Built it and they didn't come.
How many people have built something and no was is using it? On the flip side, did you come up with and idea only to change it or scrap it because you talked to customers first?
Once you know you're solving a problem that exists, you can't figure out fit by just talking to people - you need to throw out a (crappy) version and let real people play. We don't have the time/ $$s to spend months and THEN know we don't have a fit. So decided to roll out an MDP in pre-beta cycles called "Omega's" (story: blog.germ.io/wtfs-an-omega/). In the last week, we've had over 800 signups and 200 users we've opened access to, so I guess the challenge is to build -> ship -> iterate.
The family and friends you talk to before you have a prototype are the people who'd tell you they think your stuff is cool, but would never take their wallets out if they weren't doing you a personal favor. Their word and opinion isn't really worth much.
The interesting thing I've found is that in the successful apps I've worked on, distribution has been 90% of the effort, and the actual app people see is like 10%. So in a way distribution is the app.
Ideally you should always talk to potential users/customers first to validate if you you idea truly is one that solves a genuine problem (ie problem/solution fit).
Only then go and build an MVP and test it with these same people - who can then also refer other interested people (ie product/market fit).
Here you will truly validate the need for the product and/or pivot to something else that can get to product/market fit.
Then, and only then should you look to do things like marketing to get the product in front of people.
This is the lean startup approach.
Following (something like) this significantly raises the odds of success. Building it in the hope of someone finding it/using it is a waste of time/money/energy.
It was my first venture into iOS development, and I used it as a learning tool. The idea was one I had for awhile: to blend two cool games.
It gets about 1-10 downloads a day. I never did any marketing. I was quite naive in my thinking; it's almost as if I had to make that mistake to fully grasp it though.
If earlier, did you try to find out why users stopped using it?
If later, how do you expect me to find this great product that I don't exists yet. You didn't even provide a link here.
Famously, before Ford built cars, he asked users and they said they wanted faster (horse) carriages (cars were too expensive, clumsy and broke down all the time). Thankfully, Ford didn't set out to make carriages or the horses faster.
We don't have any idea what to do right now, so we made it open source and we're focusing on our main project.
This. Make something people want is the first step, then you need to figure out the distribution.
That being said I think if you have done the research and know there is a market you should have no reason not to have users.