How SaaS startup guys get first 100 customers first, make fkn $500k ARR fast? | Hacker NewsHacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitloginHow SaaS startup guys get first 100 customers first, make fkn $500k ARR fast?9 points by nandakishor_ml 1 hour ago | hide | past | favorite | 20 commentsI am running a small AI company that has been building an offline security audit app, simply a fine-tuned small language model powering an Electron app that can audit GitHub and local code repos for security stuff. I always see these LinkedIn or X guys making $500k ARR or $1m ARR within months; how the fkk do they get that many customers without spending on ads? I can't even get 5 customers; damn it, I do suck at sales help

namanyayg 24 minutes ago | next [–]
You need to set up a methodical go-to-market process.You can automate some of it, but it's good to start manually and learn the ropes first.You need to understand who your ideal customer is and what channels are they on.Linkedin is a common one for b2b sales.If you make 200 connections on linkedin every week and send them a message, some % of that will convert to meetings and sales (the exact % depends on your audience, message, and how urgent the pain you're solving is)It is extremely hard at start, especially for engineer types (like myself)Fortunately, it's a skill like any other that can be learned.Read this article for more info https://x.com/namanyayg/status/2097783972302557668?s=46replyprettyblocks 20 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
As someone who gets a ton of these inbounds every day, I report every single one of them as spam.replynandakishor_ml 12 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [–]
I teach AI and have around 18k Instagram followers and about 9k on LinkedIn. Do I need to connect with Instagram influencers for a collab? Is it a good way?, just curious. Btw linkedin cold message gives conversion?replybix6 22 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [–]
Please don’t send me messages on LinkedIn. The spam is unbearable.replyNevin1901 8 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
They have an ICP, a no-brainer offer, and they reach out to hundreds of people per day. They also test multiple offers. That's literally it.Most people can't get customers because they don't do enough targeted consistent volume over one channel.For example, email requires minimum ~300 targeted sends per day to see any sort of replies. Anything less and you're guessing.The people running ads spend thousands per month before they have a winning angle, and even then target relatively modest ROAS.People who make content make it with little views for months or years before finding something that works.All of this takes time, and more volume than you could imagine. Take however many outreaches you think you should be doing per day, and 10-100x it. That's the real number.And anyone who tells you "all cold outreach is spam, don't send it!" doesn't understand the game. Most people who view your content/outreach won't buy or find it interesting. The whole point of outreach is to find the 1% who do.So TLDR: Do more volume and test more offers. There is no shortcut. The people who are winning mostly do more volume than you do.replynandakishor_ml 5 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
but sending 300 ish emails make all of my email outbound to spam right!!replyrespectattentio 26 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
How much you want? $1M? $10M?I could easily give you that title. Or maybe you can even do that yourself.Lots of new companies are either faked, or amplified.Example:
If I made a sale of $100 this hour, it can become $864K ARR, with amplification (100 x 24 x 30 x 12).What to do?
Focus on your job and forget everybody else. Don't ever judge progress by revenue alone. A low revenue company who invents something in energy could be worth all companies exist today. But you never hear about it, because it is the real stuff.replynandakishor_ml 7 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
Its fking frustrating and exhausting when you spend 8 months to build something genuinely good and not another AI wrapper and can't get money out of it and teach ai to survive. It sucks manreplymoezd 28 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
To my estimation, you are in B2B, competing with the likes of Wiz. Those with $500k ARR are usually "ad forwarding" or "networking" companies. Think about how you distribute your software, that's probably more important than your current features.replynandakishor_ml 1 hour ago | prev | next [–]
Is it because I live in a remote place in India and don't have connections to SF companies, like they have companies in the backyard that raised 100 million and can easily make money? This stuff has been bothering me for years!! What am I missing?replybix6 18 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
that’s certainly part of it. Your network access matters.replynandakishor_ml 10 minutes ago | root | parent | next [–]
but some people dont have office make shit ton of money from ai slop saas? genuinely frustrated by all the effort I put and no outcomereplyalchemism 1 minute ago | root | parent | next [–]
The thing about gold rushes, and market manias, is that the outcomes are irrational.replykaydub 23 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
You get sales first. Then you build the thing.replynandakishor_ml 1 minute ago | parent | next [–]
But you do need a product for sales aint itreplytmpz22 29 minutes ago | prev | next [–]
They cannibalize their social group. For example, they will make a lot of immediate small deals with other people in their cohort, incubator, or investor circle, and then use these deals to get to their next round of investment. Functionally those early sales are just there for signal.That or they just lie on socials.replytmpz22 24 minutes ago | parent | next [–]
Further, if you "cheat" your first tranche of sales you're potentially burying a valuable negative feedback loop for your product and sales development. The real hurdle, afaik, is mid-market and enterprise sales which is a big jump from getting your buddy to sign a small one year contract.replynandakishor_ml 3 minutes ago | root | parent | next [–]
So going for an incubator is a good approach as I do have functioning productreplytoomuchtodo 1 hour ago | prev | next [–]
How do you know they’re not lying? Words are free.replynandakishor_ml 1 hour ago | parent | next [–]
thats true, but many are genuine btwreply

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Achieving rapid customer acquisition and substantial annual recurring revenue for a SaaS startup requires establishing a methodical go-to-market process. This process necessitates a deep understanding of the ideal customer profile and the specific channels where those customers reside, with LinkedIn being highlighted as a common avenue for B2B sales. One suggested approach involves high-volume outreach; for example, actively connecting with and messaging hundreds of individuals daily can yield sales, although the conversion rate depends heavily on the message, audience, and the perceived urgency of the problem being solved.

The discussion emphasizes that success in client acquisition requires consistent, targeted volume, noting that methods like email outreach demand a significant number of targeted sends—approximately three hundred daily—to observe any meaningful replies; less volume results in guessing. Similarly, those who rely solely on paid advertising often spend substantial amounts before finding a winning angle, demonstrating that success is not derived from a simple shortcut. The consensus is that the true path forward involves testing multiple offers and focusing on greater outreach volume, often suggesting multiplying anticipated outreach efforts by ten or one hundred.

Regarding skepticism about cold outreach, the participants acknowledge that while some perceive it as spam, the fundamental purpose of outreach is to find the small segment of the market that is interested, suggesting that the focus should be on volume and testing rather than avoiding outreach entirely. Furthermore, the discussion touches upon the role of networking and access to connections, indicating that for some successful ventures, the quality of the network matters significantly.

In the context of capturing early sales, some commentators suggest that securing initial deals serves a purpose beyond immediate revenue; these early sales can provide critical signals for future development and investment rounds. However, the difficulty often shifts toward capturing mid-market and enterprise sales, which is a considerable leap from securing initial small contracts. Ultimately, achieving significant revenue involves understanding distribution strategy, as the method of software distribution may be more critical than the product's features alone. The overall learning point is that while the path appears challenging and frustrating, achieving high revenue often involves a combination of rigorous testing, high volume, and an understanding of market dynamics, recognizing that purely irrational expectations often accompany market manias.