Here's my article on "How to effectively get the first 1000 users for your consumer internet app?" I think this should help young app devs get a good hint of what it takes to get going. Let me know if you have any questions.
#69 Everyone talks about "early adopters"...
But How do you actually find 20 people crazy enough to PAY for your imperfect product?
These unicorns will debug, advocate, and fund your growth
20 paying customers > 1000 free users who "might" convert