Where to Find Interview Subjects When You Have Zero Users
"I want to validate my idea but I don't have any users to interview."
This stops a lot of founders. It shouldn't. Finding interview subjects isn't that hard. It just requires knowing where to look and what to say.
This guide covers 8 proven channels with exact templates you can use today to recruit 10-15 interview subjects before the end of the week.
The Interview Recruitment Funnel
Before diving into channels, understand the math:
To get 10 completed interviews, you need roughly:
- 100 people reached (via outreach)
- 20 people respond (20% response rate, if you're good)
- 15 people agree to interview (75% of responders)
- 10 people actually show up (67% show rate, typical)
So you need to reach 100 people to land 10 interviews. This seems daunting until you realize you can reach 100 people in a few hours across multiple channels.
Channel 1: Warm Network (Best — 40-50% Response Rate)
What it is: People you know or are introduced to
How to do it:
- Email or message your entire network: "I'm exploring [problem area] and want to understand how people like [customer profile] experience [topic]. Do you know anyone who [fits criteria]? I'd love a 20-minute intro."
- Track who responds with an intro: Make that person your funnel engine
Template: "Hey [name], I'm researching how [role] at [company type] handle [problem area]. Would you know anyone who fits this description? I'd love a 20-minute conversation to learn about their experience. I'll do all the heavy lifting — you just make the intro. Thanks!"
Response rate: 40-60% of your reaches will yield at least one intro Time to first interview: 2-3 days
Channel 2: LinkedIn (Good — 5-15% Response Rate)
What it is: Cold outreach to people matching your profile via LinkedIn
How to do it:
- Search LinkedIn for people matching your customer profile: [Job title] + [Company size] + [Location/Industry]
- Send personalized connection requests with message
- Simple ask: "I'm researching [topic]. Would you have 20 minutes to share your experience?"
Template (as message): "Hi [name], I noticed you're [role] at [company]. I'm exploring how people in your role handle [specific area], and I'd love to hear from someone with your expertise. Would you have 15-20 minutes for a quick call? No pitch, I just want to learn about your experiences. Reply and I can send you a calendar link."
Pro tips:
- Maximize with 1-2 sentence personalization (mention their company, recent activity, etc.)
- Timing: Send Tuesday-Thursday 9am-11am (higher response)
- Follow-up: If no response in 3 days, send one reminder
Response rate: 5-15% if personalized, 1-2% if templated Time to first interview: 3-5 days
Channel 3: Reddit (Good — 10-20% Response Rate)
What it is: Subreddit communities where your customer hangs out
How to find them:
- Search Reddit for communities matching your customer profile
- Entrepreneurs? → r/startups, r/entrepreneurs
- Marketers? → r/marketing
- Salespeople? → r/sales
- Designers? → r/design, r/webdesign
- Developers? → r/webdev, r/python, etc.
How to do it:
- Create a Reddit account (low barrier)
- Participate in the community for 1-2 days (comment on posts, build credibility)
- Post a genuine ask in a weekly discussion thread or DM users directly: "I'm doing research on [topic]. Would anyone be open to a 15-minute call? I can offer [incentive: none needed, or $20 Amazon gift card]"
Template (post): "Hey all, I'm exploring how [role] handle [problem area] and I'm looking for people willing to do a 15-minute call about their experience. No sales pitch, I just want to learn. Mods, let me know if this violates rules. Otherwise, comment or DM if interested!"
Response rate: 10-20% if offer compensation (giftcard), 5-10% if no compensation Time to first interview: 2-3 days
Channel 4: Slack Communities (Best — 20-40% Response Rate)
What it is: Industry-specific or role-specific Slack communities
How to find them:
- Search for Slack communities in your customer's domain:
- Marketing managers? → Growth marketing Slacks, CMO Slack, etc.
- Founders? → Founder Slack communities
- Designers? → Design-specific Slacks
- Many Slack communities have public directories or are free to join
How to do it:
- Join relevant Slack workspaces
- Post clearly in #introductions or relevant channels: "I'm researching [topic]. Open to 15-20 minute calls to learn from [role] who [specific criteria]. DM me!"
- Or DM individuals who match your profile directly
Template (channel post): "Hi folks! I'm doing customer research on how [role] approach [problem]. Looking for 5-10 people willing to do a 20-minute call about their experience. No pitch, I promise. DM me or reply here if interested!"
Response rate: 20-40% if community is active and engaged Time to first interview: 1-2 days
Channel 5: Twitter/X (Low but Expanding — 2-10% Response Rate)
What it is: Public tweet reaching people interested in your space
How to do it:
- Follow relevant hashtags and accounts in your space
- Tweet publicly: "I'm researching [topic]. If you're a [role] who [behavior], I'd love to learn about your experience. 15-minute call. DM me!"
