Launch and grow

Your first 100 orders: a launch plan for a new D2C brand

A practical eight-week plan to win your first 100 customers: warm network, communities, creators, small paid tests, feedback loops, reviews and tracking.

By Orvexa TeamUpdated 7 October 20263 min read

A family and shop staff choosing sarees together on the shop floor — Photo: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0 · All photo credits

Key takeaways

Your first 100 orders come mostly from people who already trust you or a community
Track where each order came from and what customers say, then double down on what works
Turn every early customer into a review, a repeat order or a referral

The first 100 orders are different from the next thousand. You will not find them with a perfect ad. You will find them through people, conversations and fast learning.

Before you start

A working store with tested checkout and delivery (launch checklist).
A way to see where orders come from, even if it is just asking at checkout "How did you hear about us?".
A WhatsApp number that someone answers quickly.

Weeks 1 to 2: warm circles

List 100 people who might buy or know someone who would: friends, family, colleagues, old classmates, supplier contacts. Message them personally. Do not broadcast. Ask for a purchase, and ask for an introduction. Offer a modest first-order benefit if it makes sense.

Expect a quarter or so of your first orders from this circle, and a lot of useful feedback.

Weeks 3 to 4: communities

Find where your customers already gather: WhatsApp and Facebook groups, hobby communities, local events, housing societies, college groups, subreddits and forums. Read the rules, contribute before you sell, and share when it helps. A sample or a discount code for the group can help.

Weeks 4 to 6: creators and content

Work with a handful of micro-creators whose audience matches yours (influencer guide). Gift products, ask for honest content and give each a unique link or code to measure results. Post your own behind-the-scenes content: making, packing, customer stories.

Weeks 5 to 8: small paid tests

Run small, controlled ad tests once your product page converts. Start with a few hundred rupees a day on one audience and one message. Judge by cost per order and by what comments and questions reveal. Stop what does not work quickly.

The feedback loop

After each order:

Send updates and a thank-you (order updates).
After delivery, ask what they thought and what nearly stopped them buying.
Ask for a review (reviews).
Ask for one referral.

Write the answers in one document, and fix the top issue every week.

Track a simple scoreboard

Metric	Why
Orders by source	Where to focus
Conversion rate	Is the store working?
Average order value	Pricing and bundles
Delivery issues and returns	Operations quality
Reviews and repeat orders	Early loyalty

Common mistakes

Spending on ads before the product page converts.
Selling only to friends and mistaking it for demand.
Ignoring negative feedback.
Not collecting contact details (with consent), so you cannot reach buyers again (opt-ins).

What to do next

Write your list of 100 names today. Message ten of them this afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get 100 orders?

It varies widely by product, price and effort. Many brands take a couple of months. Use the timeline here as a guide and adapt it.

Should I discount to get early orders?

A modest first-order offer can help, but avoid deep discounts that anchor your price too low. Aim for orders from people who would pay a fair price.

Do I need ads?

Not necessarily. Many early customers come from personal outreach and communities. Add paid tests once you know the page converts.

Topics:first customerslaunch plangrowthearly tractiond2c