Some advice so I don't pay for a server for no one to join

[Need_Not]

So me and my friend want to open a network with kitpvp, creative, custom gamemode, and kinda uhc but not but anyway I don't want to open the server just for no one to play! Now I own modern SMP but because an smp is just the same group of players I made a discord and when we had enough in the discord we started
But I can't do that with a server where people come and go so any thoughts how I can make sure I have players before I open so I don't have to wait for people to slowly find us?

What should I do!!!???

 

[Lucian929]

My tip: Start as one server! Don't make a huge network expecting it to get big, just make one game mode and make it as big as possible.