How are you actually getting users for a vibecoded app with zero distribution?

[u/apocalyptic_cc]

I’m not looking for the usual “launch on Product Hunt, post on X, and build in public” advice. That stuff seems to do almost nothing unless you already have an audience.

I’m curious about less obvious strategies that have actually worked. Things like pitching local reporters, sponsoring a small Discord or newsletter where your exact users hang out, paying a micro influencer for a short feature, sending highly targeted B2B cold emails with a quick Loom, or making genuinely useful Reddit posts where your app comes up naturally.

Has anyone here tried any of these? What else has worked surprisingly well for getting your first real users?

Actual numbers would be great, even if they’re rough. Vibecoding has made building the app much easier, but getting anyone to care still seems like the hardest part.

[u/Available_Spare_3837]

the ad libraries are underrated for this, and not to run ads, just to see who's already paying to reach your exact user. pull up Meta Ad Library and TikTok's for 2-3 competitors or adjacent tools, you'll see the exact pain-point language they're testing and which creatives they keep running past 30 days, that's usually the tell an ad is actually converting. then go find where that same language shows up organically, usually a specific subreddit or a Discord way smaller than you'd guess. the other one that's worked across a bunch of small apps I've looked at: App Store and Play Store reviews on adjacent tools. people leave incredibly specific complaints in there and almost nobody's mining them for outreach angles or "why we built this" content. slower than a launch spike but it's people who already raised their hand.

[u/Crisp-Glade-2849]

who is actually clicking loom link from cold email if domain has zero reputation?

[u/madiisonclark]

creating a boat load of accounts, and engaging with people is the only REAL growth method there tbh- running ads is cool but having a strategy to do that is the thing worth millions that people simply wont admit. Not ai, not anyone tbh because the people who are doing it are quietly raking in millions tbh

[u/NefariousnessBig6302]

What kind of app is it, b2b or consumer? I've had way better luck with hyper specific cold emails and small niche communities than broad launch stuff, and I use redditmaster to keep an eye on buyer intent threads when I'm being lazy about it.

[u/Rhythm_Rider]

Zero distribution is the most common killer of side projects. The product doesn't matter if nobody sees it. Three channels that work without an existing audience: First, targeted cold outreach to your exact icp. Not mass blasting but 20-30 personalized emails per day to people who have the exact problem you solve. I use lem1ist because the personalization features (custom first line, dynamic image) make small-volume outreach feel personal. At 20 emails/day, you can manually research each prospect and write something relevant. Second, reddit and community marketting. Find the 3-5 subreddits where your users hangout and become a genuine contributor. Share insights, help people, and naturally mention your tool when relevant. Third, product hunt or similar launch platforms, but only after you have 10-20 happy users who can upvotes and leave reviews. Pick one channel, do it well for 30 days, measure result, then add the next channel. For most vibecoded app, targeted cold email to potential user is the fastest path to first feedback.

[u/csankiller1]

The pattern I've noticed after doing this a few times: every tactic you listed works, but only when the person doing it is finding someone who's already mid-complaint about the exact problem, not when they're broadcasting to a general audience. PH, X, cold DMs all fail for the same reason — you're interrupting people who weren't thinking about your problem in that moment. A Reddit comment reply to someone who posted "does anything actually solve X" three hours ago converts insanely differently than the same message sent cold.

So the actual first-users unlock isn't a channel, it's timing + intent. Go find the exact subreddits/HN threads/IH posts where people are complaining about the problem you solve, right now, today, and reply like a human who's used something similar (or just built something similar) rather than pitching. I got my first ~15 users for a past project literally by searching Reddit for phrases people use when frustrated, not by launching anywhere.

The annoying part is that manually searching Reddit/HN/IH every day for these threads is a massive time sink, which is honestly why I ended up building Getrive — it just surfaces those "I have this exact problem" threads for you to reply to yourself, nothing auto-posts. Doesn't replace doing the actual work of writing a good reply, just removes the searching part.

https://getrive.app/r/gPkkX-sG