From 0 to 500 Players: Our Growth Story

How we grew a community of 500+ active players in Hong Kong in just a few months.

Pickup Team
Pickup TeamJanuary 10, 2026
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From 0 to 500 Players: Our Growth Story

When we launched Pickup in Hong Kong, we had exactly 0 users and a dream. Here's the honest story of how we grew to 500+ active players.

Hong Kong skyline
Our home base — Hong Kong.

Week 1: Just Us and Our Friends

We literally texted everyone we knew. The first game had 6 people — 4 of whom were on the founding team. But those 2 strangers who showed up? They became our biggest advocates.

Small group playing basketball
It started small — and that was okay.

Month 3: Word of Mouth Kicked In

We didn't run ads. We didn't go viral. People just told their friends. 'Hey, there's this app where you can find pickup games.' That simple sentence grew us from 50 to 200 players in 8 weeks.