My 'Anti-Guru' Approach to Marketing: Finding My Voice & Attracting My First Users

My 'Anti-Guru' Approach to Marketing: Finding My Voice & Attracting My First Users

The internet is a firehose of marketing advice. Every other day, a new "guru" pops up with a secret formula for viral growth or a guaranteed path to millions.

Honestly, most of it felt… off. Too aggressive, too salesy, too much about hype and not enough about substance.

I'm building products to solve real problems, not to play a marketing game I don't understand or even like.

This discomfort with the typical "marketing guru" playbook left me feeling stuck. How was I supposed to get my product in front of people without feeling like I was pushing something they didn't need? I wanted to attract users who genuinely benefited from what I was building, not just chase vanity metrics.

So, I decided to ditch the guru advice and build my own approach. I call it "Show, Don't Sell." It's a simple framework, but it's been incredibly effective for me in finding my voice and attracting those crucial first users.

The core idea is to focus on documentation, problem-solving, and authenticity. Instead of telling people how great my product is, I show them.

Here’s how it breaks down:

1. Document the Journey: I started sharing the raw, unvarnished process of building my products.

This includes the tech stack decisions, the late-night coding sessions, the inevitable bugs, and the small wins. This transparency builds trust and attracts people who appreciate the grind.

2. Solve Problems Publicly: I actively look for problems my target users are talking about online - on Reddit, Hacker News, Twitter.

Then, I share how I'm tackling those problems, often with snippets of code or workflow improvements. If my product can solve that problem, I show it in action.

3. Build in Public (Authentically): This isn't about manufacturing success.

It's about being open about progress, challenges, and learnings. When I release a new feature, I explain why I built it and what problem it solves, often showing a quick demo.

For my current project, a simple task management tool for solo developers, I started by posting on Reddit communities where developers discuss productivity. I didn't lead with "Buy my app!" Instead, I shared a post about a specific workflow challenge I faced and how I built a small script to automate it. It turned out many others had the same issue.

Then, I showed how my task manager integrated with that workflow. People who resonated with the initial problem-solving post were naturally curious about the tool I used. They saw it as a solution, not a sales pitch.

This approach helped me attract my first handful of beta users. They weren't just random sign-ups; they were people who understood the problem I was solving because I’d shown them the struggle and the solution.

The biggest takeaway for me is that you don't need to be a marketing guru to attract users. You just need to be authentic, helpful, and willing to share your journey.

Your Actionable Steps:

• Identify a problem: What's a common pain point for your target audience?
• Document your solution: Share how you're building something to address it.
• Be transparent: Talk about the process, not just the outcome.
• Show, don't tell: Let your work and your journey speak for themselves.

This "Show, Don't Sell" mindset has made marketing feel less like a chore and more like a natural extension of building. It’s about connecting with people who share your vision, one authentic step at a time.