Startup First Users

GitHub gained its first users through an open beta program where they invited developer friends to use the platform. New users could share their code with a single link, driving traffic to the website. Visitors to the code pages could sign up for the beta program, allowing them to publish and share their own code.

Intercom's founder, Des, used cold email marketing to reach potential users. He sent 100 cold emails daily, analyzed responses, and refined his approach. After initial success, he hosted webinars to encourage sign-ups, even adjusting his schedule to reach users in different time zones.

Apple presented its first product, a printed circuit board, at the Homebrew Computer Club. They met Paul Teller, who ordered 50 machines for $500 each. To fund the production, Steve Jobs negotiated a NET30 payment contract with a manufacturer, delivering the machines within 30 days.

Zoom launched by renting a billboard on Route 101 in San Francisco. The billboard featured the domain Zoom.us and the tagline 'Video Conferencing That Doesn’t Suck,' which attracted early adopters who then spread the word about the product.

Facebook started by inviting Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin's friends, along with members of the Harvard fraternity The Phoenix. Word-of-mouth spread the platform across Harvard's campus, and it was featured in the Harvard Crimson, leading to rapid adoption.

Airbnb's founders rented out airbeds in their apartment during a designer conference when hotels were booked. They used PR by emailing local designer blogs, which led to media coverage and quick rentals. This early success inspired them to expand to other conferences.

Dropbox created a simple video explaining how the product worked and posted it on HackerNews. The tech-savvy audience drove significant traffic to their landing page, resulting in 5,000 users on the waiting list within a short period.

Tinder targeted college students by attending sorority meetings to recruit women and then showing fraternities that women were already using the app. They also hosted college parties where attendees had to show the Tinder app to enter, spreading the platform through word-of-mouth.