Building a startup is like trying to start a fire with wet matches. You need that initial spark, but getting people to notice your product feels impossible when you’re competing against companies with million-dollar marketing budgets.
The good news? Some of today’s biggest tech companies started exactly where you are right now – with zero budget, no users, and a crazy idea that might just work.
I’ve been digging into the early days of companies like Pinterest, Tinder, and Discord, and honestly, their first “marketing strategies” were so unconventional they’d probably get you kicked out of any MBA program. But they worked. And they might just inspire your next move.
The Apple Store Guerrilla Attack That Built Pinterest
Back in 2010, when Pinterest was just another startup bleeding money, co-founder Ben Silbermann had a problem. Nobody was visiting Pinterest.com, and traditional marketing was way outside their budget.
So he did something that sounds completely insane: He started visiting Apple Stores.
But here’s the genius part – he wasn’t shopping. He was turning every display Mac’s homepage to Pinterest. Then he’d casually hang around in the back, and when curious shoppers asked about “this Pinterest thing,” he’d act surprised and say something like “Oh wow, I’ve been seeing this everywhere lately!”
The psychology was brilliant. People trust what they think others are already using. Those Apple Store visits turned into thousands of signups because potential users thought Pinterest was already popular.
The lesson: Sometimes the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all. When you can’t afford to advertise everywhere, make it look like you’re already everywhere.
Tinder’s Exclusive Party That Created Campus FOMO
Dating apps were dying in 2012. People were tired of lengthy profiles and awkward online interactions. Tinder had a different approach – swipe left or right – but getting those first users was brutal.
Instead of begging people to download their app, Tinder’s founders threw an exclusive party at USC with one simple rule: You couldn’t get past the bouncer without showing the Tinder app on your phone.
300 people showed up. But more importantly, word spread across campus like wildfire. Students who couldn’t get in were downloading Tinder just to attend future parties. The app went from zero to thousands of users in weeks, all because they made their product feel exclusive instead of desperate.
The lesson: Scarcity creates desire. Instead of making your product available to everyone, make people feel like they’re missing out if they don’t have it.
Strava’s Simple Friend-Chain That Built a Community
When Strava (https://www.strava.com) launched in 2009, fitness apps were boring spreadsheets disguised as motivation. The founders knew cyclists and runners didn’t just want to track their workouts – they wanted to show off.
Their “marketing strategy” was refreshingly simple: They invited 100 of their cycling buddies to try the app and asked each one to bring exactly one friend.
No ads. No influencer partnerships. Just “Hey, try this thing and bring a friend.”
That word-of-mouth chain reaction turned into 1,000 users in the first year. But more importantly, it created a tight-knit community where people actually knew each other. Those early users became evangelical about Strava because they felt like they were part of something special, not just another app.
The lesson: Sometimes slow, intentional growth beats viral explosions. Build relationships, not just user numbers.
DoorDash’s Door-to-Door Hustle Before They Had an App
Here’s what most people don’t know about DoorDash (https://www.doordash.com): Before they built their platform, they literally walked door-to-door in Palo Alto convincing restaurants to join their service.
But they didn’t stop there. The founders personally delivered every single order themselves. Tony Xu, now DoorDash’s CEO, was biking around Stanford campus with takeout bags, making sure customers got their food while it was still hot.
They proved demand existed before writing a single line of code. By the time they launched their app, they already had restaurants lined up and knew exactly what customers wanted.
The lesson: Don’t build it and hope they come. Go to them first, understand their problems, then build the solution.
Discord’s Single Reddit Comment That Changed Everything
Discord (https://discord.com) could have been another failed communication app. Skype dominated video calls, Slack owned business chat, and gamers were stuck with ancient voice servers that barely worked.
Instead of spending months on a marketing campaign, one team member did something beautifully simple: They posted a single comment in a Final Fantasy subreddit.
“Anyone tried this new voice chat called Discord?”
That’s it. One comment. But it hit the right audience at the right time. Gamers were frustrated with existing options, and here was something built specifically for them. That comment sent the first wave of users flooding to Discord’s servers.
The lesson: Find where your ideal customers are already complaining about the problem you solve. Then show up with a solution, not a sales pitch.
Why These “Ridiculous” Strategies Actually Work
Looking at these stories, you might think they’re just lucky breaks or one-time flukes. But they all share three critical elements:
They understood their audience deeply. Pinterest knew people trusted popular things. Tinder understood college social dynamics. Strava knew athletes loved competition. DoorDash understood restaurant owners’ pain points. Discord knew gamers were frustrated with existing tools.
They focused on real problems. None of these companies started with “we need users.” They started with “people are struggling with X, and we think we can help.”
They proved demand before scaling. Instead of building massive platforms and hoping people would come, they validated their ideas with small, focused experiments.
Before You Launch Your Next Growth Hack
Here’s the reality check every founder needs: These strategies worked because they solved real problems for people who desperately needed solutions. The growth tactics were just the delivery mechanism.
If you’re building something right now, ask yourself: Are you solving a problem people actually have? Or are you building something that sounds good in your head but doesn’t address real frustration?
Before you spend months perfecting your product, validate that people actually want what you’re building. Understanding market demand isn’t just helpful – it’s essential.
The most ridiculous growth hack of all? Building something people actually want. Everything else is just distribution.
Want to validate your startup idea before you commit months of development? Learn from these success stories – but make sure you’re solving a real problem first.