It’s tough building anything at all, not to mention things that last. A solution to a real problem (not one propped up by marketing buzzwords or fading trends) can feel like trapping lightning in a bottle. But it is possible, and when it happens, it can be the birth of a unicorn or just another Tuesday. Because, unfortunately, even the best solution is useless if the people who need it don’t know it exists.
This is one of the many reasons founders are obsessed with tracking early traction. Any metric that signals their unique solution is reaching the right audience becomes welcome validation for their hard work and sleepless nights.
Most startup playbooks talk about the “first 100 users.” But there’s an equally important (and often overlooked) milestone:
your first 100 readers.
Why?
Because attention is currency! And the founders who learn to earn and keep it? They’re already ten steps ahead.
Why Your First Readers are More Valuable Than You Think
Your first readers, unlike users, are the earliest witnesses of your brand’s message. These people either:
- Believe in your solution so much that they’re willing to peek behind the scenes, or
- Are so drawn to your story that they eventually plug into your solution.
They are like a teenage lover: they’re in it just for you, not for the transactional trappings of adult relationships. They saw something in you that resonated—and in some cases, they can even save your life.
First readers are core to the HackerNoon story.
If you’re unfamiliar, we started on Medium as Hacker Daily in early 2016, officially rebranding to HackerNoon in April of that same year. But we didn’t gain real traction until October 2016, when stories like How it feels to learn JavaScript in 2016 and I’m harvesting credit card numbers and passwords from your site. Here’s how. (to mention a few) started drawing in a loyal, curious readership.
We continued to serve this audience into 2017, when we launched our first sponsorship package to create a steady revenue stream. All was well: the community was growing, money was coming in, and the lights were on.
Then, in the fall of 2018, Medium banned all third-party ads.
In a bid to survive and stay true to our principles, we turned to those same first readers, launching a crowdfunding campaign that made the HackerNoon of today possible. And many of those readers have never left. Some have been with us for nearly a decade.
That’s the power of the first reader. They should never be taken for granted.
Early readers are:
- Your Feedback Loop: They’ll help you understand what resonates, what doesn’t, and what’s confusing about your messaging.
- Your First Advocates: People who read and connect with your content are more likely to share it — and refer others.
- Your Ideal Persona Mirror: The right readers signal you’re writing for the right market. The wrong ones? A signal to adjust course.
The Trap Most Founders Fall Into
“I’ll start writing once we’re out of beta.”
“We don’t have a content team yet.”
“Not sure anyone would care about what we’re building.”
But here’s the thing: every startup has a story worth telling, and the earlier you start, the more value it compounds over time.
Take KD Squares, winner of Startups of the Year 2024 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. They’re building solutions for tough problems they’ve personally faced:
“Our team is made up of people who’ve lived the problems we’re solving. Many of us learned tech skills while navigating power cuts, limited internet, and systemic barriers—but we didn’t stop there. From operations strategists to automation engineers to course creators, everyone at KD Squares is obsessed with impact and excellence. We foster innovation through weekly retros, open feedback culture, and a shared hunger to build solutions that truly work.”
Their readers will connect with their solution because they trust that KD Squares understands the problem in the first place. And as they grow and expand in the future, their transparency, their stories will only hold more value for loyal readers and customers.
When you show up with consistent, genuine content about your journey, your problem space, or your insights, you:
- Build credibility
- Sharpen your messaging
- Create a trail of traction long before launch day.
And you don’t need a content agency to do so. All you need is a real audience.
That’s where we come in!
Grow Your Audience the HackerNoon Way
Gain your first 100 readers (and then thousands after that) by sharing your story with our Business Blogging Program. It is one of the many ways we help brands grow their reach and connect with the right audience. This program lets businesses publish content directly on HackerNoon to boost brand awareness and build SEO authority by tapping into ours.
At HackerNoon, we have a soft spot for startups — hence our Startups of the Year 2024 awards, which highlighted thousands of emerging companies across the globe, including incredible founders at Info du Burkina (Startup of the Year 2024 in Burkina Faso) and Encryptecl Cyber Guards (Startup of the Year 2024 in Mumbai).
And because we’re always looking to shine a light on startups shaping our collective future, we created a special Business Blogging package for startups to help you share your story with a dedicated audience of technologists, investors, and builders who care.
Here’s what you get:
- Backlinks to your website (yes, including CTAs)
- A personalized Tech Company News Page featuring your logo, intro, call-to-action, and socials
- Full editorial support to make your story shine
- Multiple permanent placements on HackerNoon and social media promotions
- Stories converted into audio format and distributed via audio RSS feeds
- Automatic translation into 12 languages for global reach
- Your brand also gains domain authority and SEO via canonical links, and the story is distributed across 8 different relevant keyword/tagged pages for better organic discoverability.
