Don’t Burn a Year of Your Career on a Product That Doesn’t Work: How Sellers Can Vet for PMF Before They Sign

Most early-stage startups will tell you they’ve got momentum. A few will say they’ve found "early product-market fit."

But here’s the truth:

If a company can’t help you check the boxes for PMF, it doesn’t matter how good your pitch is — you’re not closing deals. You’re collecting rejection data.

Whether you're the first AE or joining a 50-person GTM team, your job is to sell traction, not just effort. And in an AI-saturated market where expectations are higher than ever, sellers must be ruthless about qualifying the company as much as the company is qualifying them.

This isn’t about avoiding risk. It’s about avoiding a wasted year.

What Selling Without PMF Feels Like

• You send 300 outbound emails. You get 3 confused replies.

• Every demo ends with, “Interesting... but not a priority right now.”

• You’re told to “sell the vision,” but the product breaks mid-demo.

• The AI story is bolted on, not built in — and buyers know it.

• Everyone’s busy building decks, but no one’s closing deals.

• The comp plan is uncapped… because no one’s capped anything.

PMF doesn’t guarantee easy sales, but no PMF guarantees painful ones.

AI Has Raised the Bar for PMF

In 2020, you could get away with a beta product, a few logos, and a compelling pitch.

In 2025, buyers expect:

• AI that’s native, not duct-taped

• Use cases that create instant ROI or time savings

• Clear differentiation — not just another tool with a dashboard

You're not just selling a solution. You're selling survival in a noisy, AI-driven economy.

If the company can't clearly explain how its product thrives in an AI-first world, it doesn't have a value prop. It has a feature set.

The High-Signal Questions Every Seller Should Ask

Use these in interviews or due diligence. You’re not being difficult. You’re being smart.

1. Who’s your best customer, and what triggered the purchase? 

✅ Good: “The Head of RevOps at a Series B SaaS company. They were drowning in manual quote approvals. We automated it and saved 15 hours/week.” 

🚫 Bad: “We’ve sold into all kinds of verticals — we’re flexible.”

Why it matters: If they can’t name the pain, you won’t know how to sell the fix.

2. What happens in a deal that wins vs. one that stalls? 

✅ Good: “When the buyer is a VP with a KPI, and our AI saves them time, it closes. If it’s a technical buyer looking for customization, we lose.” 

🚫 Bad: “It depends... we’re still figuring that out.”

Why it matters: If they haven’t mapped the difference between yes and no, they’re still guessing.

3. How is AI core to the product, not just the pitch? 

✅ Good: “Our AI drafts insights instantly. Customers see value in the first 5 minutes.” 

🚫 Bad: “We’re planning to integrate GPT next quarter.”

Why it matters: AI should drive actual customer value today. Not vaporware.

4. What’s the one sales signal I’d own in my first 60 days? 

✅ Good: “Improve demo-to-close rate for 100+ employee accounts.” 

🚫 Bad: “Just book meetings — we’re all figuring it out.”

Why it matters: Companies with traction know what to optimize. Guessing means chaos.

5. How many reps are hitting quota, and what’s the average ramp? 

✅ Good: “65% hit quota. Ramp is 90 days. Closers start in month 3.” 

🚫 Bad: “We don’t believe in quotas — just hustle.”

Why it matters: Quota performance is a proxy for product readiness.

Your AI-Enhanced PMF Checklist (for Sellers)

Use this checklist like you're qualifying a deal. If you can check 4+ boxes, there's likely PMF. If not? Walk.

Checkpoint & What to Look For:

1. Clear ICP + use case: Can they describe the ideal buyer, pain, and outcome?

2. AI is embedded: Is it core to the product, not just the slide deck?

3. Public proof: G2 reviews, customer posts, actual case studies?

4. Sales metrics with context: Quota attainment, win rates, deal cycles?

5. Founder not needed in every deal: Is it selling without executive handholding?

6. Real CS + onboarding motion: Can customers succeed without duct tape?

7. Urgent problem solved: Why now? Is this pain getting worse with AI?

8. Competitive awareness: Do they know who they beat — and why?

Use AI to Run Your Own PMF Diligence

You’re a seller. Treat this like a pipeline deal. Don’t just take their word for it.

1. Use ChatGPT or Perplexity to summarize:

• G2 reviews

• Reddit/Twitter chatter

• Industry trends

2. Secret shop the company:

• Send an inbound demo request. How fast do they respond?

• How sharp is the SDR's message?

• What’s the follow-up like?

3. Talk to a former AE:

• DM: “Hey, I saw you were early at [Company]. Curious how buyers responded when you were there. Exploring a role.”

Final Thought: You’re Not Just Evaluating a Job — You’re Forecasting Your Future

PMF isn’t a checkbox. It’s the difference between:

• A comp plan that pays out vs. one that breaks you

• A rocketship you ride vs. a product you push uphill

• A career move vs. a career mistake

Don’t just ask if the product is ready.