My first post about Affonso got 232 views, 3 likes, and zero comments.
It wasn't even a launch post. On November 5, 2024, I shared a video of an onboarding update. I'd launched in October, but for some reason hadn't posted about it yet.
Probably because I had no audience and didn't see much point. Looking back, I wish I'd started earlier.
At that stage, people could use Affonso for free. I had pricing on the website, but there was no way to pay inside the app. I mostly wanted feedback.
After that first video, I started posting regularly. Early on, I also set up X Pro to monitor my biggest competitors' names and relevant keywords like “affiliate software.” That became my main acquisition channel.
Every day, I went through the matching posts. There were people looking for alternatives to competitors, asking for recommendations, or having problems with the software they were using. I didn't need an audience to find those people and talk to them.
I'd reply in the comments and try to help. I also sent cold DMs. In both cases, I tried to get a conversation going and understand the problem before bringing up Affonso. If I thought it could actually help, I'd offer it.
A mention of a competitor wasn't enough on its own. I had to read what the person was saying and understand why they were looking for something else. Those conversations also helped me understand my ideal customers better. I got to hear what frustrated them and where they were getting stuck, in their own words.
That was what made this so useful early on. I could speak to potential customers and get feedback directly. SEO would have taken time to build up. With X Pro, I could find a relevant post and start a conversation that day.
My first customer came from someone I found that way.
The offer helped too. Above the subscription plans on my pricing page, I had a separate card for what I called the Revenue Pass. For $49 once, you could use Affonso until your affiliates had generated $10,000 in revenue.
I don't like lifetime deals, so I tied this offer to a revenue limit. I wanted it to feel like a no-brainer for someone who needed Affonso.
My first sale came in January 2025. Over time, I sold around 300 Revenue Passes, raised the price to €99, and eventually removed the offer.
The conversations helped me understand whether Affonso could solve someone's problem. The Revenue Pass made it easier for them to give it a try.
X worked for me because the people I wanted to reach were already there, talking about problems Affonso could solve. That's also why being active on X and LinkedIn makes sense for me. If your potential customers aren't on those platforms, posting there every day won't do much for you. You need to find a way to actually interact with them wherever you can reach them.
That's why I think cold outreach is one of the best ways to get started. You can reach out to someone who seems like a good fit, ask about their problem, and find out whether what you're building could help. You don't need to build an audience before you can have that conversation.
For me, it was a mix of replies and DMs. I tried to help before I offered anything, and I learned more about my ideal customers as I went. That's the part I'd repeat if I were starting again. I'd figure out where I could reach the people I wanted as customers and start talking to them. I'd still post where it made sense, but I wouldn't wait for my posts to bring people to me.
— Silvestro