How to get your first 10 customers
A step-by-step playbook. No theory, no fluff — just the exact actions and scripts that work for early-stage founders.
The one rule to remember
Never ask "would you use this?" Ask "how do you handle this today?" Past behavior is truth. Future intent is fiction. Every script in this guide follows that principle.
Why this matters
Most founders skip this step because it feels uncomfortable. Don't. The people who already know and trust you are 10x more likely to give you honest feedback and become early customers than a cold stranger. You are not asking for a favor — you are offering them early access to something that might genuinely help them.
What to do
- 1Write down every person you know who fits your target customer profile — LinkedIn, phone contacts, former colleagues, friends of friends.
- 2Aim for 20 names before you contact anyone.
- 3Prioritize people who have complained about the problem you solve. If you've ever heard someone say "I hate dealing with X" and X is what you fix — they go to the top of the list.
Scripts you can use
Text/DM to someone you know well
Hey [Name], I'm working on something I think you might actually find useful — [one sentence description]. Would you be up for a 20-minute call this week? I want honest feedback, not validation. Happy to buy you a coffee virtually.
Email to a former colleague
Hi [Name], Hope you're doing well. I've been working on [startup name] — a way to [solve specific problem] for [specific person]. I know you've dealt with this before and I'd love 20 minutes of your honest feedback. No pitch, no ask. Just trying to understand if I'm solving the right problem. Are you free [day] or [day]? — [Your name]
Goal: 5 conversations from your existing network
Customer tracking spreadsheet
Keep a simple spreadsheet to track every conversation.
The 5 mistakes that kill early traction
Asking for opinions instead of stories
Fix: Replace "what do you think of X?" with "tell me about the last time you dealt with X."
Talking to people who want to be supportive
Fix: Friends and family lie kindly. Find strangers who have the actual problem.
Waiting until the product is ready
Fix: Start talking to customers before you write a line of code. The conversations shape what you build.
Stopping at 3 conversations
Fix: Three conversations is a story. Ten conversations is a pattern. You need patterns.
Not asking for referrals
Fix: End every call with "who else should I talk to?" One good conversation leads to three more.
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Browse resources →Recommended reading
The Mom Test
— Rob FitzpatrickThe definitive book on customer interviews. Short, practical, and worth re-reading every quarter.
Do Things That Don't Scale
— Paul GrahamYC essay on why early-stage founders should do manual, unscalable things to get their first customers.
The First 10 Customers
— Lenny RachitskyHow 30 founders got their first 10 customers, across B2B and consumer. Practical and specific.