The Secret to Building a User Waiting List (Before Finishing Your App)

Summary

This video script offers a strategy for app founders to build a user waiting list before launching their product. It advises against traditional promotional methods, which often fail, and instead suggests starting genuine, helpful conversations with potential users to solve their problems. The speaker shares personal experiences and practical steps, emphasizing the importance of early user engagement for sustainable project growth and valuable feedback.

Takeaways

• 🚀 Starting to find your first users before launching your app is crucial for success, as waiting until after launch can lead to failure 9 times out of 10.
• 💡 Creating a user waiting list is a simple and effective strategy for app founders to generate interest before the product is even finished.
• 🔍 Avoid the 'send and cringe' approach where mass emails or social posts are sent out, feeling pushy and promotional, which often leads to negative feedback or silence.
• 🤔 Founders often misinterpret silence or negative feedback as a sign that their app idea is not good, instead of recognizing it as a communication issue.
• 💬 Reframing the mindset to see your app as a solution to a problem makes it easier to start conversations with potential users without feeling like you're inconveniencing them.
• 🤝 Converting someone to be on an early user waiting list should feel like starting a helpful conversation with an acquaintance or friend, not a sales pitch.
• 🌟 Use your expertise in the problem your app solves to start conversations that provide value and naturally lead to interest in your app.
• 📚 Share the knowledge you have about the problem your app solves, as what seems like common sense to you might be valuable insights for others.
• 📈 Start with unscalable outreach methods like direct emails or conversations to gain valuable feedback and understand your audience better before scaling up.
• 📊 Scalable outreach methods like social media posts or podcasts are useful for reaching a larger audience but may have a lower initial conversion rate.
• 🔑 Learning from early, direct conversations with your first users will inform and improve your scalable outreach strategies later on.

Q & A

Why is it crucial to find your first users before launching an app?

Finding the first users before launching is important because waiting until after the launch can lead to failure in most cases. Without initial user feedback and interest, it can be challenging to sustain the project long enough to attract users after launch.

What is the 'send and cringe' approach mentioned in the script?

The 'send and cringe' approach refers to the method where people send out a large number of emails, social posts, or messages to promote their apps, feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable because the messages seem overly promotional and pushy.

Why do people often feel like they need to take the 'send and cringe' approach?

People often feel the need to take the 'send and cringe' approach because they believe it's the only way to get their first users or customers, despite the discomfort it brings.

What negative consequences can result from the 'send and cringe' approach?

Negative consequences include receiving no responses, or receiving polite deflections instead of genuine interest. This can lead founders to doubt their app idea, potentially causing them to overhaul their product or abandon development altogether.

What is the alternative approach to the 'send and cringe' method suggested in the script?

The alternative approach is to start helpful conversations with potential users by sharing knowledge relevant to the problem the app solves, positioning it as a solution they might be interested in rather than a hard sell.

Why should app founders feel confident in sharing their knowledge about the problem their app solves?

App founders should feel confident because their knowledge is valuable to those who have the problem the app addresses. It's not common sense to them, and sharing this knowledge can help initiate conversations that may lead to genuine interest in the app.

What is the significance of reframing the idea of conversions when building an early user waiting list?

Reframing conversions as starting helpful conversations rather than promotional activities helps founders connect with potential users in a more natural and engaging way, increasing the likelihood of genuine interest and sign-ups for the waiting list.

Can you provide an example of how to start a conversation with potential users as suggested in the script?

An example is sending an email to business owners in the same industry, sharing a lesson learned and how it was implemented to improve client success, offering help and value, and naturally mentioning the app as a solution in the conversation.

What is the importance of scalability in early user outreach methods?

Scalability is important as it allows for reaching a larger audience. However, in the early stages, it's more effective to focus on unscalable, direct conversations for higher return and valuable feedback, which can inform more scalable efforts later on.

Why might starting a YouTube channel before having the first customers be a waste of time?

Starting a YouTube channel before having the first customers could be wasteful because the content created would be based on assumptions rather than real user feedback. It's better to gain insights from initial users and then create content that addresses their needs and interests.

How does gaining the first 10 users help in shaping more scalable efforts later on?

Gaining the first 10 users allows founders to learn about their target audience's needs, preferences, and pain points directly. This knowledge can then be used to inform and refine scalable outreach efforts, such as social media campaigns or blog posts, to better resonate with a larger audience.