How Narada used 1,000 customer calls to build enterprise AI

Narada is an enterprise AI startup that uses large action models—an AI architecture for automating workflows—to automate complex, multistep workflows across enterprise systems. On an episode of the Build Mode podcast, hosted by TechCrunch, founder David Park discussed how the company approached its early growth. When Narada applied for the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield competition in 2024, the team had completed very little fundraising. This was an intentional choice by the founders, who prioritized deep customer discovery over early capital. According to Park, the co-founders made over 1,000 customer calls to understand enterprise pain points before seeking external investment.

This strategy reflects Park’s philosophy on the dangers of early capital. According to Park, having too much money in the bank before achieving product-market fit—the startup milestone where a product satisfies a strong market demand—can lead to bad spending decisions. “We wanted to not waste too much money,” said Park, a veteran founder. He noted that excess capital before reaching product-market fit can tempt a startup to spend on things that do not help the company evolve correctly, removing the friction that prevents a team from making the wrong decisions.

By focusing on customer conversations early on, the company established a foundation of trust. Some of the customers that Narada bootstrapped with—meaning the company was funded using personal finances or operating revenue rather than external investment—ultimately turned into multimillion-dollar deals. Park advises founders to ask hard questions and spend time with customers rather than focusing solely on selling, noting that securing a contract and a purchase order is only the beginning of the business relationship. He emphasizes that it is always easier to sell more to a company that has already chosen to trust the startup.

These insights on startup scaling and fundraising strategy are part of broader discussions among builders. TechCrunch will host the Founder Summit 2026 on June 9 in Boston to focus on these founder-led conversations. Additionally, the Startup Battlefield 200 will take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, scheduled for October 13 to 15 in San Francisco.

Why it matters

This strategy highlights the tension between early capital and product-market fit, demonstrating how deep customer discovery can serve as a more effective foundation for enterprise AI than rapid fundraising.