Duro’s Path to Product-Market Fit: Why Being Too Early Can Be as Challenging as Being Too Late

Startup conventional wisdom warns about being too late to market, but being too early presents its own unique challenges. In a recent episode of Category Visionaries, Michael Corr from Duro shared their journey of launching a product before the market was ready – and how they adapted to survive.

Reading the Market Wrong

The signs seemed promising in 2017. Having spent decades in hardware development, Michael saw an industry ripe for transformation. “Having lived in the Bay Area in the mid-2000s and being first hand exposed to what I refer to as that whole software agile renaissance movement, I just had an extreme jealousy about how much innovation was happening in that industry and none of that was really transferring over to hardware industry,” he recalls.

But recognizing a problem doesn’t mean the market is ready for the solution. “I think in hindsight, maybe if I win year or two, there would have been a little bit more momentum in the market,” Michael reflects. “Early on that sizable market wasn’t there. It was still dominated by these legacy industry folks who were still trying to follow those old models.”

The Positioning Pivot

Initially, Duro positioned itself as a Data Management Platform, reflecting their vision for modernizing hardware development. But as Michael explains, “the market wasn’t ready for that concept. It was too much of the old school way of thinking… And so we kind of retroactively said, so fine, we’re a PLM. And then immediately we started selling because customers got what we were.”

This pivot in positioning – without changing their core product vision – proved crucial. It gave them a foothold while waiting for the market to catch up to their larger vision.

Finding the Right Early Adopters

Rather than trying to convert everyone, Duro focused on teams going through new product introduction (NPI). “Where we do best is teams who are going through what’s referred to as NPI new product introduction,” Michael notes. “And that’s where teams are trying to move fast. They’re innovating, they’re trying to get out of their competitors.”

These teams felt the pain points most acutely and were more open to new approaches. The strategy worked not just with startups but also with larger companies like Apple and Google who go through regular NPI cycles.

The Cultural Shift

The market began to shift as software companies entered the hardware space. As Michael explains, “You’re seeing that culturally, some of the best hardware products are now being developed by software companies where not the Apples or the Samsung, but companies like Google and Facebook and Amazon.”

These companies brought their agile mindsets with them, creating the cultural change Duro had been waiting for.

Maintaining Conviction

What kept them going through the lean years? “The fundamental thing that kept me going is I really see the future and I see this, like, utopia of a much better place for hardware designers and engineers and manufacturers to get to,” Michael shares.

This conviction was supported by growing evidence of market evolution. “We’re definitely getting a lot more recognition lately. We’re kind of only like a couple of chapters ahead of the history books where the culture is shifting,” Michael notes.

Lessons for Founders

Duro’s journey offers valuable insights for founders building ahead of market readiness:

1. Position your product in terms the current market understands
2. Find early adopters who feel the pain most acutely
3. Watch for cultural shifts that signal market readiness
4. Maintain your vision while adapting your go-to-market strategy
5. Use the waiting period to perfect your product and build credibility

The key insight? When you’re early to market, success isn’t just about surviving until the market catches up – it’s about finding ways to create value with your current solution while building toward your larger vision.

For founders watching Duro’s journey, the lesson is clear: market timing isn’t just about identifying a problem that needs solving. It’s about understanding where your market is in its evolutionary journey and adapting your approach accordingly.