Template: "I'm exploring how [role] handle [problem]. If you fit this profile and are open to a 15-min research call, HMU 👇 No pitches, just learning. Thanks to [relevant accounts] for any RTs!"
Response rate: 2-10% depending on your follower base and topic resonance Time to first interview: 2-5 days
Channel 6: Cold Email (Underrated — 2-5% Response Rate But Scalable)
What it is: Direct email to people in your target space (pulled from job sites, company websites, research)
How to find emails:
- Hunter.io (free tier gives you emails)
- Clearbit (integrates with Gmail)
- RocketReach
- Manual lookup: company website + "[name]@companyname.com" format
How to do it:
- Personalized, short email (3-4 sentences max)
- Clear ask, clear incentive
Template: "Hi [name],
I'm researching how [role] at [company type] approach [problem]. Saw you're [role] at [company] and thought you'd have valuable perspective.
Would you have 15 minutes for a quick call next week? No pitch, I just want to learn about your experience with [specific area].
[Your name]"
Response rate: 2-5% for cold, 5-10% for warm intros Time to first interview: 3-7 days (slower channel)
Channel 7: Job Forums & Niche Communities (5-15% Response Rate)
What it is: Vertical-specific forums or communities
Examples:
- Designer communities (Designer Hangout, ADPList, etc.)
- Marketer communities (GrowthHackers.com, Marketing Profs)
- Founder communities (Indie Hackers, Makerlog)
- Industry-specific forums
How to do it:
- Post a clear research request in the community
- Most communities welcome research requests
Response rate: 5-15% depending on community Time to first interview: 2-5 days
Channel 8: Referral Incentives (Strongest but Pricey — 30-50% Response Rate)
What it is: Paying people to refer others or participate
How to do it:
- "I'm looking for [profile]. If you know someone and intro me, I'll send you a $20 Amazon gift card once they complete an interview."
- Or directly: "I'll pay $20 Amazon gift card for a 20-minute interview"
Where to post:
- Reddit communities
- LinkedIn targeted ads (referral program)
- Twitter (micro-offer)
Response rate: 30-50% with incentive, 50%+ if paying directly for interviews Time to first interview: 2-3 days Cost: $20-50 per interview if paying directly, ~$400-800 to fill 10-15 interviews
The Week-Long Recruitment Plan
Day 1: Monday
- Blast warm network (email/message friends, ask for intros)
- Join 2-3 Slack communities relevant to your customer
- Create Reddit account and start participating in relevant subreddits
Day 2: Tuesday
- Send 20 LinkedIn messages to people matching your profile
- Post in Slack communities: "Looking for research interviews"
- Post on Reddit: "Research request - looking for participants"
Day 3: Wednesday
- Follow up with warm network intros
- Send cold email outreach to 10-15 people (if you have emails)
- Monitor LinkedIn/Reddit/Slack for responses
Day 4-5: Thursday-Friday
- Schedule first 5-8 interviews
- Send calendar links
- Confirm appointments
By end of Week: 10-15 interviews scheduled across your channels
Interview Scheduling & Confirmation
Once someone agrees:
- Send a calendar link (Calendly works great)
- Include: Date, time, how to join (Zoom link), slight prompt about topic
- Send a reminder 24 hours before
Confirmation template: "Great! Looking forward to chatting. Here's the link: [calendar link]. We'll hop on Zoom for about 20 minutes. We'll discuss how you currently handle [problem area]. Let me know if you need anything before then!"
Response Rate by Channel (Quick Summary)
| Channel | Response Rate | Time to First Interview | Effort | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Network | 40-60% | 2-3 days | Medium | $0 |
| 5-15% | 3-5 days | High | $0 | |
| 10-20% | 2-3 days | Medium | $0-50 | |
| Slack Communities | 20-40% | 1-2 days | Medium | $0 |
| 2-10% | 2-5 days | Low | $0 | |
| Cold Email | 2-5% | 3-7 days | High | $0 |
| Niche Forums | 5-15% | 2-5 days | Medium | $0 |
| Referral Incentives | 30-50% | 2-3 days | Low | $200-800 |
Best combo for fastest results: Warm network + Slack communities + LinkedIn
Connection to Research Framework
Finding interview subjects is the gating factor for customer research →. Once you've mastered recruitment, the rest of research is just conversations.
You Don't Need Big Reach
The biggest misconception: "I need an audience to recruit interviewees."
You don't. You just need to know where people like your customer hang out and ask clearly.
Most founders get 10+ interviews in a week using these channels. You will too.
Start with warm network today. You'll have 3-5 interviews by Friday.
Use Edmired to map your customer profile and identify the channels where they're most concentrated. Join the beta.