Product Launch Strategy: From Zero to First 100 Customers

Here's what most founders get wrong about launching:

They think launch day is the important part.

It's not.

Your launch is the culmination of 4-8 weeks of preparation.

This guide shows you exactly how to launch your product and get your first 100 customers.

The Pre-Launch Phase: 4-8 Weeks Before Launch

Preparation is where launches are won or lost.

Week 1-2: Foundation

1. Define Your Target Customer

Who exactly are you targeting first?

Be Specific:

"SaaS founders" → Too broad
"First-time SaaS founders with 100+ email subscribers" → Specific

Deliverable: Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) document

2. Build Your Waitlist

Start collecting interested users before you launch.

Methods:

Landing page with email capture
Social media announcement
Content marketing
Personal outreach
Partner promotions

Goal: 100-500 people on waitlist before launch

3. Create Launch Content

Essentials:

Homepage (clear value proposition)
About page (founder story)
Pricing page (even if "contact us")
FAQ page
Blog or resources section
Social media profiles

Launch-specific:

Launch announcement copy
Email sequences (3-5 emails)
Social media posts (10-15)
Press release
Partner/customer announcements

Week 3-4: Amplification

1. Build Your Audience

Grow your following before launch.

Platform Strategy:

LinkedIn: Professional content
Twitter/X: Behind-the-scenes, tips
Newsletter: Direct communication
Product Hunt: Launch day boost

Post 2-3x per week consistently

2. Secure Early Adopters

Find your first 10-20 customers before launch.

Outreach Strategy:

Personal network (warm leads)
LinkedIn (direct messages)
Email (researched prospects)
Communities (Reddit, Slack, Discord)
Complementary products (partnerships)

Offer:

Early access (exclusive)
Discount (founding customer pricing)
White-glove support

3. Prepare Press and Influencers

Create Press Kit:

Company logo
Founder headshots
Product screenshots
Company description
Key stats and milestones
Contact information

Identify Targets:

5-10 journalists who cover your space
5-10 influencers in your niche
5-10 podcast hosts

Personalize outreach:

Reference their recent work
Explain why this matters to their audience
Offer exclusive access

Week 5-6: Momentum

1. Soft Launch

Test with small group before big launch.

Purpose:

Find bugs and friction
Test onboarding flow
Get initial feedback
Build social proof

Group:

10-20 beta users
Personal network
Early adopters from waitlist

2. Gather Testimonials

Get quotes from beta users.

Ask for:

One sentence about the problem they solved
One sentence about the result they achieved
Permission to use name and photo

Use for:

Homepage
Landing pages
Social proof
Press outreach

3. Finalize Launch Assets

Checklist:

All pages live and tested
Payment processing working
Email sequences ready to send
Social media scheduled
Press release finalized
Customer support process defined
Analytics and tracking configured
Launch team roles assigned

Launch Day: The Execution

Morning Routine (6-9 AM)

1. Final Checks

Test signup flow end-to-end
Verify payment processing
Check all pages load correctly
Confirm email deliverability
Monitor analytics setup

2. Launch Email

Send to your list:

Subject: [Product] is now live 🎉

Hi [Name],

After months of building, we're finally launching.

[Product] helps [target customer] achieve [outcome].

Join [X] people who are already using [Product]:

[Launch Link]

Special offer for you: [Offer]

Get started now →

[Name]
Founder, [Company]

Mid-Day (9 AM - 12 PM)

1. Social Media Posts

Post on all platforms:

LinkedIn: Professional announcement
Twitter/X: Behind-the-scenes, launch excitement
Instagram: Visual content, stories
Newsletter: Launch announcement

Post Timing: Space 2-3 hours apart

2. Product Hunt Submission

If applicable:

Submit at 12:01 AM PST (earliest possible)
Add compelling screenshots
Write clear description
Invite supporters to upvote and comment

Engage with every comment on Product Hunt

3. Press Outreach

Send personalized emails to journalists and influencers:

Subject: Launching [Product] - Helping [ICP] achieve [outcome]

Hi [Name],

I noticed you wrote about [relevant topic] recently. We just launched [Product], which helps [ICP] achieve [outcome].

