Most new creators believe their first customers will come from going viral on social media.
They picture strangers stumbling onto their product, word spreading fast, sales rolling in overnight.
But that’s not how it really works.
If you’re starting from scratch, your first 10 customers don’t find you.
You find them.
They’re not random clicks or lucky breaks, they’re connections.
Think about how every major company started.
Airbnb’s first guests weren’t tourists. They were friends who needed a place to stay during a conference.
Stripe’s first users weren’t faceless startups. They were developer friends who needed an easier way to take payments.
Even Shopify began with the founder building a snowboard store for himself, then other store owners asked how he did it.
The early wins never come from ads or algorithms, but from access and trust. In today’s digital era, people buy from people who make them feel seen. They buy from someone solving a problem they personally understand.
That’s why the smartest creators don’t wait to “launch.”
They start talking.
They tell people what they’re building, also known as “build in public”. They ask prospects and customers about their problems and what they’re missing They invite others to be part of the creation story.
This way, they don’t just get customers… but raving fans.
Look around.
Your first customers are already there: followers, colleagues, friends, small communities who believe in what you’re doing. They just need a reason to say yes.
And when they do, that moment matters.
Because your first ten customers don’t just validate your idea, they end up becoming the foundation for everything that follows.
