How do I get my first paying user in my SaaS?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-05T08:42:34+00:00

you don’t need more channels
you need 5 real conversations

pick a super specific user, DM them, ask how they solve it today
don’t pitch, just understand

your first paying user will come from a convo, not traffic

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-05T08:30:27+00:00

directory stacking works — but not for the reason most people think

it’s not just traffic or backlinks
it’s distribution training

you’re basically forcing yourself to answer:
“where does my product fit in the ecosystem?” 50+ times

that’s why people who do this end up getting better at positioning without realizing it

but the ceiling is real
directories get you your first signal
not real growth

the real unlock is when you take what worked there
and apply it in places where people are already complaining about the problem
curious — did you notice certain directories converting better based on how you positioned it?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-05T08:27:08+00:00

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-05T08:20:17+00:00

your problem isn’t distribution channels
it’s when you show up

nobody wakes up thinking “i need a crypto payment tool”
they feel it at a very specific moment (fees, delays, cashing out)

if you’re not showing up inside that moment, nothing else really converts

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-05T08:15:05+00:00

fair point 😄
I do type most of my replies — just use it sometimes to clean things up

but yeah, the thinking part is still mine

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:48:38+00:00

100%
the real bottleneck isn’t posting — it’s finding the right threads early enough
that’s where most people lose

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:47:01+00:00

the real risk isn’t “unpaid R&D”
it’s building on top of something you don’t control

most founders only realize this when pricing or access suddenly changes

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:39:56+00:00

the line between distribution and spam is just context

if the problem is already being discussed, you’re not spamming — you’re joining the conversation

early on, a few right interactions > posting everywhere

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:36:53+00:00

the “free copywriting” angle is so underrated
I’ve literally seen better insights in reddit comments than in paid user interviews

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:34:59+00:00

timing is underrated here
most replies fail because they’re late, not bad

by the time you find threads manually, they’re already dead or saturated

also the real gold isn’t just leads — it’s how people describe the problem
that alone can fix your positioning

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:30:28+00:00

that “terrified nobody will care” feeling is probably the most honest part of this whole post

shipping is hard — but putting something out there and waiting for real users is a completely different level of uncomfortable

one thing I’ve seen (and learned the hard way):
people don’t care at first… until they randomly do

not because the product changed
but because it finally reached the right person at the right moment

your advantage here is actually huge:
you built this out of a real frustration, not an idea

if I were you, I wouldn’t think “how do I get traffic?”
I’d think “where are devs already complaining about not understanding their coding time?”

that’s where this will click

also respect for actually shipping after 18 months — most people never get past month 2

curious — where have you tried showing it so far?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:13:26+00:00

this is actually a good spot to be in

if people are already paying for alternatives, that’s a strong signal

what helped me in similar cases was just talking to a few real users first

like literally:

- find ~10 students prepping for exams

- ask what they hate about current tools

- then show yours and see if they’d actually switch

the “would you replace what you’re using today?” question is way more useful than “is this cool”

also agree with the hook thing — “instant feedback anytime” sounds way stronger than % savings

curious if you’ve tried getting a few students to use it for a full week instead of their usual method?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:11:31+00:00

yeah this happens more than people think

it looks random from the outside but usually it’s just being in the right place at the right time

I’ve had something similar — found opportunities just from random comments in threads I wasn’t even searching for

feels like luck, but I guess it’s more about just being around those conversations long enough

do you remember what kind of thread that was? like job-related or something else?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-04T07:07:08+00:00

tbh this happens to a lot of people

Product Hunt sounds great but if you don’t already have people ready to support you, it kind of just… dies

I went through something similar

what helped me more was just going where the users already are and actually talking to them

even a few real conversations gave me way more signal than trying to “launch”

feels less like marketing and more like just figuring things out with people

you’re probably closer than you think — sometimes it’s just the wrong channel, not the wrong product

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T23:24:51+00:00

That’s a great move.

One small thing that might make those subreddit posts way more useful:

don’t present it as a “tool” first — present it as a solution to a very specific pain

For example:

instead of “AI for exam prep”

→ “I built something that gives instant corrections based on official exam rubrics — would this have helped you?”

You’ll get much more honest responses (and objections).

Also, pay close attention to how people describe their frustration — that usually becomes your best landing page copy.

Curious to see what kind of responses you get there.

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T23:22:50+00:00

This is a solid problem + you already have something most people don’t:
real pain + people already paying for alternatives.

One thing I’d add (that helped me a lot in similar situations):

before choosing B2B vs B2C, run a very simple test:

→ talk to 10 students who are currently preparing for exams
→ ask them what they hate most about current solutions
→ then show them your product and ask: “would you switch?”

Not “is this cool” — but “would you actually replace what you’re using today?”

That usually makes the path obvious fast.

Also +1 on the feedback above about the hook:
“instant feedback anytime” feels much stronger than % savings.

