Getting users 
dotBen: Pre launch:
Blogging about a subject related to your startup and twittering, funneled into the classic "sign up to know when we launch" holding page, along with personal networking should give you 1000 prime users ready for when you launch.Post launch: more personal networking (esp with influentials - either in person or virtual) and getting good write upsHowever, before you sign up even your first user you need to make sure you have a strong viral loop going (assuming your product is suitable for it) so that every user you obtain is likely to send you even more.IMHO it's not actually hard to get 1000 users, it's actually harder to obtain the first 50,000 users.  After that you probably are reaching the inflection point and it gets easier (assuming good viral loop).