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Free library · Strategy

Your first customer matters more than your first logo

September 12, 20264 min read

Where to spend your first 30 days, and where not to.

New founders love the parts of a business that feel like a business: logos, business cards, websites, company registration. They are satisfying and safe, because no customer can reject them.

Your first 30 days should go almost entirely to the opposite: conversations where someone could say no.

A 30-day plan

  • Days 1–5: Write down who you help and the one problem you solve. Make a list of 30 people who fit.
  • Days 6–20: Talk to them. Ask about the problem, not your idea. Offer to solve it for a small price.
  • Days 21–30: Deliver for whoever said yes. Ask what almost stopped them buying.

What to skip for now

A custom logo, paid ads, an app, an office, a complicated pricing page. You can buy all of these later with money from customers.

The payoff

One paying customer teaches you more about your business than a month of planning. Ten paying customers give you a business worth branding.

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