[One sentence about unique approach]

Would you be interested in trying it? Happy to provide access.

Best,
[Name]

Afternoon (12 PM - 6 PM)

1. Monitor and Respond

Check analytics every 30-60 minutes
Respond to every user signup personally
Fix critical bugs immediately
Answer support questions quickly
Engage with social media comments

2. Celebrate Wins

Share progress with team and community:

First 10 signups
First paying customer
Positive feedback
Press coverage

Evening (6 PM - 10 PM)

1. Launch Day Report

Compile end-of-day metrics:

Total signups
Active users
Paid conversions
Revenue
Press mentions
Social engagement
Support tickets

2. Thank Your Community

Send thank-you email or post:

Subject: Day 1 Complete - Thank You! 🙏

Hi [Name],

Incredible first day.

[Results: X signups, Y paying customers, Z community members]

Couldn't have done this without you.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

[Name]

Post-Launch: First 100 Customers

Week 1: Momentum

Daily Actions:

Send follow-up emails to signups
Personal outreach to paying customers
Monitor and fix issues immediately
Collect and showcase testimonials
Post daily on social media

Metrics to Watch:

Daily signups (goal: 10-20)
Activation rate (goal: 40%+)
Conversion rate (goal: 5-10%)
NPS score (goal: 40+)

Week 2-4: Optimization

1. Analyze Data

Where are signups coming from?
Which channels convert best?
Where do users drop off?
What features are most popular?

2. Double Down on Winners

Invest in top-performing channels
Improve lowest-performing funnels
Add features users actually use
Remove features users ignore

Week 5-8: Scale

1. Expand Reach

Increase ad spend on proven channels
Launch referral program
Partner with complementary products
Guest post on relevant blogs
Pitch to more press

2. Improve Retention

Add onboarding improvements
Implement in-app messaging
Build community features
Create content for users
Launch customer success program

The First 100 Customer Timeline

Week	Goal	Activities
1	20 customers	Personal outreach, launch momentum
3	60 customers	Referral program, content marketing
4	80 customers	Paid ads, partnerships
5-8	100 customers	Scale what's working

Common Launch Mistakes

Mistake #1: No Pre-Launch Preparation

Wrong: Launch and hope

Right: Build waitlist, create content, secure early adopters

Mistake #2: Launching to Everyone

Wrong: Announce to world immediately

Right: Soft launch to beta users first, then expand

Mistake #3: Ignoring Early Feedback

Wrong: "We'll fix that in V2"

Right: Listen to first 100 users, prioritize their feedback

Mistake #4: No Follow-Up

Wrong: One launch email, done

Right: Nurture signups with 3-5 email sequence

Mistake #5: Celebrating Too Early

Wrong: "We made it!" after launch day

Right: Launch is day 1. First 90 days determine success.

Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch (4-8 Weeks Before)

Define ideal customer profile
Build landing page with email capture
Grow waitlist to 100-500
Create all launch content
Build social media presence
Secure 10-20 early adopters
Create press kit
Prepare press outreach

Launch Week

Soft launch to beta users
Fix bugs and friction points
Gather testimonials
Finalize all launch assets
Schedule launch day content

Launch Day

Send launch email
Post on all social platforms
Submit to Product Hunt
Send press outreach
Monitor and respond constantly
Share updates with community

Post-Launch (Week 1-8)

Daily follow-up with signups
Personal outreach to paying customers
Collect and showcase testimonials
Analyze data and optimize
Double down on winning channels
Implement user feedback
Scale proven strategies

Need Help Launching Your Product?

At Startupbricks, we've helped dozens of startups launch successfully and reach their first 100 customers. We know what works, what fails, and how to execute.

Let's talk about launching your product.

Startupbricks

Product Launch Strategy: From Zero to First 100 Customers