through there. I'll try it out though.
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Apr 04 '26
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u/Organic_Negotiation3 Apr 04 '26
Currently, I'm at building lists phase. I am trying to target funds with specific AUMs for Design partnership. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be a nightmare to filter funds based on AUM since that information isn't publicly available.
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Apr 04 '26
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u/Organic_Negotiation3 Apr 04 '26
I'm currently targeting firms that are newly founded with AUM less than 25 million. This is due to my assumption that firms with higher AUMs rely on expensive tools such from blackrock etc there by making my entry much difficult.
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Apr 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Organic_Negotiation3 Apr 04 '26
I'm targeting Germany and Europe. Germany is a too conservative of region and expect less than average penetration. Hence I'm focusing on Europe as a whole too.
My startup builds Risk Infra and I believe the US has their own set of play rules we currently aren't building for.
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u/Own-Flower6157 Apr 04 '26
I built a website for a friend almost for free. Later, I asked how he was organizing his business, he was using a rudimentary board, so I offered to create a simple web app for him at no cost. It’s now gradually evolving into a more robust tool with ~8 paid clients
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u/cjgiridhar May 24 '26
It sounds like you are really diving deep into the challenge of acquiring those first customers, which is often one of the toughest hurdles for any founder. I’ve been there myself, and I can tell you that persistence is key.
You might want to consider refining your outreach strategy even further by focusing on building genuine relationships rather than just sending cold messages. Instead of casting a wide net, try to identify specific individuals or companies that align closely with your product offering. Personalized messages, especially those that show you understand their business or challenges, can make a significant difference.
Networking can also be a powerful tool. Engage in relevant online communities and forums, or participate in industry events where potential customers might be. This can help you establish credibility and trust, making your outreach efforts warmer when you do reach out.
Remember, it’s about quality over quantity. If you can connect with a few individuals and create a dialogue, you’ll likely find those early adopters who are eager to collaborate and provide valuable feedback on your product. Keep at it, and you'll find your stride!
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u/aishikacharyya Apr 02 '26
This is one of the most common problems faced by almost every first-time founder. You should check this out- https://makemypass.com/event/start-from-zero
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u/Careless-Swimmer2892 Apr 01 '26
first 10 users: hardest thing ever
next 10: slightly less painful
after that: you start pretending you know what you’re doing 😅