High — days Pre-Revenue

Who do I ask to be my first paying customer — and how?

You have users but no paying customers. Someone has to be first. Do you ask your most active user? A stranger? Do you email, DM, or put up a paywall? The first sale is the hardest and most important signal you'll get.

1–1 people SaaS, Service Business, Creator / Media, Marketplace High — days

The Pattern

Based on 331 decisions

72%

Positive outcome

7.0

Avg score

331

Decisions

63 positive 24 negative 244 pending

10 scale 311 optimise 10 experiment

What founders did

high confidence

Monetisation Case Studies

Curated library

SaaS Founder (Unnamed): Develop initial customer acquisition strategy post-launch (2026)

An early-stage SaaS founder, having just launched their first product, faces the crucial strategic decision of determining the most effective channels and strategies to acquire their initial customer base. This …

SaaS Launched — Pre-Revenue Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.1

Undisclosed SaaS: Adjust strategy after 0 users in 2 weeks post-launch (2026)

After launching their first SaaS and failing to attract any users within two weeks, the founder made a critical decision to implement a new strategy ('here's what I'm trying next'). …

SaaS Launched — Pre-Revenue Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.3

Startup (unnamed): Launch product on Product Hunt

A startup decided to officially launch its product on Product Hunt, a platform popular for showcasing new tech products. This is a deliberate channel strategy for gaining early visibility, attracting …

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.7

Startup: Evaluate pivot to GUI App + subscription model (2024)

An early-stage SaaS startup is grappling with a fundamental business model decision: whether to continue with a 'GitHub repo + deployment fee' model, which might appeal to developers, or pivot …

SaaS Building — Pre-launch Experiment — Promising but unvalidated

5.9

Unnamed SaaS Founder: Implement new growth strategy after zero users (2026)

An unnamed SaaS founder, after launching their first product and acquiring zero users in two weeks, decided to implement a new strategic approach. This decision involves analyzing the initial failure, …

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.3

Unnamed SaaS Startup: Changing user acquisition strategy after zero users post-launch (2026)

After launching their first SaaS product and acquiring zero users within two weeks, this founder decided to pivot or significantly alter their user acquisition strategy. This is a critical adaptive …

SaaS £0–5k/month Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.3

SaaS Founder: Evaluate business model pivot from deployment fee to subscription GUI app (2026)

A SaaS founder is at a crossroads, considering whether to transition their business model from a GitHub repository with a deployment fee to a GUI application with a subscription. This …

SaaS £0–5k/month Experiment — Promising but unvalidated

5.9

SaaS Founder: Iterate on growth strategy after 0 users post-launch (2026)

A SaaS founder made the crucial decision to change their growth strategy after launching their product and acquiring zero users in two weeks. They were deciding whether to persist with …

SaaS Launched — Pre-Revenue Optimise — Working but needs refinement

6.7

As founders contribute their monetisation decisions, you'll see what people at your exact stage are doing too.