Why Your First 1,000 Customers Are Your Most ImportantHow do you take a product to market? Watch as VC Jesse Draper coaches a first-time founder, and explains how to do digital marketing on the cheap.

You've built a product, and now you want to bring it to the masses.

To find out why, we set up an unusual consulting session between a ready-to-launch entrepreneur and a high-profile investor—and filmed it so you can benefit too.

Jesse Forte has built a new oral care line called Flawless Forte, but isn't sure how to start marketing it. We connected him with venture capitalist Jesse Draper, founding partner of Halogen Ventures, who laid out a go-to-market strategy that anybody can benefit from.

"Figure out how to get your first 1,000 customers," she explains. "Talk to them and figure out who they are, what they represent, what they care about, and why they're interested in you."

Before spending lots of money on online marketing, she advises doing a deep study of your target audience. Entice them to join your newsletter and social media channels, and then share your story and turn them into your greatest advocates. "We live in a world of online marketing," she says. But that doesn't mean you have to spend lots of money on ads.

For more great insights on how to take a product to market, watch the video above.

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