1. List everyone who makes or pays for ads
Go through your phone contacts, LinkedIn connections, WhatsApp groups and old coworkers. Write down anyone who runs Meta or Google ads, owns a Shopify store, works as a freelance media buyer, or does social for a local business. Aim for 50 names, even weak ties like a cousin's friend who runs a candle shop.
2. Sort by how often they need new creatives
Put people who launch ads weekly at the top: ecommerce owners, performance marketers, agency account managers. Put people who run one ad a year at the bottom. Frequent creative needs mean faster feedback and a real reason to pay.
3. Search LinkedIn for second-degree matches
Filter your 2nd-degree connections with searches like "media buyer", "paid social", "growth marketer" or "founder Shopify". Note the mutual connection for each. Ask that friend for a quick intro instead of cold messaging.
4. Send a short, personal message
Skip the pitch deck. Try: "Hey Sam, I built a tool that turns a product page into 10 ad variations in a few minutes. You run ads for your store, so you'd tell me straight if it's useful. Can I make a few ads for one of your products this week, free?" Make the offer specific and something they can say yes to fast.
5. Make their ads before they sign up
Take their real product and generate a set of ads yourself. Send them as images or a short Loom video. Seeing ads for their own product beats any demo, and it shows you right away whether your output is good enough.
6. Ask them to run one in a real campaign
Ask them to test your best variation against their current ad with a small budget. Afterward, ask what they changed, what they threw out, and what they'd pay for 20 ads a month. Write down their exact words.
7. Ask for money and a referral
Once someone uses your ads twice, offer a paid plan at a founder price: "I'm opening 10 paid spots at $29 a month, locked in for a year. Want one?" Then ask, "Who else do you know who makes ads every week?" Every agency person knows five more.
8. Repeat it every day
Send five new messages and follow up on five older ones each day until you have 10 paying users. Track every name, reply and next step in a simple spreadsheet. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can handle this daily list-building and follow-up for you.
Mistakes to skip
- Pitching features like model names instead of showing ads for the person's own product.
- Messaging friends who never run ads just because they're friendly.
- Giving free access forever without ever asking for payment.
- Sending one message and never following up.
Want this done for your AI ad generator, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
Isn't it awkward to sell to friends?
Less awkward if you ask for honest feedback first and only charge once they've gotten real value.
How many contacts do I need?
Around 50 relevant names is enough to find your first 5 to 10 paying users.
What should I charge early users?
Pick a simple monthly price and lock it in for early users. Charging anything at all tells you more than charging nothing.
What if my output isn't good enough yet?
That's useful to learn. Fix what they flag, send new versions, and ask again in a week.