Is there a tool that helps me find potential customers?

This one. Describe the problem your product solves and the Find Your People report returns the specific online places where people already complain about it, a search phrase for each, and the message to open the conversation. The first report is free with a free account.

The problem, in the words a sufferer would use, and no product. "Freelance illustrators wait 60 days to get paid" finds people. "An invoicing platform for creatives" finds competitors. If your sentence contains your category name, rewrite it as a complaint.

Where do potential customers hang out online?

For most problems, the same four kinds of place: the subreddit for the role or hobby, the low-star reviews of whatever people use today, a niche forum or group, and a directory for the trade. Which four depends on the problem, which is what the report works out. The three samples below show the pattern.

How is this different from searching Reddit myself?

You can search Reddit yourself, and you should. What the report adds is the list of places you would not have thought of (the review page of the tool your buyers already use, the trade association forum), the exact search phrase for each so you land on complaints and not category chatter, and a message that has been worded to get a reply.

What happens after I have the list?

You go and talk to five people. The report is the map; the conversations are the work. When those people answer, ViableBrand keeps them in a Circle so you can go back to them with what you built and ask what it should cost.

Check

Where are my first customers?

Your first customers are already describing your problem somewhere public. Describe the problem in their words, one sentence, no product, and the Find Your People report returns the specific places: which subreddits, which review pages filtered to one star, which groups and forums, with a search phrase for each and a message that gets honest answers instead of polite ones.

What comes back

Hunting grounds: Five to seven specific places, each with the exact search or filter to run there and a rough count of reachable people. Not "use social media": a subreddit, a review site set to one and two stars, a named group, a directory.
A research ask: The message to send: says you are not selling anything, asks two questions about their last real experience with the problem, offers to trade a few minutes for their story. Copy, paste, adjust the greeting.
A place to keep them: Everyone who replies goes into your Circle, tagged with where you found them. That list is your first customer list, and the people who get asked what it should cost.

Three complete sample runs

Generated on 2026-09-22 for problems we made up to test the tool, shown in full. Notice the pattern across three unrelated problems: two or three subreddits, a review site filtered to one and two stars, a named group or forum, a directory. The places change; the shape does not.

Sample run

“Freelance illustrators wait 60 days or more to get paid by agency clients and spend hours chasing invoices”

Where	How	Rough reach
r/freelance	Search client payment delays and invoice chasing complaints	40-80 reachable people
r/illustration	Search agency late payment and chasing money threads	20-40 reachable people
r/graphic_design	Search unpaid invoice and net 60 venting posts	30-60 reachable people
r/artbusiness	Search getting paid and chasing clients threads	15-30 reachable people
Hacker News (Algolia search)	Search freelancer late invoice and slow payment complaints	10-25 reachable people
Behance / illustration community discussions	Search their forums and comments for payment gripes	unknown, browse for active complainers
r/smallbusiness	Search late paying clients and cash flow gaps	50-100 reachable people

The research ask it wrote

Hi, I saw your post about waiting ages to get paid and chasing invoices. I'm not selling anything and I don't have a product. I'm just trying to understand how illustrators actually deal with slow paying agency clients. Would you trade me 10 minutes to share your honest experience? Two quick things I'm curious about: what happened the last time a client dragged out payment past your terms, and what did you actually do to chase it down? Totally fine if you'd rather just reply here.

Sample run

“Independent physiotherapy clinics lose thousands a month to patients who book and then do not show up”

Where	How	Rough reach
r/physicaltherapy on Reddit	Search no-show and cancellation venting from clinic owners	20-50 reachable clinic owners and PTs
r/smallbusiness on Reddit	Search health clinic owners venting about no-shows	15-40 practice owners
r/physiotherapy on Reddit	Search threads about missed appointments and cancellation fees	10-30 physios and clinic staff
Capterra reviews of Jane practice software	Filter 1-2 star reviews mentioning reminders and no-shows	10-25 frustrated clinic owners
G2 reviews of clinic scheduling tools	Filter 1-2 star reviews about appointment reminders failing	10-20 clinic managers
Facebook: private practice PT owner groups	Search group posts about no-shows and revenue loss	30-80 owners in active groups
APTA / private practice section forums and directory	Find independent clinic owners posting operational headaches	15-40 practice owners

The research ask it wrote

Hi, I run a small research project on how independent physio clinics handle missed appointments. I am not selling anything and have nothing to pitch. I am just trying to understand the reality from people who live it. Could I trade you a coffee or 10 minutes for your honest experience? Two quick things I am curious about: how do you currently know when someone is likely to no-show, and what have you actually tried to reduce it? Totally fine if you would rather just reply here in a few lines.

Sample run

“First-time landlords with a single rental unit do not know how to screen tenants and end up with months of late rent”

Where	How	Rough reach
r/Landlord	Search tenant late rent stories from new landlords venting	40-80 reachable posters
r/RealEstate	Search first rental screening regret and bad tenant threads	30-60 reachable posters
r/personalfinance	Search accidental landlords struggling with unpaid rent	20-40 reachable posters
BiggerPockets forums	Search new landlord screening mistakes and late payers	50-100 reachable members
r/Tenant	Read tenant threads that reveal how landlords fail screening	20-40 reachable posters
Quora	Search first-time landlord questions about non-paying tenants	15-30 reachable askers
Capterra reviews of tenant screening tools	Filter 1-2 star reviews describing screening gaps and late rent	10-25 reachable reviewers

The research ask it wrote

Hi, I noticed your post about dealing with a tenant who fell behind on rent. I am not selling anything and I have nothing to pitch. I am just trying to understand how first-time landlords handle this, and I would love to trade a few minutes for your honest experience. Two quick questions if you are open to it: When you found your tenant, what did your screening process actually look like at the time? And when the rent first started coming in late, what was the moment you realized something was wrong? Totally fine if you would rather not, either way thanks for sharing your story.

Questions founders ask

Is there a tool that helps me find potential customers?: This one. Describe the problem your product solves and the Find Your People report returns the specific online places where people already complain about it, a search phrase for each, and the message to open the conversation. The first report is free with a free account.
What do I type in?: The problem, in the words a sufferer would use, and no product. "Freelance illustrators wait 60 days to get paid" finds people. "An invoicing platform for creatives" finds competitors. If your sentence contains your category name, rewrite it as a complaint.
Where do potential customers hang out online?: For most problems, the same four kinds of place: the subreddit for the role or hobby, the low-star reviews of whatever people use today, a niche forum or group, and a directory for the trade. Which four depends on the problem, which is what the report works out. The three samples below show the pattern.
How is this different from searching Reddit myself?: You can search Reddit yourself, and you should. What the report adds is the list of places you would not have thought of (the review page of the tool your buyers already use, the trade association forum), the exact search phrase for each so you land on complaints and not category chatter, and a message that has been worded to get a reply.
What happens after I have the list?: You go and talk to five people. The report is the map; the conversations are the work. When those people answer, ViableBrand keeps them in a Circle so you can go back to them with what you built and ask what it should cost.

Read the method first?

The four steps behind the report, with a worked example: How founders actually find their first customers. Not sure the market has room? Score your idea's competition first.