When founders, aspiring entrepreneurs, and curious minds have honest conversations with a seasoned early-stage investor, something special happens.

At GeeksOnABeach.com (GOAB) events, we aim to create a space for genuine learning, shared insights, and tangible progress. Our recent online session on July 16, 2025, 'Understanding Product-Market Fit (PMF) in Startups, and How Investors Know You Got It,' embodied this. Featuring Kevin Brockland, Managing Partner at Indelible Ventures, the session included his PMF talk and provided an opportunity for two early-stage founders—Richard Myles Notario of Sellr PH and Jessie Angelo Lee of EZTax—to practice their pitch and receive feedback.

The Product-Market Fit talk generated more questions than we had time to address, so please find the full Question and Answer text below.

New GOAB Offering. This event marked the launch of our 'Startup Mastery Series'—a GOAB Beach Club online program with expert talks, mentoring, and networking. GOAB Beach Club is our new year-round community for startup builders, dreamers, and doers. Our free inaugural July session was open to the public and brought together a good mix of founders, students, and tech enthusiasts. Enjoy the Q&A!"

Fall in Love with the Problem, Not Just the Idea

When asked how to come up with good startup ideas, Kevin didn’t give a magic formula. His answer? “Fall in love with the problem.” Not the solution. Not the trend. The problem.

Because startups are hard. And if you’re not deeply connected to the problem you’re solving, you won’t survive the grind. Your idea has to be something painful enough that people want a solution—even if they don’t know it yet.

Yes, You Can Start Before You Launch

Can you do Product-Market Fit research before you even launch? Absolutely. Jessie asked if PMF is possible before your product is in the market. Kevin’s take? Research, build, validate. And repeat.

Start with customer interviews. Validate the pain points. But be careful not to take surface-level feedback as gospel. Remember Henry Ford’s “faster horses” quote. Or Steve Jobs: “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

MOM Test = Your Best Friend

Dominic brought up the “MOM Test” (a method of customer discovery, popularized by Rob Fitzpatrick in his book of the same name, that emphasizes asking the right questions to avoid biased feedback and uncover the truth about your product idea) for asking better, bias-free questions). Kevin’s response? Use it—early and often. Whether you’re just validating the problem or trying to interpret unclear signals, it’s a solid framework that keeps your assumptions in check.

PMF Is a Moving Target

Christine asked the question that every founder eventually faces: what happens when the market shifts?

Kevin’s insight? PMF isn’t a finish line—it’s a moving target. Markets shift. Competitors emerge. Technology evolves. The secret? Stay customer-obsessed. “We’re not competitor-obsessed, we’re customer-obsessed,” as Amazon says. PMF can be won and lost multiple times in a company’s life. Keep listening. Keep iterating.

Tips for Two-Sided Marketplaces

Gia’s question hit home for many founders: how do you navigate PMF when you have two distinct customer segments (like buyers and sellers)?

Kevin’s answer: always start with the side that enables the platform. For ride-hailing, that’s drivers. For e-commerce, that’s sellers. But once the flywheel starts spinning, both sides must be revalidated continuously. Treat each ICP (ideal customer profile) with care and don’t over-diversify too early.

Hacker. Hustler. Hipster.

Ralph asked what roles a startup needs to get things going. Kevin borrowed from Jason Calacanis’ famous formula: every early-stage startup needs a hacker (engineer), a hustler (business/sales), and a hipster (designer/product thinker). Balance the tech, business, and user perspectives.

Why This Matters for GOAB

If this session proved anything, it’s that GOAB isn’t just about meeting people—it’s about learning from the right ones. The kind who’ve done the work, made the mistakes, and are willing to share their playbook.

So if you're a founder or entrepreneur still trying to figure out your next step—or an investor looking for real traction stories—GOAB is the place to be. This is where the community learns together. Where insights like these aren’t confined to a single Zoom call but spill into beachside conversations, investor meetups, and year-round connections.

What to attend GOAB?

GeeksOnABeach.com (GOAB) is an annual international conference for everyone who is passionate about tech, startups, design, and making the world brighter. In its 8th year, GOAB will be held at a world-class beach resort in Cebu, Philippines on October 1-3, 2025.

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GOAB isn’t just about attending an event. It’s about building something that lasts—with others who are just as obsessed with solving problems as you are.