It’s easy to tell when you don’t have product-market fit: No one’s buying what you’re selling. What’s trickier is when founders “hallucinate” product-market fit—mistaking early sales growth for true PMF. Getting customers is crucial, but there are more important things to measure before you declare “mission accomplished” on product-market fit. In this episode, Steli shares the most common mistakes startups make when measuring product-market fit.

In your startup’s early days, you’re a small team of like-minded people operating on instincts and vibes. But that can’t last forever. How will your business run when you’re not in the room? If your values aren’t clear, your team will fill in the gaps on their own—creating misalignment and wasted effort. You need to define a few core values to express, clarify, and guide all your business decisions so you’re growing in the right direction. In this episode, Steli shares how to create and implement your core values early.

Steli was one of the first SaaS founders to use founder-led content marketing to build an online audience that translated directly into revenue. Hear how he turned his subject matter expertise into a content engine that's been fueling Close's growth organically for years. Learn how you can build an authentic founder brand and use your content to build and scale your business.

The most valuable thing your first customers have to offer you is NOT revenue, but insights. (No, seriously.) But too many founders are in such a hurry to scale that they miss important insights that could grow a more durable business. In this episode, Steli shares what you need to learn from your first 10 customers to scale up to your first 100 customers, then your first 1,000 customers and beyond. 

YOUR STARTUP IS NOT YOUR BABY. It’s a lesson most founders need to learn at some point. Don’t get too attached to an idea that isn’t working—because no idea survives first contact with reality. When you’re working endlessly and making no real progress, you need a new approach. In this episode, Steli shares his advice for spotting the signs that your startup is due for a pivot.

Do you need funding to launch your B2B SaaS startup? Steli Efti doesn't think so. Hear how he bootstrapped Close—scaling it into a successful B2B SaaS company without outside investors. Discover the pros and cons of bootstrapping and get tips for founders looking to self-fund.

You think six rejections from Y Combinator would stop Steli Efti? Hell no. Those failures were exactly what forced him to figure out what it takes to build a successful startup. In this episode, Steli gets real about the mindset shift that took him from “wantrepreneur” to tactical founder. If you’ve ever been kicked in the teeth by rejection, this one’s for you.