How it felt to reach Product-market fit (PMF) at WorkOS—and what no one tells you
Today, I want to share the emotional side of hitting PMF at WorkOS, plus some advice I’ve learned the hard way from growing the company to where it is today.
In our last post, we shared some signals that you’ve achieved product-market fit (PMF)—the moment a product truly resonates with its audience.
But what did it feel like? And what did I wish I'd known before?
The day it all “clicked”: a Hacker News launch during COVID
I was holed up at home during the COVID lockdown the day we launched WorkOS on Hacker News. Once the post went live, it sat on the front page, gathering lots of points and comments—shockingly, none of them snarky.
I ended up doing about 70 customer interviews and demos in the days after launch. This was the first hint of a real PMF: a crazy spectrum of people showed up—developers building sales tools, educators working on online learning platforms, and even hardware companies.
They all shared one thing: they needed quick, reliable ways to add “enterprise features” like SSO or directory sync.
That moment taught me a crucial lesson about spotting PMF: If you see a surprisingly broad range of real use cases (from folks you didn’t chase down yourself), it’s a sign you’re solving a universal problem.
Support inbox shift: from “How do I integrate?” to “How should I think about enterprise?”
Early support emails at WorkOS were straightforward: “How do I authenticate someone?”, and “Which endpoint do I call?”. However, we noticed a shift as more customers started rolling WorkOS into production.
Instead of “Where’s your SDK?” it became “How should I think about expanding into enterprise with your product?” That’s also how we knew PMF was happening in real-time: People weren’t just trying it out; they were making WorkOS a critical part of their workflow.
They had bigger, more strategic questions because they committed to our product long-term. We, therefore, went from building “just a feature” to being a trusted partner.
The highs and lows of Big-Name inbound
Early on, we had folks from big enterprises poking around, kicking the tires out of curiosity. A logo like Siemens might create huge excitement—but it does not necessarily translate to revenue. Over time, I’ve learned to distinguish between the two.
You can waste hours (or months) chasing a big brand that only wants to tinker. Meanwhile, those smaller, scrappier teams might be the ones who truly need you.
What really matters is consistent adoption and organic growth—even if it starts small.
We only want to charge really happy customers
Our revenue model at WorkOS is usage-based. We only want to charge customers once they’re truly happy with the product.For me, that’s a huge sign of PMF: you’re not constantly “pushing” deals.
Instead, growth (and revenue) is the natural outcome of people using the product. That’s when you know you’ve nailed something indispensable—people want to pay you because the product is fueling their success.
Focus on making your initial customers happy - really, really happy - to the point where they say things like, “I love WorkOS, ” which is something our users still tell me.
It’s kind of strange to feel that way about an infrastructure API. We call that developer love, and it takes real time and focus to build.
The emotional roller coaster of finding product-market fit
My current definition of product-market fit is that you can make mistakes and continue to grow because customers genuinely love what you’re doing. There were definitely morale dips and market uncertainties along the way.
We’ve gone through the usual startup growing pains. But the real engine powering us through tough times was a simple mantra: Keep talking to users. Keep making them happy. If you do that consistently, the rest follows.
What I wish I’d known in advance
- Not all Big-Name inbound is meaningful: Early on, you might get starry-eyed about a Fortune 500 company signing up for a demo. That’s cool, but it’s not a guaranteed home run. Focus on the folks who genuinely need your product right now—and will integrate or buy within a realistic timeline.
- Make 10 customers truly love you (before you aim for 10,000): If you can’t deeply satisfy a small handful of users, it’s unlikely you’ll succeed with thousands. We spent tons of time making those first 10 customers rave about WorkOS.
- Tie revenue to usage when possible: If you can wait until people actually get value—rather than forcing them into a contract upfront—you’ll foster better relationships and a healthier business. Charging only when customers are happy creates alignment.
- Don’t confuse VC/investor interest with real PMF: A big check in your bank account doesn’t mean your product solves a genuine problem. You still have to validate it with actual users. Otherwise, you’re just burning capital while you figure out if anyone really wants what you’re building.
- Keep it simple: You don’t need to pivot every three months looking for “the next big thing.” Once we recognized the power behind enterprise features for SaaS, we stuck to it and expanded gradually (e.g., adding new components like EKM and session management). If you know your mission is solid, don’t abandon it too quickly.
Keep the “Beginner’s Mindset” alive
After we hit PMF for our core single sign-on and directory sync products, we could have rested on our early successes. Instead, we took the momentum and asked, “What else do developers need to move upmarket?”
That led us to build more advanced features and eventually become a platform for enterprise readiness.
Through it all, you need to stay close to customers—no matter how big your brand becomes.
We still hop on calls, read feedback, and track real usage data. PMF isn’t a static moment; it’s an ongoing dialogue with the people who rely on your product.