Goal: Recruit 100 named friendly users to Poppify on iOS by 2026-06-30. They'll surface real-world bugs, validate the seed economy, and become your earliest advocates pre-Product Hunt. Today's reality: 11 users, 213 posts created, ~$0 real IAP revenue. Gap: +89 users in ~8 weeks.
100
named users in app · trial cohort target by 2026-06-30
Today: 11 / 100
Need: +89
Window: 8 weeks (~11/wk)
11 / 100 confirmed0 / 100 named slots filled
1 · Recruitment Funnel · Stages
0 · IdentifyPick name + best channel (DM/text/email/call)
1 · Reach OutPersonal message · 2-3 sentences · what + why them
2 · OnboardApp Store link · 5-min setup walkthrough · 100 free seeds
3 · ActivateFirst published post within 7d · check in
4 · Engaged≥3 posts in 14d · feedback session booked
2 · Cohort Categories · Target Mix of 100
Family
10
Trust + emotional support. Not core ICP, but useful for onboarding QA: if your aunt can't get past sign-up, it's a UX problem, not user error.
Discovery prompts
Spouse / partner / immediate family adults
Siblings (incl. spouses), parents
Cousins active on social media
Anyone in family with a side hustle / small business
✓
Name
Relationship / Channel
Notes
Close Friends
15
Inner circle. Honest feedback + first referrals. Some are creators-adjacent; all care enough to actually try it.
Discovery prompts
Top 5 contacts in WhatsApp / iMessage
Group chat regulars
People you've seen in person in last 3 months
Best man / maid of honor type relationships
✓
Name
Channel · Likely-fit?
Notes
Current Colleagues
15
Daily Slack/email access. Some are creators in their own right (LinkedIn, YouTube). Easy to ask for 5 minutes of testing.
Discovery prompts
Manager + skip-level + direct reports
Cross-functional partners (PM, design, marketing)
People who post on LinkedIn regularly
Anyone with a personal brand or side project
✓
Name
Role / Team
Notes
Former Colleagues
15
Bigger reach across companies + industries. Often reachable on LinkedIn DM. Many in adjacent SaaS/creator/agency spaces.
Discovery prompts
Last 2-3 jobs · top 5 from each
People you've referred or been referred by
Old managers · old reports
Anyone now at a creator-adjacent company
✓
Name
Where they are now
Notes
LinkedIn 1st-Degree (Active)
15
People who like/comment on your posts already. Pre-qualified interest in what you're building — minimum friction to ask.
Discovery prompts
Top engagers on your last 5 LinkedIn posts
People who DM'd you about Poppify previously
Connections at SMBs / agencies / creators
Anyone you've congratulated or who congratulated you in 2026
✓
Name
Why fit
Notes
Creator + Founder Friends
10
Highest product-fit. Will give actionable creator feedback. Some have audiences to amplify on launch day.
Discovery prompts
Other indie hackers / Twitter founder friends
Social media managers you know
Agency owners (1-10 person shops)
Influencers / creators 1K-100K followers in your niche
✓
Name
Platform / Audience
Notes
Online Inbound
10
Self-selected interest. Waitlist signups, social DMers, comment-engagers. They're already trying to give you their email — just take it.
Discovery prompts
Waitlist emails from /api/admin/visitors
Anyone who DM'd "interested" / "let me know"
Replies on launch teaser posts
Friends of friends introduced via DMs
✓
Name / Handle
Source
Notes
Service Providers · Vendors
5
People you've paid for work — oddly engaged because they like you and value the relationship. Good signal for QA + edge cases.
Discovery prompts
Designer · accountant · lawyer · contractor
Photographer / videographer you've worked with
Coach / therapist (if comfortable asking)
Personal trainer · barber / hair stylist with social presence
✓
Name
Service / Trade
Notes
Alumni · Weak Ties
5
University, conferences, slack groups, alumni networks. Broadens the pool beyond your tight circle. Lower conversion rate, but easy to ask.
Discovery prompts
University classmates · alumni Slack/Discord
Conference contacts (last 12 months)
Founder Slacks · indie hacker communities
Local entrepreneur meetups / chambers
✓
Name
Connection / Channel
Notes
3 · Reach-Out Templates · Save 30 minutes per cohort
Family / Friends (warm)
"Hey [name] — quick favor. I shipped Poppify on iOS this week (the AI content tool I've been on about). Would love your reaction in 10 mins. App Store: [link]. I'll throw 100 free seeds in your account so you can play. Honest feedback > nice feedback."
Colleagues (semi-warm)
"Side project update — Poppify's live on the App Store. If you ever post on LinkedIn / IG, I'd love 10 mins of your time to test the strategy + caption flow. 100 free seeds for trying. No expectation of feedback unless you have it."
LinkedIn DMs (cold-ish)
"Hey [name] — saw your [recent post / project]. I just shipped Poppify (AI tool for the kind of content you do). Want early access? 100 free seeds, no commitment. App Store: [link]. Would love your read on the caption AI."
Creators / Founders
"Founder-to-founder ask. Built Poppify for [their niche / use case]. Live on iOS this week. Want first look? Free Studio pack (1.8K seeds). I want hard feedback on the AI quality + the seed economy."
Online Inbound
"Thanks for signing up to the waitlist — Poppify's now live on iOS. Here's your early-access link: [App Store URL]. 100 free seeds in your account when you sign in. DM me if anything breaks."
Service Providers
"Hey [name] — built an AI tool for social content, and I'd love your eye on it (you've always had good design sense). 5 mins, free seeds, App Store: [link]. No pressure if it's not your thing."
The week-by-week ask: Pick ~11 names from above each week. Send personal messages on Monday/Tuesday. Follow up with non-responders on Friday. Track in this doc — every ✓ nudges the progress bar.
Asymmetric effort: Family + close friends + inbound = quickest 25 to confirm (Week 1-2). LinkedIn + colleagues = bulk in Week 3-5. Creators + alumni = slowest, save for Week 6-8.
Never solo-broadcast: Personal 1:1 always. A mass post on LinkedIn might net 5-10 inbound — count those in the Inbound bucket, but don't expect them to substitute for outbound.
0
Family Filled
0
Friends Filled
0
Professional Filled
0
Confirmed (✓)
5 · Activation Tracking · Beyond the Recruit
Recruiting 100 is half the job. The other half: getting them to publish their first post. Run a weekly check-in on:
Activation rate — % of recruits who publish ≥1 post within 7d (target 45%)
Bug pile — every reported issue logged + tagged P0/P1/P2
Retention W2 — % still active 14 days after onboarding (target 35%)
Feedback sessions — book 5-10 30-min calls with the most engaged trial users (Wk 4 onwards)