How to Get Your First Customers

In this Y Combinator talk, Gustav emphasizes the importance of founders engaging directly in sales to kickstart their startups, as outlined in Paul Graham’s essay “Do Things That Don’t Scale.” He highlights that a good product alone isn’t enough; founders must manually recruit customers, as demonstrated by Airbnb’s early success. Gustav discusses the startup curve, noting that persistence through the “trough of sorrow” and learning sales tactics are critical for reaching product-market fit. Founders should prioritize easy-to-close customers, use simple, jargon-free sales emails, and track conversion rates with CRM tools. Charging for products validates value, and working backward from sales goals ensures effective outreach. Tools like Apollo.io and resources like Lenny’s Newsletter are recommended.
Source:Y-Combinator