1. Sort the list by who feels the pain
Go through every signup and tag them: firm principal, office manager, project architect, or unknown. Principals and office managers at firms of 3 to 20 people care most, because they chase timesheets and lose money on fixed-fee projects that run over. Look up each email domain to see the firm's size and project types. Start with the 20 best fits, not the whole list.
2. Set a simple price before you talk to anyone
Pick one number you can say without hesitating. A reasonable starting point is $12 per user per month, or a flat $99 a month for firms up to 10 people. Write it down so you don't discount on the call. You can change it after 10 conversations, not during one.
3. Make a founding customer offer
Give early buyers a reason to commit now: 40% off for life, direct access to you, and a say in what you build next. Ask for an annual payment up front, or the first month paid today. Example: "Founding firms pay $59 a month instead of $99, locked in for as long as they stay. I'm taking 10." Make the cap real and stick to it.
4. Email each top signup personally
Skip the newsletter blast. Send a short plain-text email from your own address. Example: "Hi Maria, you joined the waitlist for [Tool] in March. It now tracks hours by project phase (SD, DD, CD, CA) and flags when a fixed fee is about to go over budget. I'd like to set it up for your firm this week. 20 minutes Thursday or Friday?" Use their name, their firm, and the phases they actually bill against.
5. Run the call around their last overrun
Open with: "Tell me about the last project where you ran past your fee." Let them explain how they found out, usually too late, in a spreadsheet. Then show the tool on their own case: phases, hours, budget remaining. Keep the demo under 10 minutes.
6. Ask for payment on the call
Don't end with "let me know what you think." Say: "The founding price is $59 a month for your whole office. I can send the payment link now and have your team logged in today. Want to start?" If they hesitate, ask: "What would need to be true for you to start this week?" Then deal with that one objection, or set a date to decide.
7. Fill gaps from where small firms already talk
If the waitlist runs dry, go where small-firm architects talk shop: r/Architects, the AIA Small Firm Exchange, local AIA chapter events, and LinkedIn searches like "principal" plus "architecture" with 2 to 10 employees. Post a useful question, such as "How do you track hours against phase fees without a full ArchiOffice or Deltek setup?" Then message the people who reply and offer the founding deal.
8. Follow up twice, then move on
Send one follow-up after 3 days and one after a week, each with something new: a short loom on their workflow, or the founding spots left. After that, mark them as later and put your time into new conversations. Hulby, an AI cofounder, runs this list, drafts these messages and tracks follow-ups daily for founders who'd rather spend the time on calls.
Mistakes to skip
- Emailing the whole waitlist with a launch announcement instead of personal asks to the best-fit firms.
- Offering a long free trial instead of asking for payment, which delays any real decision.
- Demoing every feature instead of showing how the tool catches phase budget overruns.
- Talking to junior staff who like the tool but can't approve spending, instead of the principal or office manager.
Want this done for your time tracking tool for small architecture firms, 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
Should I offer a free trial?
Not at first. Offer a paid first month with a refund if it doesn't work. Paying customers give honest feedback and tell you if the price is right.
How many waitlist signups should become customers?
It varies a lot. Focus on the number you personally ask. If 10 good-fit calls produce no buyers, change the offer or the audience, not the volume.
What if they already use Excel or a big tool like Deltek?
Excel users are your best prospects, because they feel the pain and have no switching cost. Firms on big systems are usually larger than your target, so don't chase them.
Per user or flat pricing?
Flat pricing for small firms is easier to say yes to, since the principal doesn't have to count seats. Add per-user pricing later for firms over your size limit.