Cracking product-market fit: Lessons from founders and investors at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

The article discusses insights from a panel discussion at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 on achieving product-market fit. Rajat Bhageria, the founder of Chef Robotics, Ann Bordetsky from venture capital firm NEA, and Murali Joshi from ICONIQ Capital shared their perspectives. Key takeaways: - Founders should focus on deeply understanding their target customers and their pain points to develop a product that truly resonates. - Iterating quickly and collecting customer feedback is crucial to refine the product and ensure it meets market needs. - Investors look for evidence of strong customer engagement, retention, and growth when evaluating a startup's product-market fit. - Successful founders are often able to identify and capitalize on emerging trends or underserved niches in the market. - Building a diverse team with complementary skills can enhance a startup's ability to understand and address customer needs. The panelists provided practical advice for founders navigating the challenge of finding product-market fit, which is a critical milestone for any successful startup.