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Find a case you can use.

49 company-focused case studies. 14 other essays and guides. 63 public blog entries in total.

This index counts the entries on this website, not every First 1000 newsletter issue. A case means a company-focused article; a cross-company essay is listed separately. The tags describe approaches discussed in the case, not a measured ranking of its acquisition channels.

For a starting plan, read marketplace first transactions or developer-tool first customers.

49 of 49 case studies shown.

CompanyProduct typeApproachRead the case
BloombergEnterpriseDirect salesBloomberg Sold the Delivery Date Before the Product Was Finished
PostmatesMarketplaceManual fulfillmentPostmates Changed the Marketplace After Users Asked for Anything
Roam ResearchSoftwareCommunityRoam Built for Power Users Before It Built the Hype
RobinhoodConsumer financeWaitlistRobinhood Made the Queue a Product
SketchSoftwareCommunitySketch Let the Community Build the Last Mile
SnapchatConsumer appCommunitySnapchat Found the Audience After the Product Failed to Spread
UdemyMarketplaceSupply creationUdemy Built the First Course Before Recruiting Instructors
WayfairCommerceNiche storesWayfair Turned Narrow Stores Into a Growth Portfolio
AtlassianDeveloper toolsDocumentationAtlassian Turned Documentation Into a Sales Wedge
CalmConsumer appAcquisition productCalm Built a Viral On-Ramp Before It Built the App
CanvaSoftwareNarrow initial marketCanva Started With Yearbooks, Not Everyone
DiscordConsumer appCommunityDiscord Found Its First Users in the Game Communities It Served
EtsyMarketplaceCommunityEtsy Borrowed Communities Before It Had a Marketplace
MixpanelSoftwareDirect salesMixpanel Got Its First 100 Customers by Leaving the Office
Morning BrewMediaCampus distributionMorning Brew Turned Campus Pitches Into a Distribution System
RedditConsumer appSupply creationReddit Had to Manufacture a Town Before It Had a Community
CalendlySoftwareRecipient experienceCalendly Made the Recipient the Growth Channel
ConvertKitSoftwareMigration serviceConvertKit Sold the Switch, Not Just the Software
GitHubDeveloper toolsCommunityGitHub Gave the First User a Reason to Stay
ZapierSoftwareExisting requestsZapier Started With Requests for Specific Integrations
UberMarketplaceDirect recruitmentHow Uber got its first customers
StripeDeveloper toolsHands-on installationHow Stripe recruited its earliest customers
DoorDashMarketplaceManual fulfillmentThe First 200 Orders Were the Product
TinderConsumer appCampus distributionTinder Used One Campus Channel Until the Loop Worked
ZumperMarketplaceSupply creationZumper Built the Supply Side First
ShopifySoftwareCommunityShopify Found Its First Product Demand in the Rails Community
NotionSoftwareCollaboration invitationsNotion Turned Flexibility Into a Distribution Loop
LinearSoftwareFounder networkLinear's First Users Came From Product Taste and Founder Network
AirbnbMarketplaceEvent demandAirbnb Tested a Market One Weekend at a Time
PageFlowsSoftwareExisting audiencePageFlows Let Its Audience Find the Paid Wedge
ClassPassMarketplaceProduct iterationClassPass Changed the Metric Until the Product Worked
Product HuntCommunityCommunityProduct Hunt Seeded Culture Before It Chased Scale
SnackpassMarketplaceCampus distributionSnackpass Built Campus Density Before Broad Awareness
SpotifyConsumer appProduct experienceSpotify Made Waiting Feel Worse Than Paying
Stitch FixCommerceManual serviceStitch Fix Started With a Google Form
WazeConsumer appCommunityWaze Let a Tiny Group Build the Map
Cash AppConsumer financeProduct iterationCash App Built a Startup Inside Square
CameoMarketplaceNarrow activityCameo Found the Marketplace by Shrinking the Activity
CarSwitchMarketplaceManual serviceCarSwitch Launched the Marketplace Before It Could Build the Whole Platform
Mid-Day SquaresCommerceFounder contentMid-Day Squares Made the Founders Part of the Product
NikeCommerceDirect salesBlue Ribbon Found Its First Customers at Track Meets
SliceMarketplaceMerchant outcomesSlice Sold More Orders Before It Sold the Platform
ToucanConsumer appExisting habitsToucan Fit Language Learning Into the Habit People Already Had
Barstool SportsMediaLocal distributionBarstool Turned a Free Newspaper Into a Local Attention Business
InstagramConsumer appSmall launch cohortA launch works better when scarcity and listening do different jobs
JournifyConsumer appAcquisition productBuild the smallest useful product before the product is ready
Musical.ly / TikTokConsumer appSupply creationCreator products need content liquidity before they need creator scale
DoopollSoftwareDirect salesAn enterprise wedge can buy the time needed to find the product
OnlyFansMarketplaceCreator referralsA marketplace referral program should reward the supply you need

Other essays and guides