Nothing like fireworks, relighting fountains, and a dressage competition to get you thinking about your startup pipeline!

In this episode, JDM and Cam dive into one of the most dangerous founder delusions: a sales pipeline full of polite maybes, false positives, and fantasyland follow-ups. Just because someone said “circle back next quarter” doesn’t mean they’re going to pay you next quarter—or ever.

To make it painfully obvious, the crew plays a round of Pipeline Poison, evaluating five pre-PMF startup sales leads across B2B, B2C, and B2G. If you’ve ever over-engineered a pilot proposal for a city that might maybe include you in their 2026 budget, this one’s for you.

In This Episode

* The false hope of “not a priority this quarter”

* Why your biggest competitors are inertia and indifference

* When you should walk away instead of following up

* How to co-create pilot proposals that actually get funded

* What unpaid users are really telling you with their silence

Game: Pipeline Poison

* HR Tech SaaS – “This is great, just not a priority this quarter.”

Verdict: You’re not even in the pipeline. You’re fan fiction.

* Legal Compliance SaaS – Ghosted after a security doc request

Verdict: Founder delusion. If you’re prepping for SOC 2 before a signed LOI, you’re already lost.

* Gen Z Budgeting App – Viral TikTok, 2,500 signups, 3 unpaid users

Verdict: No there there. Stop building features and start finding real pain.

* GovTech Air Quality Dashboard – “Great fit for our 2026 budget cycle”

Verdict: Not a no, but sure as hell not a yes. You need a micro-pilot, not a time machine.

Frivolous Thoughts

* Cam spent the weekend at a horse show cheering on his wife and her horse Diego, who crushed it.

* JDM throws a surprising plug for Andor on Disney+, calling it “better than Star Wars has any right to be.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zerototraction.substack.com