Customers describe an idealized version of their world in interviews. To understand their true problems and workflows, you must be physically present. This uncovers the crucial gap between their perception and day-to-day reality.
Early enterprise customers won't invest time to become proficient with a complex data tool. Founders must join their meetings, operate the software for them, and surface insights to demonstrate value. This manual "data monkey" role is crucial for driving initial adoption.
A full understanding of a complex industry's challenges can be paralyzing. The founder of Buildots admitted he wouldn't have started the company if he knew how hard it would be. Naivety allows founders to tackle enormous problems that experienced operators might avoid entirely.
Before building a complex feature, validate its value by manually creating the desired output for customers. The Buildots team used Excel to generate performance insights from their data. Only after seeing customers act on these manual reports did they productize the feature.
When customers engage in irrational behavior, like setting impossible deadlines, it's often a calculated, long-term strategy to manipulate internal systems. One manager documented missed deadlines not to enforce them, but to build a case for more resources from his superiors.
Early versions of AI-driven products often rely heavily on human intervention. The founder sold an AI solution, but in the beginning, his entire 15-person team manually processed videos behind the scenes, acting as the "AI" to deliver results to the first customer.
Early-stage founders may face rejection because a VC has a pre-existing bias against their market. A Buildots founder was told "I'm not going to invest in construction" but was offered a $4M check to pivot to cybersecurity, demonstrating some investors have hard "no-go" zones.
When negotiating a price increase, if the customer accepts immediately without pushback, it’s a strong signal you've significantly underpriced your product. Buildots' founder prepared for a negotiation over a 4x price increase, but the client agreed instantly, revealing the product's true value.
Buildots' growth inflection happened when they stopped selling a data platform and started selling proactive risk alerts. The pitch changed from "Here's data to help you" to "If you don't fix this now, your project will fail." This simplified the value proposition and created urgency.