When I launched Affiliate Corner, I knew I couldn’t wait around for customers to magically discover me. Instead, I leaned into Paul Graham’s famous advice: “Do things that don’t scale.”
Those early, hands-on efforts not only got my first users—they laid the groundwork for the growth engines I’d turn on later. Here’s how I did it, step by step.
Phase 1: Unscalable Hustle for Early Wins
1. LTD Marketplaces
I listed Affiliate Corner in several lifetime-deal (LTD) marketplaces to grab that first wave of users who love a bargain and are happy to provide feedback.
2. Cold DMs for Partnerships
I spent mornings researching complementary founders and sending highly personalized DMs—no templates. When I showed I understood their product and audience, I landed sponsorship swaps and co-marketing deals.
3. Cold Emails for B2B Sales
On the B2B side, I built a small list of target companies, found their decision-makers on LinkedIn, and sent concise, benefits-focused emails. Each reply taught me how to sharpen my pitch.
4. Meta Ads Experiments
With a handful of real users onboard, I ran small-budget Meta campaigns to test different hooks and creatives. I watched cost-per-acquisition closely and paused any ad that didn’t produce meetings or signups.
5. SEO for My Niche Site
While all that was happening, I was also writing blog posts, optimizing landing pages, and targeting long-tail keywords. Over time, organic traffic grew until I had another steady source of leads.
All that hustle culminated in a solid portfolio of social proof, case studies, and real revenue—and ultimately, I sold Affiliate Corner for a healthy five-figure sum.
Phase 2: Scale the Winners
Once I had paid customers, clear messaging, and proven ad creatives, I shifted into growth mode:
- Ramp Up SEO by turning customer questions and success stories into high-ranking content.
- Increase Ad Spend on the Meta campaigns with the best ROI, and expand to lookalike audiences.
- Lock in Long-Term Partnerships with the contacts I’d cold-DM’d, turning one-off swaps into ongoing co-marketing ventures.
By doubling down on the tactics that had delivered real results, I moved from scrappy startup to sustainable growth engine—without burning through my budget on untested channels.
Why This Two-Step Approach Works
- Real Feedback Over Guesswork
Selling one deal by cold outreach teaches you more than staring at ad dashboards. - Proof Before Spend
You’ll only scale channels once you know they actually convert, avoiding wasted ad dollars. - Adaptability
Some products—especially high-ticket B2B—will always need personal outreach. Others blossom under SEO or paid ads. Run experiments, measure, and pivot.
Your Next Steps
- List your unscalable tactics. Cold emails, marketplace listings, whatever you hate—but that can net you your first customers.
- Execute relentlessly. Log every response, tweak your copy, refine your targeting.
- Gather proof. Testimonials, revenue numbers, case studies—these are your launchpad.
- Flip the switch. Invest in SEO, paid ads, influencer partnerships, or referral programs around the channels that proved profitable.
There’s no one-size-fits-all sales playbook. But by first doing the unscalable work to uncover what resonates, then scaling those winners, you’ll build a growth engine that’s both resilient and repeatable. Now go get your first customer—then double down on what works.
