Ask HN: How did you get your startup from 0 to 1?

In any business/startup the hardest sale is your first sale. Going from 0 customers to 1 is a task that can take a lot of time and persistence. What is your experience with making your first real sale? By real sale I mean not to a friend or family memeber; someone you did not know before.

Please share any tips for marketing and sales targeted for a brand new startup with no customers, no budget, no history, just a service/product.