This document discusses lessons learned from product-market fit iterations at Techstars and describes magical "despite" moments that can indicate product-market fit has been achieved. It recommends starting with the problem rather than the solution, having a structured process for user interviews and testing fake products. Magical "despite" moments that can show customers are interested include scheduling meetings without follow ups, paying without processes, or large companies wanting to work with a small startup.

1. Lessons from product-market-fit
iterations and magical “despite”
moments
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September 2017

2. 3 Months before Techstars

3. 3 Months after Techstars

4. treev: “The fastest way for product people to find, organise and share what they're
working on”

5. ?

6. Customer Development
= Finding Product-Market-Fit

7. Product-Market-Fit Iterations
Before Techstars After Techstars
treev for everyone treev for 20 customers treev for one customer

8. How to test hypothesis and run product-market-fit iterations
User
Interviews
Fake Products
Onboard Users in
Person
Mockups
Analytics

10. Lessons learned

11. Have a structured process.

12. Start with the problem, not the solution.

13. Have a really good answer for
“Why now?”.

14. Small samples are usually enough.

15. Watch out for magical “despite” moments.*

16. How to identify product-market fit?
Magical “despite” moments!

17. Customers schedule meetings despite not writing
multiple follow ups.

18. Customers pay you despite not having payment
processes in place.

19. Customers get in touch despite not having a great
website.

20. Big corporates want to work with you despite
being a small, unreliable startup.

21. You get pulled out of bed despite having only
slept 3 hours.

22. Recommended Book: The Mom Test - Rob Fitzpatrick

23. We’re hiring! Alexander Weidauer
Co-Founder & CEO
alex@rasa.ai
Rasa Technologies GmbH, c/o Factory Community Space
Rheinsberger Straße 76/77, 10115 Berlin, Germany