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Your first HR software buyers are on LinkedIn, but not in your feed. They are in specific searches, comment threads, groups and job posts where people describe the exact problem you solve. Here is where to look and what to say once you get there.

All guidesFor founders of an HR software

1. Search posts, not people

Use LinkedIn's post search for pain phrases, not product names. Try "onboarding spreadsheet", "performance reviews nightmare", "switching HRIS" or "PTO tracking", then filter by Posts and Past week. The people writing or commenting on these posts are buyers who are actively thinking about the problem. Reply under the post with something useful before you send any DM.

2. Target the first HR hire at 20 to 150 person companies

Use people search with titles like "Head of People", "People Operations Manager", "HR Generalist" and "Office Manager". Add a company size filter of 11 to 200 employees. These people often own HR alone, run it on spreadsheets and can say yes without a procurement committee. Write to them about one specific task, for example: "Saw you're the first People hire at a 60-person team. How are you handling review cycles today, spreadsheet or a tool?"

3. Watch job posts for HR roles

Go to LinkedIn Jobs and search "People Operations" or "HR Manager" at startups. A company hiring its first HR person is about to set up tools from scratch. Message the founder or COO who posted the job, not the recruiter: "Noticed you're hiring your first People lead. Happy to show what they'd inherit on day one if you set up onboarding now. Worth 15 minutes?"

4. Join SHRM and People Ops groups, then read the rules

Look up LinkedIn groups such as SHRM's official group, "HR Professionals" and People Ops or HR Tech groups. Most of them ban self-promotion in posts, so do not post your product. Answer questions where you know the answer, like how to structure a probation review. Members who find your answers useful will check your profile, so make sure it says plainly what you built.

5. Comment on HR creators' posts

Follow 10 to 15 active HR and People Ops voices, then turn on notifications. Leave specific comments early, for example by sharing the exact checklist you'd use for a 30-60-90 onboarding plan. Their audience is your buyer list. When people reply to your comment, follow up in a DM by continuing that thread, not by pitching.

6. Use event attendee lists

Search LinkedIn Events for HR webinars, SHRM chapter meetups and People Ops virtual roundtables. Attendees and commenters are visible, and they joined because they care about the topic. Send a note that references the event: "Saw you're attending the onboarding session Thursday. I'm building a tool for exactly that problem and would love your take after."

7. Turn your own profile into the landing page

Your headline should name the buyer and the problem, for example "Helping first HR hires run onboarding without spreadsheets". Every visitor from the steps above lands here. Add a featured post showing a 60-second screen recording of the product. Skip any claims you can't back up.

8. Do it every day, in small batches

Ten good comments and five personal DMs a day beats 200 templated messages a week. Track who replied and follow up once after four days. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can run these searches daily and draft the messages for you to review.

People asking this right now

Real, public posts from the last few weeks. Each one is somebody you could help today.

Mistakes to skip

  • Pitching in the first DM before you know how they handle HR today.
  • Messaging enterprise CHROs who need security reviews and a 9-month sales cycle.
  • Posting product links in groups that ban self-promotion and getting removed.
  • Sending the same template to everyone so it reads as automated.

Want this done for your HR software, 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.

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Questions

Do I need LinkedIn Sales Navigator?

No. Free search with title and company size filters, post search and Jobs is enough to find your first 10 buyers.

Who should I message, HR or the founder?

At companies under 50 people, message the founder or COO. Once a company has a People lead, message that person.

How many DMs per day is safe?

Keep connection requests to about 15 to 20 a day with a short personal note. That pace avoids LinkedIn limits and keeps quality high.

What do I offer in the first conversation?

A 15-minute call to hear how they handle the problem today. If it fits, offer to set them up yourself as an early user.