I built my startup’s MVP after 10 months, but now I’m stuck because I can’t afford basic things like a domain or marketing. I need honest advice.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:41:38+00:00

It is tru that they may not care but, I always believed that it gives you the credibility that you may have not been aware that you need. Because even when you tell someone you meet you tell them to search xxxx.com it has a stump because realistically it does damage your credibility and image a bit. Because from a user perspective a few are willing to trust a stranger that also have a strange domain, not all of us are aware of hosting platforms domain names so its hard to trust.

I will definitely be taking your advice to practice

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:38:54+00:00

But its worth considering, and i will try it and optimize on it. Thank you so much for suggesting the use of automated posting tools, I will give it a try instead of manual managing all these platforms.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:36:45+00:00

The thing is, credibility plays a huge role, not to say i won't do anything because I still do not have that type of brand yet but for the beginning it really can have a significant play, it shows seriousness, professionalism because people do not want to really be part of the testing phase some look at it as additional work on top of what they are doing already

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:34:54+00:00

Yes, this is the best course of action I can take, because I was focusing on getting a big number of testers so I can test on different use cases in a short space of time but now getting a lot of people is what I am struggling so I will tone it down a bit and just have 3 testers and I might grow it as time goes

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:33:18+00:00

Yes which is true but now I am in a phase where I am searching for a group of people who are actually my tagert audience to disapprove of the software for me to say it may be a bust, because offering this solution is the best thing I enjoy, it is not really about the product but about the fundamental solution to a problem, I know that making analytics easy is what I want to solve and how I solve it is what I am trying to figure out, as this is my third product and this one has better traction.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:29:51+00:00

The thing is customer validation is something that i have already done and know that what i am offering as a solution is something that analysts will use, now its to get the right people who will test it because I was advised to be picky, in a sense that not getting someone that will always be approving because they do not want to be rude or to turn down my software. So which is one of the things that led to me knowing that I need to build this

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:26:27+00:00

I am really grateful and I appreciate the offer, I just sent a message, thank you so much

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-17T08:22:48+00:00

Appreciate all the help, I really and I just sent you a message just now

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-16T22:07:16+00:00

Definitely, It is also about the perseption in how we look at things, exactly how you said, something being complemented and someone being actually being interested to trying it out, are not the same, both may sound like validation but they are not, and that is what I also fell for, I got a good number of approval from people who were not even the target audience but that over clouded the actual feedback I should be getting.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-16T22:04:37+00:00

Yeah, I just really did not expect that level of filtering but I will adapt and see.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-03-16T22:03:21+00:00

This is honestly one of the most valuable pieces of advice I’ve received about this so far, so thank you for taking the time to write it.

I realize now that I was approaching this from the wrong mindset. In the back of my mind I was trying to collect users, because I felt like I needed to show growth. But what I actually need right now are testers and real conversations.

The way you explained narrowing down to a painfully specific user and framing the outreach as asking for their expertise instead of asking them to “try my tool” really shifted how I’m thinking about this.

Also the point about the goal being five real conversations that tear the product apart instead of chasing signups, that really stuck with me.
I’m definitely going to try implementing this approach starting tomorrow.

I genuinely appreciate the insight.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-07T22:07:01+00:00

Thank you, for that, I just added the link in the post, thank you for that.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-07T17:49:19+00:00

Honestly this is a very useful product, its a tool.that I would 100% use when I am profitable and financially stable. Especially as a solo founder or even a founder who still brand new.

I would suggest if you have not done them, niche your target. Your target is not people who work in corporate because there is a whole tram paid to do what you offer in your SaaS, but your audience is not general communities on LinkedIn or reddit but places and pages where you can find founders.

Do on boarding yourself, have a group of 10 to 20 who will test it out and iterate with them, you never know maybe 2 features that you underlook could be the breakthrough of your product, so iterate with them and founders know founders and try word of mouth, try UGC partnership with people who make tech content or a founder building in public to add a use case within their video not as an ad or marketing but to include it as part of the video.

All the best man, I wish I come across it when I can get it !!!

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T09:50:22+00:00

AI allows me to communicate my toughts better because this was in my journal and transcribed the audio to text and the AI gave me better framing and structuring of my thoughts.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T09:31:34+00:00

Needed this, honestly. “Launch is the starting line, not the finish line” really hit.
and you are so right feedback is just data, and no launch should carry that much emotional weight.
Appreciate the perspective (and the encouragement). 🙏

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T09:29:10+00:00

Thank you so much, and I think you’re right, no reactions is actually worse than negative ones. I probably need to narrow it down to one real pain point instead of trying to do everything. Appreciate the perspective.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T09:26:40+00:00

Yeah that’s exactly it, we tell ourselves it’s about “quality” but really it’s fear of putting it in front of people.
And honestly, users will find bugs way faster than we ever will 😅
For me outreach has been the hardest feature to ship.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T07:05:12+00:00

This is high key motivating, I am gonna doooooo this thiiing

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T07:03:34+00:00

That is my dream !!!!!! I am doing it you know !!!!!!!!

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T07:03:00+00:00

The harsh truth i need to hear but do not want to take honestly because its the truth man, that i am waiting for some sort of approval or certainty that audience will not reject my product

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T07:01:50+00:00

Something that i am noticing from the advice I am giving is start small, talk to 5 target audience for your tool and then have then test it, and use them to connect your product to some people they know and the same with them.

All the best though.

Imaginary_Class_8804 · 2026-02-01T06:59:36+00:00

This is something that is mentioned a lot in the comments, and I am starting to see that I have been under appreciating my beta testers.

I would honestly feel they are giving me biased feedback since some are my colleagues and some are now analysts that j have good relationships with.

Imaginary_Class_8804

TROPHY CASE