CUSTOMER DISCOVERY
How to find customers on X before they find you
Your next customer might already be describing the problem you solve. The useful part of X is often a small question with two replies, not a viral post with ten thousand likes.
Search for the problem, not your product category
Start with one job your product does. Translate it into words someone uses when that job is frustrating: “LLM costs,” “invoice reminders,” or “Gumroad alternative.” Broad category terms often bring back people selling tools to each other.
Try three angles: a problem, an alternative to a familiar tool, and a desired outcome. Keep phrases short. If an exact phrase returns little, split it into the important words and add a request such as “looking for” or “recommend.”
Read the need before calling it a lead
A useful opportunity contains a current problem, a relevant person, and a capability your product actually has. A launch announcement, giveaway, or compliment about a competitor is not automatically buying intent.
Open the original conversation. Check the timing and context. Someone asking for a free open-source library is a poor fit for a paid hosted product unless they say they are considering that option. Save the explanation of why a post fits, not just a score.
Give one useful answer
Respond to the specific question first. If your product helps, say you built it and explain the relevant part in one sentence. Add a link the person can choose to visit. Skip the feature list and avoid claiming personal experience you do not have.
The example here is illustrative. Replace both the claim and URL with your own verified product details. If the conversation does not welcome a product suggestion, move on.
Keep discovery running while you build
In Start tiny, add your website, review the AI product brief and intent phrases, connect X, and activate a subscription for that website. Background discovery screens recent public posts and saves relevant opportunities with reasons.
Open an opportunity to generate a draft in the post’s language with your product URL. Review it, then use Publish reply to copy the text and open the original post. You paste and send on X. The monthly post allowance measures posts screened, including rejected matches, not a guaranteed number of customers.