Cents · B2B · software for laundromats
Sign a 73-store operator as your first customer and build with them
Got full access to their stores and back office; product a bit overbuilt but solid
Mixedfeature-developmentpositioning-niche
What they did
Through an introduction, signed a 73-location New York laundry operator as the first customer, against the usual 'don't sign the whale first' advice. The operator gave full access to a store and its entire G&A so the team could learn what mattered. Reasoning: in this vertical a 73-store and a 1-store operator run stores the same way, the big one just has the problems compounded, and an enterprise first customer is invested in your success.
What happened
Learned what mattered and set the right product foundation, though the product was somewhat overbuilt early; the big logo alone was not enough to raise a seed round.
- Stage
- Pre-launch (pre-product-market-fit)
“And most people say, "Don't sign the whale first. You overbuild. You have all these enterprise issues the SMB doesn't have." I challenge that by industry, because if you're if your first customer's a big enterprise customer, they tend to be invested in your success.”
“But we learned a hell of a lot and were able to build a a a a product that maybe a little overbuilt in the beginning, but set the right foundation.”
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