Tech leaders at TechCrunch Disrupt warn that rapid early revenue can mask poor product-market fit.

Top tech figures warned founders that rapid early revenue can mask a lack of true product-market fit, leading startups to crash months later. Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Theory Ventures investor Tomasz Tunguz, Lovable go-to-market lead Luke Arno, and Polsia head Ben Broca offered guidance on surviving the critical first 90 days of commercial operations.

Arno cautioned against mistaking fast initial sales for readiness to scale, noting that sustainable growth requires repeatable customer acquisition strategies rather than unique tactics for every sale. Broca highlighted the extreme difficulty of achieving product-market fit when competitors can easily copy modern software. To combat this, he stressed the value of continuous customer communication through emails, events, and direct talks to build lasting community ties.

Tunguz noted that extraordinary growth stories like Lovable, which is valued at over $13 billion and surpassed $600 million in annual recurring revenue, create immense pressure for fast execution. However, he emphasized that such rapid trajectories remain exceptional even as modern seed rounds frequently draw massive funding dwarfing past investment standards.