Overview

In The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers, Collin Stewart lays out the key principles that start ups need to follow. Starting with the uncommon art of actually listening to prospective clients, he leads you through the essential first step of getting great product-market fit, and then what comes after that: actually selling. Stewart knows that while some founders, like him, have sales backgrounds, others don't, and he covers the key practices of selling that non-salespeople won't know. along with the key mistakes that salespeople make when they find themselves running companies. Stewart brings stories and insights from his own and others' experience to show what great sales conversations do and don't look like, how to find new clients, the stages of a sales process that actually works, how to manage a sales team and sales pipeline. An essential go-to guide for entrepreneurs to understand the impact how strong product market fit will have on their go to market efforts.

Full Product Details

9781774586136

Table of Contents

Reviews

""For any founder looking to get traction fast, this book is a game-changer. The section on customer development funnel, in particular, is gold for founders trying to find that elusive product-market fit. If you're struggling to get your first customers, this chapter will change the way you think about outreach, feedback, and refining your pitch. It nails the balance between strategic insight and hands-on tactics--exactly what you need in your early days."" --Kris Rudeegraap, co-CEO, Sendoso ""Customers want outcomes, not products. As a founder, your first job isn't selling--it's understanding the outcomes your customers are looking for. Collin Stewart nails it: Before you build a repeatable sales engine, you must bring in those first customers and ensure they love your product enough to stay, pay, and shout about it from the rooftops. If you can't do that, no one else will."" --Lloyed Lobo, cofounder, Boast.AI and Traction; Wall Street Journal-bestselling author, From Grassroots to Greatness ""The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers is a must-read for anyone starting a new business. Collin Stewart's wealth of experience and insights learned from helping founders find predictable revenue is as deep and valuable as you'll find. As I often say, nothing happens until someone sells something, and this book serves as the how-to guide to selling something."" --Sean Sheppard, managing partner, FifthRow ""This is a must-read for entrepreneurs and aspiring founders. From finding product-market fit to securing early customers and creating a repeatable revenue engine with clarity and precision, Collin Stewart cuts through the noise with nine easy-to-read chapters. The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers is more than a good read--it's a reference book you'll pull off the shelf regularly."" --Collin Cadmus, sales consultant and coach; founder, Collin Cadmus, LLC ""Collin Stewart's book is your roadmap to finding quality customers who'll actually fuel your growth, instead of burning cash building products nobody wants. After reading this, you'll transform those 'What the heck am I doing?' mornings into confident execution because you'll finally have a clear gameplay that works."" --Morgan J. Ingram, founder and CEO, AMP Creative ""Having strong product-market fit magnifies the impact of every sales, marketing, and customer success motion you have. I wish more books treated it like the growth accelerant it is--this one nails it."" --Max Altschuler, founder and general partner, GTMfund ""Being responsible for growth is terrifying because it never gets easier--just different. At first, you're clawing your way to $1M ARR, then suddenly you're water-skiing behind a boat you're still building. Collin Stewart doesn't just capture this chaos--he gives you the tools to survive it."" --Cole Fox, operating VP, recruiting, GTM, and value creation, Growth Factors ""Collin Stewart has written the ultimate playbook for founders struggling to turn ideas into revenue. His brutally honest storytelling and actionable frameworks make this a must-read for anyone trying to crack the code of sales and product-market fit. If you're stuck pushing a wet noodle up a hill, this book will show you how to build momentum and turn prospects into paying customers."" --Amir Reiter, founder and CEO, CloudTask ""Most business books are so theoretical and offer little in how their methods were developed. Collin Stewart does a fantastic job of showing how his self-proclaimed 'mistakes' and the learnings he gained led to better ideas and proven recommendations."" --Jamie Scarborough, founding partner, Sales Talent Agency and The Great Canadian Sales Competition ""Finding customers can feel terrifying, especially when launching new products and services. But Collin Stewart turns that fear into confidence with a light, engaging, and incredibly practical guide. He breaks down the chaos of B2B sales into clear steps, making it easier--and even enjoyable--to land your first customers and scale revenue. A must-read for any sleep-deprived founder trying to crack the sales code."" --Darius Lahoutifard, founder, MEDDIC Academy; bestselling author, Leadership by Cyrus the Great and Always Be Qualifying ""Highly recommended for current and prospective entrepreneurs, business school faculty, and students. Those planning to build up or promote a product should have this book on hand."" --LJ Reviews

