I still don't know how to go to market — so I'm learning it the hard way

Building at NBK Labs has taught me one thing: I can build products that work, but figuring out how to actually sell them is a moving target.

Whether it was building pierwallet.com, flippapp.ai, or my latest run with chatwithmotif.com, the technical playbook is consistent. We ship B2C first. It’s the only way to hear the “raw” customer voice catalinfetean.substack.com. If real people like the app, the engine is good.

But B2C growth isn’t free. So we pivot to the “pragmatic” dream: B2B2C. We strip the UI, package the underlying platform, and try to sell it to partners who already have the users we want.

It sounds like a perfect strategy. In reality? It’s a brutal lesson in patience.

The “Distribution” Wall

In B2C, you hit the wall early. You launch on Product Hunt, you get the Twitter/X threads, you see the spike. Then… flatline.

Unless you have a massive marketing budget or a viral loop that actually pays for itself, B2C is a plateau game. My realization: The app is the proof, but the platform is the business.

Selling to other businesses (B2B2C) should be the shortcut. You leverage their distribution to reach the end consumer culturekey.io. But I’m learning the hard way that “leveraging” someone else’s audience means navigating someone else’s bureaucracy.

”Interesting” is not a check

I’ve had over 25 high-level conversations recently. The feedback is soul-crushing because it’s so nice.

In B2B, nobody tells you your baby is ugly. They tell you it’s “fascinating.” They sign LOIs (Letters of Intent). They ask for pilots.

B2B buying isn’t a decision; it’s a marathon of tiny permissions. You aren’t just selling a solution; you’re trying to outrun the “Quarterly Budget Cycle.”

The 8-Step Gauntlet

Based on my current pipeline, here is what the “playbook” actually looks like once you jump into the trenches:

1. The Hook: Cold email or intro. (High effort, low hit rate).
2. The Ego Boost: The “This is perfect for us” call.
3. The Champion: Finding one person who loves it but has no budget power.
4. The Demo Loop: Showing it to three more people who weren’t on the first call.
5. The Pilot Trap: They want it for free to “prove value.” (Beware: free pilots rarely convert).
6. The Security/Legal Wall: Where my tiny startup meets their 40-page compliance doc.
7. The Procurement Void: Where enthusiasm goes to die.
8. The Contract: The only step that matters.

Is it the product or the GTM?

Every founder hits this spiral. If B2C growth stalls and B2B contracts won’t close, you start asking: Is the product actually shit?

Usually, it’s not the tech. It’s the urgency.

If you’re in the B2B2C space, you’re a “nice to have” until you’re a “must have.” I’m learning that speed in sales comes from three very specific things:

• A Massive Pain: Not “better UX,” but “saving $X per month.”
• An Owner: One person whose bonus depends on solving that pain.
• A Deadline: A reason they need to buy today, not next quarter.

If any of these are missing, you’re just a consultant providing free education.

Signals: What I’m watching now

I’ve stopped listening to words. I only watch for deeds.

The Grind Continues

At NBK Labs, we aren’t stopping. The modular approach—building a B2C “proof of life” before selling the B2B engine—is still the most capital-efficient way I know to build.

But I’m trading my “developer hat” for a “sales hat” more often these days. It’s humbling. It’s slow. But one closed contract changes the entire trajectory of the lab.

If you’re in the middle of this same grind, I’d love to trade war stories.

Wrestling with GTM? Let’s talk. Twitter / LinkedIn