Most founders build, then hunt for users. I locked in 2 influencer partners before writing a single line of code. Around 900 signups in 10 days, $0 ads.
Standard indie playbook: build the thing, launch it, then panic about where users come from. I did it in the opposite order on purpose, and it's the only reason this worked.
Before I wrote any code, I brought on 2 influencers as partners. Not paid shoutouts, actual partners, in from day zero, with skin in the game. The deal was simple: they own distribution, I own the product. I didn't start building until that was locked.
Why this matters more than it sounds:
1. The channel was validated before the product existed. Most people validate the is this a good idea. Almost nobody validates the do I actually have a way to reach people. The idea was never my risk, distribution was. So I removed that risk first.
2. The influencers shaped what I built. They know in their gut what makes someone stop scrolling. So the product roadmap was basically what produces a video worth posting. I cut half my planned features because they would never generate shareable output. That feedback loop does not exist if you build in a cave first.
3. Day 1 distribution, zero cold start. The moment it was usable, there was an audience already primed. No launch to crickets. First 10 days at around 900 signups, $0 in ads, purely organic short form (TikTok/Reels).
The content loop itself is dumb simple: every video is a 7–15s before → after. Normal input → AI result, no talking, no intro, result visible in the first 0.5s.
What flopped: I still wasted the first 2 days trying to make videos good. Polish lost to volume ~10:1. Also tried tutorial style content, nobody cared, pure before/after beat it every time.
The real lesson: validate your idea is the wrong advice. Validate your distribution. An average product with a locked channel beats a great product nobody sees. Recruiting the people who would push it before building was the highest leverage thing I did, and it cost me 0 dollars, just conversations.
Anyone here has done distribution first too, or if you think building first is still the right call for most cases.
Thanks,
BigPandaG