Key insights

• 🤝 Hand-recruit first 10 customers instead of using elaborate advertising
• 💰 Seek customers who are willing to pay to solve their problem
• 🎯 Target the right customers who genuinely have the problem you're trying to solve
• ⚖️ Qualify customers by charging them to solve the problem
• ❓ Recruit with 4-5 questions to gauge problem intensity and willingness to act
• 🔍 Focus on customers willing to pay and with intense problem, charge them to gauge problem intensity
• 🔒 Use qualifying questions to filter interested customers
• 🚀 Focus on early adopters and filter out browsers

Q&A

• What are the key strategies for targeting and recruiting the right customers?

  Target customers willing to pay and intensely affected by the problem, charge them to gauge problem intensity, use qualifying questions to filter interested customers, focus on early adopters, and connect personally with first customers.

• How should I recruit people for my startup?

  Recruit by asking specific questions to understand their problem intensity and willingness to act. Focus on aggressively getting qualified customers to sign up and connect personally with early customers. Let go of unqualified customers for now and focus on them later.

• Why is qualifying customers by charging them important?

  Qualifying customers by charging them helps gauge the intensity of their problem. Push back from customers on paying indicates a lack of genuine need. Qualifying customers is more important than just closing the first 10 customers.

• What should I consider when targeting the right customers for my startup?

  Target customers who genuinely have the problem you're trying to solve, are willing to pay, and are not just curious or browsing. Charging customers is crucial for the success of the business.

• Why is it important to focus on hand-recruiting first customers?

  Hand-recruiting allows you to find people who have a genuine need for the product, are willing to work with an early-stage startup, and are willing to pay to solve their problem, which is crucial for the success of the business.

• How can I find my first 10 customers for a startup?

  Solve a problem you or someone you know has, start with people you know, and hand-recruit individuals who genuinely need the product and are willing to work with an early-stage startup.

• 00:07 Finding your first 10 customers involves solving a problem you or someone you know has and starting with people you know. Y Combinator advises finding 10 people who love your product in a non-scalable manner.
• 00:43 Finding initial customers for a startup should involve hand-recruiting individuals who have a genuine need for the product, are willing to work with an early-stage startup, and are willing to pay to solve their problem.
• 01:19 Targeting the right customers is crucial for early-stage companies. It's important to focus on customers who have a genuine need for the product. Also, charging customers is essential for the success of the business.
• 01:51 Qualify customers by charging them to solve the problem. Push back from customers on paying indicates lack of problem. Qualifying customers is more important than closing the first 10 customers.
• 02:19 When recruiting people, ask specific questions to understand their problem intensity and willingness to act. Focus on aggressively getting qualified customers to sign up and connect personally with early customers.
• 02:55 Focus on customers willing to pay and with intense problem, charge them to gauge problem intensity, use qualifying questions to filter interested customers, good luck!