The Non-Obvious Path to Product-Market Fit in AI

About this session

In this session, Marie Doce, founder and CEO of Grounded AI, shares the practical journey of finding product-market fit as a solo female founder building an AI services firm outside a traditional tech hub. She will walk through how she moved from early AI curiosity in her market to paid engagements, clearer positioning, repeatable offers, and strong demand from organizations trying to understand what AI can unlock for their day-to-day work.

Through real examples from building Grounded AI, Marie will discuss how to spot customer pain, translate skepticism into trust, position AI around clear business outcomes, and build momentum without following the usual venture-backed startup playbook. This session is for founders and builders looking for a practical, real-world view of how AI companies can find traction by staying close to the people and problems they serve.

Speaker

Key takeaways

  • Identify the market signals that show where customers are ready to pay for AI support.
  • Turn customer conversations into clearer positioning, offers, and repeatable services.
  • Build trust and traction as an AI founder by grounding your product or service in real business pain points.

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