Getting from 0 customers to your first few customers is really hard, which is why founders need to leverage every part of their network.
One of our stablecoin infra startups in current batch got three separate warm intros to the same customer and got ghosted every time.
Most founders would have moved on. Instead, they ended up applying for a job at the company, made it through the interview process, got in front of the decision maker, pitched their product, and won the deal.
To me, the lesson learned is that AI makes it easy to build products, but distribution, persistence, and high agency still matter the most.
The winners won't be founders who can vibe code an app over a weekend. Its the ones who find ways to get customers and make things happen when everyone else gives up.