When starting a new business, no matter if you're selling products, or a service - the single most important thing is getting your product out there to people to try, and review.
Social proof is so important to a new customer as they would prefer to buy from an established brand, and see what other people are saying first before they buy.
If you don't give anything away for free at first, this can be very difficult to obtain organically, no matter how much you're spending on ads.
I wouldn't be so conscious of profit, in the first 12 months. Instead, I'd be a lot more focused on reviews, social proof (images or videos or people using your product/service), social media followers and engagement.
This will create a very core following for your brand, that I guarantee will show loyal support for years to come, as they will always appreciate the freebies from the start.