To find your [[First customers]] once you’re ready to learn and start asking [[Questions]] you’ll have to start talking to people first. Ideally you should be able to find them without cold calling or emailing if you have a proper [[Customer Segments|Customer segment]] and did [[Customer Slicing]] properly. If you are building a product that scratches your own itch, you’ll likely know who your customers are and have access to them. If not, it can be harder. ## Cold Leads You don’t want these unless it’s all you have - if you’re good in meetings they’ll introduce you to other people like them and it should snowball from there. See [[Asking for meetings]] on examples on how to get these. ## Cold Calls 2/100 people will reply, the rest wont. It’s a good way to stay open to serendipity and can get the ball rolling - just don’t be discouraged if 98/100 people reject you. ## Immerse yourself in where they are Think of where your customer would be and try to hang out there - put yourself in [[luck]]’s way. ## Bring them to you People are suspicious when you reach out and try to sell them on something. What about when they find you instead? - Organize meetups - Selling to people who need tech jobs? Organize some event for all of people that fall into that category - Build a landing page - See who your biggest users are and talk to them - Speaking & Teaching - Teaching people will refine your message and organically attract your customers to you ## Creating Warm Intros Converting warm leads are infinitely easier than cold ones. - 7 degrees of separation - You can find anyone you need if you ask for a couple introductions (Kevin Bacon’s law of 7 degrees of separation) - Industry advisors - People who are well respected in the industry can make great introductions - Universities - Professors can have great intros - Investors - Top tier investors are great for B2B intros - Applies to anyone who has bought into your idea - who can they connect you to? For warm leads, If you have the option to meet in person like a quick coffee chat, it’s preferred over phone meetings. Easier, more friendly, and more likely to become friends rather than a phone interview which can be way too [[Formality|Formal]].