Launching without a social media presence — how do you get your first real users?

I’ve just launched something I built to solve a real pain I faced (opensecatlas.com) . It’s a curated directory of free/open-source tools that I wish existed when I needed it. I used vibe coding to build and refine it quickly, and I’m proud of what came out.

But here’s the problem: I don’t have a big following. No established X/Twitter, no strong LinkedIn presence, no personal brand. I see other makers and influencers launch something and immediately get thousands of visitors. For me, even though the product is real and solves a problem, it feels invisible.

I’m stuck between two questions:

1. How do you get initial visibility when you’re starting from zero online presence?

2. Where do you go to get honest feedback and early testers beyond family and friends?

I know consistency and community engagement is the long-term answer, but right now, I’d love to hear from people who were in my position:

• How did you get your first 50–100 testers?

• What strategies worked for you that didn’t require an existing audience?

• Are there communities (like this one) where it’s okay to share and ask for feedback without being seen as spammy?

I don’t want to just shout into the void. I want people to actually test what I made, tell me what’s broken, and help me shape it into something useful.

Would love to hear your experiences.