10 Customers Doesn’t Mean You Have Product-Market Fit

Dwayne Ernest has spent 15 years in SaaS, sales, revenue, and startups, which means he’s had plenty of time to win, fail, rebuild, and figure out which parts of the startup playbook actually matter. In this episode, we get deep into product-market fit and why founders are often way too quick to declare they’ve found it. Dwayne breaks down why your first 10 customers might not mean what you think they mean, how ICP and PMF evolve as a company grows, and why the fundamentals still matter even as AI completely changes how companies sell and buy. We also get into: How to actually know if you have product-market fit Why “founder” is not an ICP When your ICP needs to change How AI is changing the B2B buying journey Why salespeople probably aren’t disappearing What founders misunderstand about raising VC money Bootstrapping vs. taking investment What makes an investor valuable beyond their money Why moving from SMB to enterprise is harder than founders expect What separates founders who can survive when things inevitably break It’s a conversation about getting the fundamentals right before you try to scale, raise, or automate your way around them. Connect with Dwayne:   / dwayneernest     / nagata-ai   Connect with Me: Newsletter: https://podcast.adaptedgrowth.com/pod... LinkedIn:   / johnblanehill   Website: https://adaptedgrowth.com/ Revenue Evolution Workshops: https://agsherpa.com/revev