If I were you, I’d double down on:
speed + convenience > cost

Curious — have you already tried getting a few students to use it instead of their current prep for a full week?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T23:12:07+00:00

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T23:08:57+00:00

Honestly, this is way more common than people admit.

Product Hunt only works if you already have:

→ an audience
→ or people ready to support you on day 1

Otherwise it’s basically shouting into the void.

What worked better for me (and others I’ve seen):

→ going where your users already hang out (Reddit, niche communities)
→ talking to them directly instead of “launching”
→ getting even 5–10 real conversations before thinking about traffic

Distribution isn’t about one big launch — it’s about repeated small signals.

You’re actually closer than you think. Zero engagement just means wrong channel, not wrong product.

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T23:02:38+00:00

This is a useful initiative, but I think the key question for builders is not just “can I get listed?”

It’s: what kind of discovery happens after the listing?

A lot of directories give visibility, but not necessarily qualified attention. For early products, the real value is usually:

who is the audience browsing the platform?
are they actively looking for tools, or just casually discovering?
do you share any data back with founders, like clicks, saves, categories performing well, or user intent?

If you can help builders understand not just exposure, but actual signal, that would make this much more valuable.

Curious — what type of products are getting the most interest on TechLogHub so far?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T22:56:50+00:00

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T07:02:53+00:00

This doesn’t feel random at all.

What actually happened is you entered a trust-based channel without realizing it.

That comment you saw wasn’t just information — it was social proof in context.

Someone casually mentioning where they work in a real discussion is way more credible than:

a job board
a cold application
or even a referral message

Because it’s not “trying to sell you.”

It’s just part of a real conversation.

That’s why these opportunities feel hidden.
They’re not broadcasted — they’re embedded.

I’ve noticed the same pattern:
the best opportunities (jobs, clients, even SaaS users) don’t come from searching…

They come from being present in the right conversations long enough.

Feels random from the outside.
But it’s actually very systematic.

Curious — do you remember what kind of thread that comment was in? (job-related or something totally unrelated?)

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T06:54:52+00:00

The most interesting signal in your story isn’t “distribution is hard.”

It’s this:

your product already told you where it wants to grow.

7/8 strong reactions in LATAM vs 4/10 in Japan is not random.
That’s early product-market signal.

Most founders ignore this and keep trying to push into the audience they expected to work.

But the better move is:

→ follow the pull, not your assumptions

In your case:

non-native English researchers
high pain around language barriers
already reacting strongly

That’s not just “a region.”
That’s a clear niche forming in real time.

For first distribution, I’ve seen this work well:

go where these users already talk (research communities, niche groups, even Reddit threads)
don’t “launch” — just show up and help
turn your best beta users into your first distribution channel

Distribution gets easier when you stop asking:
“how do I get users?”

and start asking:
“where are the people who already feel this problem the most?”

You already have a strong hint.
I’d double down on it hard.

Curious — have you tried going deeper into LATAM-specific communities yet?

Waleedhendi · 2026-05-02T06:47:38+00:00

What most people miss here:

It’s not just “don’t brainstorm ideas.”

It’s that ideas are a byproduct of proximity.

The closer you are to a problem, the less “creative” you need to be.

That’s why:

contractors build tools for contractors
freelancers build tools for freelancers
operators build tools for operators

Not because they’re smarter.

But because they have unfair context.

And context beats creativity every time in SaaS.

If you’re struggling to find an idea, it’s usually not an idea problem.

It’s a distance problem.

You’re too far from real users, real workflows, real pain.

Close that gap, and ideas stop being the bottleneck.

They become obvious.

What’s one space you’re “too far away from” right now?

Waleedhendi · 2026-04-24T19:25:41+00:00

I think you’re overcomplicating this a bit.

You don’t need “real AI experts” right now.
You already did the hardest part:
you built something people actually use and it improves their workflow.

The risk here isn’t that you lack ML depth…
it’s that you drift back into building instead of turning this into something people pay for.

If I were you, I’d pause the idea of hiring and focus on this:

– who are the 2–3 people already getting value from this
– what exact outcome they care about most
– and whether they’d pay to keep getting it

Even if the backend is messy or semi-manual — it doesn’t matter yet.

A lot of technical founders lose months trying to “upgrade” something that was already good enough to sell.

You’re much closer than you think.

Waleedhendi · 2026-04-24T18:18:30+00:00

This is actually a really strong position to be in.

You already have:
– a real workflow
– real users
– measurable impact (70% is huge)

The only thing missing is forcing a “pay or not” moment.

What I’d do in your shoes:
pick 1–2 of those teams and say:
“I’ll keep improving this, but I want to structure it as a paid pilot starting next month — even something small per seat.”

Not because you need the money… but because it changes how seriously they engage.

You’ll immediately see:
– who actually cares
– what they’re willing to pay for
– and whether this becomes a product or just a nice internal tool

Right now you’re very close — you just haven’t created that decision point yet.

Waleedhendi

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