No customers, no testimonials, no social proof. It's the classic chicken-and-egg problem that every founder faces in the early days. How do you build credibility when you don't have anyone to vouch for you yet? Here's the playbook for manufacturing social proof from scratch.
The Types of Social Proof (Beyond Testimonials)
When most founders think "social proof," they think customer testimonials. But social proof is much broader than that. Here are all the forms you can leverage:
- Waitlist numbers: "Join 500+ others waiting for launch" signals demand even before you have customers.
- Beta tester quotes: Early users who are testing for free can still provide testimonials about the experience.
- Founder credibility: Your past experience, background, and track record matter. Use them.
- Media mentions: Even coverage from small blogs or newsletters counts. Display logos.
- Advisor and investor logos: Who's backing you? This signals smart money believes in your vision.
- Community size: Discord members, newsletter subscribers, social followers—all signal audience validation.
- Product demos: Show the product working. Visual proof is still proof.
The Build in Public Strategy
Building in public is the fastest way to accumulate social proof before launch. Here's why it works:
When you share your progress openly—every milestone, every metric, every lesson learned—you're doing two things simultaneously. First, you're creating a trail of evidence that real work is happening. Second, you're inviting your audience to become emotionally invested in your success.
By the time you launch, your audience feels like they're part of the journey. They've watched you struggle, celebrate, and iterate. That emotional connection converts to support, shares, and sales.
Practical Early-Stage Tactics
- Launch a landing page immediately: Start collecting emails from day one. Display the count prominently.
- Interview potential customers: Publish insights from these conversations. This shows you understand the market.
- Partner with established voices: Guest post, podcast interviews, or collaborations transfer their credibility to you.
- Share your revenue publicly: $0 → $100 MRR is still a story. Every milestone matters.
- Create content that demonstrates expertise: Original research, unique frameworks, or contrarian takes position you as an authority.
The Frame That Changes Everything
You don't need 10,000 customers to have social proof. You just need proof that real people believe in what you're building. A genuine message from one beta tester can be more powerful than 50 generic testimonials from paying customers.
Start documenting your journey today. Every founder you admire started at zero—they just made sure to capture proof along the way.