How first10 compares to every other way to get early users
Product Hunt, Reddit, LinkedIn, paid ads, cold outreach — we've been there. Here's an honest look at what each channel delivers and where first10 fits.
Channel-by-channel breakdown
An honest look at cost, targeting, and feedback for every major early-user channel.
Product Hunt
- How it works
- Launch a product page and hope for upvotes. Traffic spikes on launch day, then disappears.
- Cost
- Free to launch
- Targeting
- None — open to everyone, no ICP filtering
- Feedback
- Comments and upvotes, not structured product feedback
- Best for
- One-day visibility boost and social proof
- How it works
- Post in relevant subreddits or run ads. Communities are wary of self-promotion, so it is easy to get downvoted or banned.
- Cost
- Free to post · ad CPCs vary
- Targeting
- Interest-based by subreddit — no firmographic ICP filtering
- Feedback
- Public comments if people engage — unstructured and unguaranteed
- Best for
- Niche communities, if you contribute genuinely rather than pitch
- How it works
- Post organically or run ads to a professional audience. Build a following over time or pay for reach.
- Cost
- Free organic (slow) · $300–1500 CPA for ads
- Targeting
- Strong firmographic filters — role, industry, company size
- Feedback
- Likes and the occasional comment — no structured product feedback
- Best for
- B2B awareness and outbound, with budget and consistent posting
AppSumo
- How it works
- Offer a lifetime deal at a steep discount. High volume, low revenue per user, mostly deal hunters.
- Cost
- Revenue share on deeply discounted deals
- Targeting
- Deal-seeker audience — rarely your long-term ICP
- Feedback
- Reviews focused on deal value, not product insight
- Best for
- Quick revenue injection at the cost of brand positioning
Paid Ads (Google / FB)
- How it works
- Buy impressions or clicks. Broad targeting with demographic and interest filters.
- Cost
- $200–1000 CPA for SaaS
- Targeting
- Broad demographic filters — high waste, low precision
- Feedback
- None — you get clicks and bounces, not conversations
- Best for
- Scaling acquisition after product-market fit is proven
Cold Outreach
- How it works
- Research prospects manually, write personalised emails, and follow up repeatedly.
- Cost
- Free but 40+ hours/week of founder time
- Targeting
- As precise as your research, as slow as your inbox
- Feedback
- <1% response rate — no structured video feedback loop
- Best for
- Founders with deep domain networks and unlimited time
first10
first10- How it works
- Apply for access. Define your ICP. Receive genuine users who try your product for 12 months and give monthly video feedback.
- Cost
- $20/user (limited time) · $30/user (regular)
- Targeting
- ICP-matched by industry, role, company size, and region
- Feedback
- Structured monthly video feedback for 12 months, guaranteed
- Best for
- Founders who want real users, real feedback, and a path to paid conversion
Why founders choose first10
The six things no other early-user channel gives you at the same time.
ICP precision, not broad reach
Other channels spray your message to everyone. first10 shows your offer only to people who match your ICP on industry, role, company size, and region.
Guaranteed feedback loop
No other channel requires users to give you structured monthly video feedback. On first10, feedback is the condition — no feedback means no free access.
Genuine users, not vanity signups
A first10 genuine user is actively using your product. Not a drive-by signup, not a deal hunter, not a bot.
Known cost, capped spend
Flat fee per genuine user with an automatic cap at your target. No open-ended ad budgets, no listing fees that deliver nothing.
12-month conversion runway
Users get a free year — enough time to integrate your product into their workflow. Upsell mid-year or convert after. Other channels give you a click and move on.
Built-in advocacy
Users who love a free year become your organic advocates — referrals and word-of-mouth inside the exact market you sell to.
Comparison questions
- Why not just launch on Product Hunt?
- Product Hunt is great for a day of visibility, but traffic vanishes within 48 hours and there is no ICP filter. You get attention from everyone — except the people you actually want to sell to.
- How does first10 compare to running paid ads?
- Paid ads charge per impression or click regardless of fit. first10 charges a flat fee only when an ICP-matched user becomes a genuine user. You also get structured video feedback, which no ad platform provides.
- Is cold outreach a better option if it is free?
- Cold outreach costs your time — typically 40+ hours per week for a sub-1% response rate. first10 delivers ICP-matched users without the manual grind, and every user commits to monthly video feedback.
- What about Reddit or LinkedIn?
- Both can work, but neither filters for your ICP or guarantees feedback — Reddit communities punish self-promotion, and LinkedIn reach takes budget or constant posting. first10 charges only for genuine, ICP-matched users who actually adopt and give monthly video feedback.
- Can I use first10 alongside other channels?
- Absolutely. Many founders use first10 to build their initial cohort while experimenting with other channels. The feedback from first10 users often improves messaging for every other channel.
- What makes first10 users higher quality?
- They are ICP-matched before they ever see your offer, they commit to a 12-month trial, and they are required to give structured video feedback every month. That triple filter removes tyre-kickers.
Done comparing? Start getting real users.
Apply for access, define your ICP, and start matching with genuine users who fit — and who give you feedback.
Apply