The fastest way to get your first customers (without building an audience)
Words I like: If you don’t own distribution, you better learn how to rent it.
ANOTHER DAY
ANOTHER STARTUP INSIGHT
Most founders waste months trying to grow an audience from scratch thinking:
“I need to grow a huge following first before launching so I can get customers”
Wrong.
What you need is attention.
Not followers.
Not likes.
Just people who give a damn.
While, indeed, building your own audience early on is sustainable in the long run, it’s completely a bad idea when you want to validate and sell fast in the early-stage.
Why?
Because building trust takes time.
And attention is expensive.
So… why don’t you borrow an audience instead?
It’s the shortcut.
When you “borrow” an audience, you skip the line.
You plug your message into someone else's credibility.
And that’s how you grow before you're ready.
Trust is transferable.
Distribution is leverage.
This is literally the cheapest growth hack no one's using.
Here are 6 scrappy ways to borrow an audience:
✅ 1. Get quoted in a niche newsletter
Find niche newsletters that your customers read.
DM the writer.
Send a spicy insight, useful stat, or mini case study about your product.
If they feature you → boom, you’re in front of thousands, instantly.
Most niche newsletter writers are hungry for good content — they won't reject a solid pitch.
Some might feature you for free.
Others may ask for a small sponsorship (a couple hundred bucks) — but it’s worth it.
📌 Btw — What A Startup does this too!
We love spotlighting founders!
If you want to:
1. Promote your business to 2,000+ readers:
A shoutout right at the top of the email that can include a banner, a headline, 4 sentences, and a CTA button. A featured sponsor mention in 3 back-to-back newsletter issues for maximum visibility.
2. Share your startup story:
A dedicated feature/spotlight in our newsletter, including a compelling write-up of your startup’s story and mission, and a link to your website or landing page. Let's us tell your story!