01 · Strategy: from zero followers to the first paid subscriber¶
The whole X flow in one page. Every other doc zooms into one part of it.
The chain¶
post / reply → profile visit → link click → landing → trial / install → paid
(daily) (profile) (bio, pin) (site) (store) (paywall)
You can only fix the weakest link. Measure each one weekly (07-metrics-and-stop-rules.md) before posting more.
Five decisions to make once¶
| Decision | Default for an indie dev selling software | Doc / skill |
|---|---|---|
| Who you talk to | The people who'd pay, not other indie devs only. Builders are good for reach, buyers pay | 05-post-formats.md |
| Hero product | The one with a paid plan, a trial and a 10-second "aha" | social-x-profile-funnel |
| The offer | Exactly what the store says: "Free, Pro $9.99 once", "7-day trial, then $3.99/mo" | monetization-free-trial-vs-freemium |
| Time budget | 30 min/week batching + 20 min/day replies | flow/daily-flow.md |
| Stop rule | 60 days with growing profile visits and zero trials → fix offer/landing, not X | 04-premium-30-day-plan.md |
Why this works with a small account¶
- X's ranker gives authors with few impressions a new-author boost, so small accounts get tested (03-how-x-ranks-posts.md).
- Replies are the cheapest reach. Premium's reply prioritization puts yours higher (06-reply-playbook.md).
- A post lives 48 hours in For You. Daily posting keeps you visible without repeating yourself.
- You already have content: everything you shipped. The fact bank turns it into posts (templates/fact-bank.md).
What "fast first dollar" realistically means¶
Nobody can promise a date. What you control: a working trial on the hero product, a pinned demo, and 30 days of daily posts and replies with UTM links. After 30 days you'll know which link in the chain is weak. Don't buy followers or engagement; it breaks X rules and the FTC treats fake engagement as deceptive (08-rules-and-risks.md).