Many startups—especially tech startups—do not fail because they lack technical capability.
On the contrary, they fail precisely because they are too good at technology—so good that they believe a strong technical solution will automatically create a market.
This is one of the most “sweet and dangerous traps” for startup founders.
When Technology Becomes the Center… and Customers Are Pushed to the Side
Many founders begin with the question:
“How do we build the best possible solution?”
When the real question should be:
“What problem are customers actually facing, and do they truly want to change?”
The difference may seem small in wording, but it leads to vastly different outcomes.
When technology is at the center, decisions revolve around:
-
New features
-
Algorithmic complexity
-
System architecture
-
The “elegance” of the technical solution
When customers are at the center, decisions revolve around:
-
Are they willing to use it?
-
Do they immediately understand the value?
-
Does this save them time, money, or effort?
Many startups choose the first path—because it feels familiar, safe, and gives founders the sense that they are “making progress.”
Technology Isn’t Wrong — It’s Just Often Too Early
A hard truth to accept:
Markets are rarely ready for new technology the moment it is created.
Many startups build solutions that are:
-
Too complex for the customer’s current level of readiness
-
Technically “correct” but behaviorally difficult
-
Too advanced for existing infrastructure, habits, and budgets
As a result, customers don’t reject the product because the technology is bad, but because:
“I don’t have enough reason to change how I’m currently doing things.”
In startups, market indifference is far more dangerous than outright rejection.
Startups That Love Technology Often Convince Themselves
A clear sign of a startup that “loves technology more than customers” is how it explains failure.
Common explanations include:
-
“The market doesn’t understand our value yet.”
-
“Customers aren’t sophisticated enough.”
-
“The product is too new.”
-
“The market just needs more time to mature.”
These statements may sound reasonable, but they are often ways to delay facing the truth:
customers do not see enough benefit to abandon their existing habits.
Customers Don’t Buy Technology — They Buy Beneficial Change
Customers don’t care whether you use AI, blockchain, or any core technology.
What they care about is:
-
Does this make my life easier?
-
Does this help me work faster?
-
Does this reduce my risk?
-
Do I have to relearn too much to use it?
If the answers to these questions are not clear enough:
-
Even great technology won’t sell
-
Even the most polished pitch deck won’t convince the market
Loving Customers Does Not Mean Sacrificing Technology
Many founders fear that “listening to customers” will make their product mediocre.
In reality, loving customers does not mean stripping the product of depth or soul.
It means:
-
Using technology to solve a specific pain point
-
Prioritizing features customers are ready to use immediately
-
Letting go of technical perfection in exchange for real-world deployability
The best technology is not the one that is admired —
it is the one that is actually used.
Incubators exist to pull startups back to their customers
In hands-on incubation programs, startups are often “forced” to do uncomfortable things:
-
Go out and talk to real customers
-
Let go of features they personally love
-
Try selling while the product is still rough
The goal is not to make startups uncomfortable for no reason,
but to reset priorities:
customers first — technology second.
A startup that survives is not the one with the best technology,
but the one humble enough to adapt its technology to real market conditions.
A Message to Technology Founders
If you love technology, that’s a good thing.
But if you love technology more than your customers, your startup is operating in a high-risk zone.
Remember:
-
Customers don’t owe you their curiosity
-
The market has no obligation to “understand” your technology
-
Value only exists when customers are willing to change their behavior
Startups don’t fail because they lack passion for technology.
They fail because they forget why that technology was created in the first place.
