Adam G.’s Post

Pump fakes vs. *actual* signal - both can be indistinguishable to a founder but produce drastically different results. Let me explain.... In venture, a 'pump fake' results in a founder building a bespoke solution for a customer under the false pretense that the solution/product has broad applicability for many customers. Customer product requests are intoxicating, especially in PMF phase, because it makes teams feel that 'we're onto something' and there's a market for our product. Pump fakes can be company-killing b/c it sends a team with limited resources down a path that ultimately becomes dead-end with little runway to pivot. Here's how you can avoid the perennial pump fake and keep pushing forward: (1) Don't just hear the customer, *listen.* Hearing is a passive and involuntary activity resulting in zero info retainment. Listening is active and voluntary process that forces you to absorb and react to information. By listening, you're able to translate customer feedback into measured actions. (2) Speak to *many* prospective customers BEFORE you start building. This helps you internalize the true hair-on-fire problem customers are facing and filters out atypical feedback not shared by a customer cohort. (3) Understand customer nuances and recognize that not all customers are created equally. When evaluating prospects, try to understand the composition of their business (team, fundraising, revenue, ICP, etc..) to triangulate why your service is needed for a particular customer. Often times, pump fakes are missed simply due to lack of customer context! https://lnkd.in/euYZ-TKk

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