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The tug-of-war between lighthouse customers and your ...
unusual.vc
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“Lighthouse customers are well-known and respected brands whose logos can provide credibility and visibility for an early-stage business.”
“While the growth from a lighthouse customer can be fantastic, I have often seen these early deals go wrong, ultimately delaying true product-market fit, and even worse, splintering team culture.”
Reasons why lighthouse deals go wrong “Failing to make the hard choices and saying yes to everything!” Agreeing to custom features under tight deadlines and falsely convincing yourself that custom development work will pay off for other customers.
“If a poorly structured lighthouse deal significantly delays your path to PMF — don’t walk away, run!”
It’s exciting to win a consequential deal early and it will motivate your team to deliver. “You can build market leadership by generating press and creating a referenceable case study that helps increase close rates.” There is something flashy to discuss with potential new employees and investors.