Ali Hafizji from Wednesday on MVP Mistakes and Finding Product-Market Fit

Ali Hafizji is the CEO of Wednesday, an engineering services company specializing in - Data Engineering, Generative AI, and Application Modernization. In this episode, Ali Hafizji, founder of Wednesday, shares how his frustration with clunky banking APIs sparked the idea to launch a high-performance engineering services firm. He dives into building outcome-focused teams, the evolution from MVP to product-market fit, and why founders must shift from intuition to data. Ali unpacks common mistakes startups make post-MVP, tips for leveraging AI tools effectively, and why retention—not vanity metrics—matters most. He also breaks down how India’s unicorns embrace experimentation, when to pivot, and how to build brand and distribution moats in the AI era - and much more! Timestamps 01:20 – How Ali got into startups and his first experience at an 11-person startup. 03:40 – Early startup exit and how he alternated between building and joining startups. 05:10 – Origin story of Wednesday and the inefficiencies he noticed while working with banks. 07:05 – Insight: Enterprises often “throw people at the problem” instead of solving it structurally. 08:30 – His vision of small, outcome-driven teams in engineering as a service. 10:15 – Advice on choosing between product vs. service startups for first-time founders. 12:20 – Key hiring advice: choose where you’ll have a voice and mentors, not just “product vs service.” 14:10 – Why sticking to an idea without market validation is risky. 16:00 – The major difference between MVP and Product-Market Fit (PMF). 17:30 – Most startups fail post-MVP due to chasing vanity metrics and scaling prematurely. 19:45 – What founders should track in the 30 days post-MVP (pirate metrics: AARRR). 22:00 – Ideal early retention metrics for B2C and B2B startups. 24:40 – Founders must shift from intuition-led to data-led decision-making post-MVP. 26:10 – The rise of no-code, AI, and solo MVP development—even for non-technical founders. 28:10 – Why founders should be building smarter, not just faster. 29:45 – On hiring post-MVP: what founders should evaluate in product development teams. 31:40 – How to build a moat and brand in the AI era—infuse values from day one. 33:20 – Distribution strategies: pick one GTM strategy based on your strengths and market. 35:40 – Powerful insight: start with unhappy users of competitors and work outward. 37:15 – How Wednesday charges for outcomes, not hours—reinventing the services model. 39:50 – What India’s unicorns do right: mindset shift, humility, and relentless experimentation. 42:00 – When to pivot vs. when to persist: make decisions based on return on invested capital. 44:20 – Common MVP mistake: building too much instead of staying focused. Ali’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/alihafizji Website – https://www.wednesday.is/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/