“Nail it before you scale it” isn’t a vibe. It’s how you execute. It means solving a real problem, proving value with paying customers, and building systems that work when no one’s watching. Here’s how I did it—and how you can, too, in seven steps.
1. Get in the habit of listening
I didn’t start Howdy.com by launching a polished platform to scale high-performing dev teams. I started by solving a painful problem for one customer. Then another. Then another. I listened to what they needed and built my business around those needs. Early product-market fit emerged through real-world iteration, conversation, and feedback.
2. Think of product-market fit as a feeling, then a pattern
One customer had just raised a big round for his AI company. He told me point-blank, “The AI tech talent I need has been impossible to find and hire in the Bay; there’s no way you can help.” We introduced him to three candidates, and he hired all three.
That was a turning point. His team kept growing with us. And it wasn’t just him. It was everyone. We started seeing clients come back over and over. They were building their teams through us. And when our clients left for new jobs? They brought us with them.
That’s how I define true product-market fit: retention, referral, and expansion. Not press. Not pitch competitions. Not headcount.
3. Avoid false signals; watch core metrics instead
Success isn’t how much you sell. It’s how much you keep. That’s why I obsess over retention as much as growth. If your product is a revolving door, it doesn’t matter how fast you’re growing. If your bucket is as leaky as your pipeline is full, you’re not winning. Growth without retention is just churn in disguise.
4. Don’t scale based on ego
You don’t scale when you close a big deal. You scale when the business works without you. Before attempting to scale, ask yourself:
Can someone else on your team do what you do?
Can they train others to do it?
Can you repeat the outcome without heroic effort?
When I realized we could open new offices in Latin America on behalf of our clients—not just place talent, but spin up entire teams and handle the logistics end-to-end—I knew we were onto something scalable. We’d built not just a service, but infrastructure.
5. Know when to pull the trigger
I didn’t raise money because I needed a win. I raised money when I had leverage. We were profitable. We had momentum. We just wanted a cushion to invest in growth without risking our operating capital.
That’s the only time to raise: when the money will multiply your success, not manufacture it. Fundraising should be a multiplier, not a savior. When we raised our Series A, I didn’t want to become reckless. So we tested every strategy, killed what didn’t work, and doubled down on what did. Discipline wins every time.
6. Scaling doesn’t mean delegating everything
The biggest mistake I see founders make is trying to outsource product-market fit. You can’t hire someone to find it for you. Not a head of product. Not a sales lead. Not a COO. You have to do it yourself. Then you teach it. Then you scale it.
7. Patience (and diligence) pays off
Within eight years, my company reached $30 million in annual recurring revenue. The real signs we nailed it were that customers stayed with us and then grew with us. They rehired us at their next company. Our internal team stuck around and leveled up, too. That kind of loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. It occurs when what you’re doing is valuable, and people feel it.
Growth is the reward, not the goal
In my mind, scaling starts after you’ve earned the right to grow. That means proving value, building trust, and creating scalable systems without shortcuts or heroics. Nail the fundamentals—product, process, and people—and growth becomes a byproduct, not a gamble.