Get your first 100 customers vs Launch on product hunt and launch sites (2026): Which Step First?
Here is how Get your first 100 customers and Launch on product hunt and launch sites compare on cost, time and what each gets you, and which to do first.
Get your first 100 customers
Win your first 100 paying customers by hand through direct outreach, communities and founder-led sales before you try to scale.
N/A
Budget: $0-500
Pros
- Sell by hand to people you can name
- Onboard early customers personally
- Ask every happy customer for a referral or testimonial
Cons
- Do not buy ads before you know who converts
- Do not spam communities with links
- Do not discount so hard that you learn nothing about price
Launch on Product Hunt and launch sites
Put your product in front of early adopters on Product Hunt and launch directories, and turn one day of attention into users and links.
N/A
Budget: $0-200
Pros
- Launch at 12:01 am Pacific so you get the full day
- Write a personal maker comment that explains why you built it
- Collect emails and feedback, not just votes
Cons
- Do not ask people directly to upvote
- Do not launch before onboarding works for strangers
- Do not post from a company account instead of a personal one
Get your first 100 customers vs Launch on product hunt and launch sites at a glance
| Get your first 100 customers | Launch on product hunt and launch sites | |
|---|---|---|
| Editor score | N/A | N/A |
| Typical budget | $0-500 | $0-200 |
| Time to results | 1-6 months | 2-4 weeks prep, 1 day launch |
| Difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Stage | 4. Launch | 4. Launch |
| Validation | Yes | Yes |
| Save money | No | No |
| Funding | No | No |
| Product | No | No |
| Customers | Yes | Yes |
| Revenue | Yes | No |
| Network | No | Yes |
| Startup programs in this directory | 8 | 0 |
| Accelerators & incubators in this directory | 0 | 0 |
| Founder services in this directory | 1 | 0 |
| Reader upvotes | 0 | 0 |
| Best for | customer acquisition, outreach, founder-led sales | product hunt, launch, early adopters |
Which to do first
Get your first 100 customers is the better fit if you value: sell by hand to people you can name, onboard early customers personally. Choose Launch on product hunt and launch sites instead if you need: launch at 12:01 am pacific so you get the full day, write a personal maker comment that explains why you built it. Most startups do both: see the build path.
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