Obsessed Customers Beat Mass Market

Shaan Puri and Sam Parr share their experiences about getting initial customers, emphasizing that targeting small, highly engaged niches is more effective than pursuing the mass market. They believe that getting the right first 100 customers who are deeply passionate about your product is crucial for organic growth.

Key Points:

• The "Pissing in the Pond" Strategy:

  • Don't try to "boil the ocean" (target mass market)
  • Focus on small but hyper-obsessed communities
  • 10-100 customers is a big win when starting from zero

• Value of Niche Communities:

  • Facebook groups with 5,000 passionate people > general audience of millions
  • These customers become natural evangelists
  • They're the ones others look to for recommendations

• Storytelling Approach:

  • Share the ups and downs of building the product
  • Be transparent about mistakes and learning
  • People root for the underdog and authentic stories

• Real Results Example:

  • Generated $28,000 in first month revenue
  • Only spent $500-1000 on ads
  • Most revenue came from targeted niche group

• Key Strategy Elements:

  • Find where your passionate users already gather
  • Become part of their community
  • Make the water "warmer not uncomfortable"
  • Tell authentic stories about your journey

• The Power of Niches:

  • "Niches make riches"
  • High engagement rates from targeted content
  • Better conversion rates than mass market approaches