7 Go-to-Market Lessons from Crowdbotics’ Journey to Product-Market Fit

7 Go-to-Market Lessons from Crowdbotics’ Journey to Product-Market Fit

Sometimes the best opportunities lie in the markets others avoid. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Anand Kulkarni from Crowdbotics revealed how his company achieved 200-300% annual growth by breaking conventional Silicon Valley wisdom. Here are the key go-to-market lessons from their journey:

1. Let Customer Pull Guide Your Market Entry

The conventional playbook says to plan your target market in advance. But Crowdbotics found success by following unexpected customer demand. “I had no idea. I would never have predicted that,” Anand admits about their entry into regulated industries. “Let me tell you why we ended up going into regulated spaces. It was really because customers pulled us in.”

2. Build for Fundamentals, Not Hype

While competitors chase trends, Crowdbotics focused on creating lasting value. “You got to build a company that’s going to be relevant over ten years, not over the six months or twelve months that there is a dynamic hype cycle around language models,” Anand emphasizes. This long-term view helped them maintain growth even as market sentiments fluctuated.

3. Turn Early Rejections into Market Intelligence

When Crowdbotics first approached government contracts, they faced repeated rejections. But instead of retreating, they used these setbacks to understand the market better. “We just got rejected over paperwork issues, over not knowing how to sell or engage with buyers inside the US government. It was extraordinarily demoralizing,” Anand recalls. This learning period eventually led to the government becoming one of their biggest customers.

4. Create Systemic Value Beyond Point Solutions

In today’s AI-driven landscape, Anand warns against building mere point solutions: “Solutions that are in the market today, or that have jumped into the market lately, often think about a very narrow approach to software creation using artificial intelligence.” Instead, focus on creating systemic value that addresses fundamental customer needs.

5. Use Initial Wins to Open Adjacent Markets

Success in one regulated industry can open doors to others. “The US government is one, of course, that meeting their security standards means that we can work in a wide variety of contexts that are a little bit less meticulous,” Anand explains. This credibility helped them expand into healthcare and finance sectors.

6. Make Your Product Vision Compatible with Current Market Reality

Early success came because Crowdbotics didn’t require customers to buy into their entire vision. “We didn’t need to have people buy that bigger vision, as long as they were willing to understand at a different level how the software was able to work,” Anand notes. This pragmatic approach allowed them to gain traction while working toward their larger goals.

7. Execute with Systematic Precision

Whether entering new markets or raising capital, success requires methodical execution. “Early founders who I advise sometimes underestimate exactly how much work is required to run a systematic process,” Anand shares. This systematic approach helped Crowdbotics maintain consistent growth over years.

The results speak for themselves. “For the last three years, we have doubled or tripled top line revenue every year. So 200% to 300% growth,” Anand reveals. But perhaps more importantly, they’ve built a sustainable business model that doesn’t rely on market hype or temporary trends.

For founders plotting their own go-to-market strategy, Crowdbotics’ journey offers a compelling alternative to the typical Silicon Valley playbook. Success doesn’t always come from chasing the obvious markets or riding the latest trends. Sometimes, it comes from having the patience to build something of lasting value and the flexibility to follow unexpected opportunities when they arise.