How to Get Your First 100 Users For A New App
TL;DR
The creator shares how he got his first ~100 users each from Hacker News and Product Hunt. Both platforms are framed primarily as feedback mechanisms rather than user acquisition channels, and the key lesson is to launch, collect feedback, improve, then relaunch. ---
Key Concepts
Feedback mechanism
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Using launch platforms not to gain permanent users, but to rapidly collect actionable product feedback from new eyes
Staged launching
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Launching on one platform, absorbing feedback, improving the product, then launching elsewhere — with deliberate time gaps between launches
Ideal demographic fit
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Whether a platform's audience matches your target user base determines how much weight to give user retention vs. feedback from that launch
Notes
§Starting with Friends & Family
- First test users should come from personal network (friends/family)
- Use this for a beta/pre-public version to get a basic feel for the app
- Do this as early as possible before any public launch
§Hacker News Launch
- Post your project using the "Show HN" tag with a URL and title — very low effort
- Generated ~100 new user accounts
- ~50 comment thread (roughly 20 unique commenters after subtracting own replies)
- Users provided valuable feedback and new feature ideas
- Most did not become long-term users — treat it as a feedback event, not a retention channel
§Product Hunt Launch
- Done ~3–6 months after the Hacker News post, after incorporating that feedback
- Requires more preparation: product images, description, full product page (estimated ~1 day of work using Canva + screenshots)
- Finished around #14–16 product of the day (top 20); top 5–10 considered exceptional exposure
- Again generated ~100 new user accounts
- Key feedback received: onboarding and initial app startup experience needed improvement
- You can launch on Product Hunt multiple times
§What These Platforms Are (and Aren't) For
- Both are strong for feedback, weaker for long-term user acquisition
- If the platform's audience isn't your ideal demographic, expect less retention — but the feedback is still worth it
- Don't redirect your existing user base to upvote your Product Hunt launch; use existing users for other purposes
- Upvote-gaming: DM'd ~30 people on X asking for upvotes, but doesn't recommend over-investing in this
§Mindset on Launching
- Nothing to lose by posting on either platform — all upside
- Don't be discouraged if you don't rank high on Product Hunt; placement involves luck
- Iterative loop: launch → feedback → improve → relaunch
Actionable Takeaways
- Post on Hacker News first — minimal effort (URL + title), low barrier, solid feedback volume
- Use the 3–6 month gap between launches to meaningfully update the app before going to Product Hunt
- Prepare Product Hunt assets in advance (Canva images, screenshots, description) — cap effort at ~1 day
- Frame early launches as feedback sprints, not growth sprints — set expectations accordingly
- When DMing for upvotes, keep it light (~30 people max); don't burn your existing user base on it
- You can launch on Product Hunt multiple times — plan repeat launches after major updates
Quotes Worth Keeping
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I look at it more as a feedback mechanism or a way to get testers to get you feedback.
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I don't want the goal of doing the launch on Product Hunt to be getting the existing people you already have access to to go help out your product.
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I don't think you have anything to lose in posting your link on Hacker News and I don't think you have anything to lose in launching on Product Hunt — you only have upside.