Start with your network, properly
Not 'I built a thing, anyone interested?'. Write to 20 specific people: 'I built this for X problem you have. Can I show you 5 minutes and you tell me if it'd help?'. 3 of 20 will buy. That's 30% of your target.
Find where they already complain
Reddit, Slack groups, niche Discord servers, X replies. Search for the problem in your customers' words. Be useful in 10 threads before you ever mention what you built. This works in 2026 just like it did in 2016.
Cold email, done well
100 personalised emails beats 10,000 templated ones. Reference something specific to the recipient. Make the ask tiny (15 minutes, not a demo). Reply rates of 10–20% are achievable if you do the work.
Skip the noise for now
Twitter, LinkedIn content, SEO, podcasts — all valid, all slow. Pre-revenue, you need conversations not impressions. Save the audience-building for after you've proven 10 people will pay.
What the first 10 teach you
Why people buy. The exact words they use. The objections you didn't expect. That feedback is worth more than the revenue itself — it's what makes customers 11 to 100 cheaper to acquire.