Jen Abel

A growing, widening problem is a buying signal. If a problem is fixed and stable, it's a pain in the butt but not a priority. Ask: are they measuring it? Managing it? Have they tried to solve it before? That's where all the secret intel lives.

Procurement can kill your deal by redirecting you to an existing vendor. If your product doesn't feel clearly different — just 'slightly better' — they'll tell the buyer to use what they already have in the system.

The founder is the product. When there is no brand equity, no marketing engine, no referenceability — the founder is the product.