In the debut episode of the Build Mode podcast, host Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Deon Nicholas, co-founder of Forethought AI, to uncover what it really takes to build a lasting company. with and for your customers from day one.
Build Mode is TechCrunch’s new podcast that pulls back the curtain on how startups are really built — the messy, regular, real version. Season 1: Product, Know the Marketgoes beyond product-market fit to explore every aspect of getting your product into customers’ hands, from finding the right audience and gaining their trust to turning early traction into lasting momentum.
From the beginning, Nicholas and his team focused on solving real problems rather than chasing hype or inflated valuations. He strongly believes that conviction must come from customers, not VCs, and that once Forethought delivered tangible value to real users, hype and valuations naturally followed.
His “7-Failure Rule” urges founders to embrace iteration over perfection and wait for a few failures before finding what really clicks.
The Forethought team stayed lean, obsessing over their ideal customer profile and relentlessly focused on real pain points instead of shiny features. Nicholas notes that early adopters aren’t always direct about what isn’t working, so founders must learn to look between the lines.
That mindset fueled Forethought’s first pitch at TechCrunch Disrupt 2018, where the company won Startup Battlefield. Ahead of the competition, Nicholas described the process as a “friendly pressure cooker”, sprinting to secure as many paying customers’ logos as possible before taking the stage. The focus paid off, fueling investor FOMO and a $9 million Series A and helping define the early wave of the AI boom.
While investor momentum built quickly, Nicholas maintains the company’s longevity stems from focus rather than frenzy. For him, startup success isn’t about hype or rock star energy — it’s about creating something that customers love enough to stick around.
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For founders, the takeaway is simple: Build from day one with your customers, validate every step with feedback, and don’t get distracted by estimates or hype. Product-market fit is not about perfection. it’s about proving consistent value to the people who matter most.
Build Mode episodes drop every Thursday. Register now Apple PodcastsSpotify or wherever you take your podcasts. And be sure to check out the video version at TechCrunch’s YouTube.