""For any founder looking to get traction fast, this book is a game-changer. The section on customer development funnel, in particular, is gold for founders trying to find that elusive product-market fit. If you're struggling to get your first customers, this chapter will change the way you think about outreach, feedback, and refining your pitch. It nails the balance between strategic insight and hands-on tactics--exactly what you need in your early days."" --Kris Rudeegraap, co-CEO, Sendoso ""Customers want outcomes, not products. As a founder, your first job isn't selling--it's understanding the outcomes your customers are looking for. Collin Stewart nails it: Before you build a repeatable sales engine, you must bring in those first customers and ensure they love your product enough to stay, pay, and shout about it from the rooftops. If you can't do that, no one else will."" --Lloyed Lobo, cofounder, Boast.AI and Traction; Wall Street Journal-bestselling author, From Grassroots to Greatness ""The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers is a must-read for anyone starting a new business. Collin Stewart's wealth of experience and insights learned from helping founders find predictable revenue is as deep and valuable as you'll find. As I often say, nothing happens until someone sells something, and this book serves as the how-to guide to selling something."" --Sean Sheppard, managing partner, FifthRow ""This is a must-read for entrepreneurs and aspiring founders. From finding product-market fit to securing early customers and creating a repeatable revenue engine with clarity and precision, Collin Stewart cuts through the noise with nine easy-to-read chapters. The Terrifying Art of Finding Customers is more than a good read--it's a reference book you'll pull off the shelf regularly."" --Collin Cadmus, sales consultant and coach; founder, Collin Cadmus, LLC ""Collin Stewart's book is your roadmap to finding quality customers who'll actually fuel your growth, instead of burning cash building products nobody wants. After reading this, you'll transform those 'What the heck am I doing?' mornings into confident execution because you'll finally have a clear gameplay that works."" --Morgan J. Ingram, founder and CEO, AMP Creative ""Having strong product-market fit magnifies the impact of every sales, marketing, and customer success motion you have. I wish more books treated it like the growth accelerant it is--this one nails it."" --Max Altschuler, founder and general partner, GTMfund ""Being responsible for growth is terrifying because it never gets easier--just different. At first, you're clawing your way to $1M ARR, then suddenly you're water-skiing behind a boat you're still building. Collin Stewart doesn't just capture this chaos--he gives you the tools to survive it."" --Cole Fox, operating VP, recruiting, GTM, and value creation, Growth Factors ""Collin Stewart has written the ultimate playbook for founders struggling to turn ideas into revenue. His brutally honest storytelling and actionable frameworks make this a must-read for anyone trying to crack the code of sales and product-market fit. If you're stuck pushing a wet noodle up a hill, this book will show you how to build momentum and turn prospects into paying customers."" --Amir Reiter, founder and CEO, CloudTask ""Most business books are so theoretical and offer little in how their methods were developed. Collin Stewart does a fantastic job of showing how his self-proclaimed 'mistakes' and the learnings he gained led to better ideas and proven recommendations."" --Jamie Scarborough, founding partner, Sales Talent Agency and The Great Canadian Sales Competition ""Finding customers can feel terrifying, especially when launching new products and services. But Collin Stewart turns that fear into confidence with a light, engaging, and incredibly practical guide. He breaks down the chaos of B2B sales into clear steps, making it easier--and even enjoyable--to land your first customers and scale revenue. A must-read for any sleep-deprived founder trying to crack the sales code."" --Darius Lahoutifard, founder, MEDDIC Academy; bestselling author, Leadership by Cyrus the Great and Always Be Qualifying

Author Information

Collin Stewart is Co-founder of Predictable Revenue, where he's spent over a decade helping early-stage companies with customer acquisition. Collin's insights come from the trenches, having built three startups, proving firsthand that finding product-market fit is rarely a smooth ride. He's developed a tried-and-true playbook for finding a gap in the market and converting it into paying customers. Colin lives in Vancouver, B.C.

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