Build From The Dock: Your First Customers Aren't Your ICP
Wednesday, August 5
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PT
Venture Dock, 555 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA
About the Event
Every startup talks about go-to-market. Very few founders stop to ask whether the customers they're winning today are actually the customers they'll build a company around.
Your first users are often the people willing to take a chance on something unfinished, not the market you'll eventually scale with. Confusing early traction with real product-market fit is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes early-stage founders make.
This week at Build From The Dock, we're digging into that gap: how to spot when your first customers are pulling you in the wrong direction, and how to build toward the market you actually want to serve.
Welcoming Back Keith Lam
Keith Lam
Principal, Rebel LLC | Berkeley SkyDeck Mentor
Keith has spent 20+ years helping B2B founders build go-to-market strategy, product marketing foundations, sales process, and customer success, across AI, SaaS, FinTech, CX, and emerging tech. He mentors regularly through Berkeley SkyDeck and other startup programs.
Keith's focus is helping founders avoid the trap of optimizing too early, grounding GTM decisions in customer discovery and positioning instead of generic playbooks. Expect practical frameworks pulled straight from real startup experience, not theory.
What You'll Walk Away With
A quick test to check if your current customers are actually your ICP or just early adopters
A way to spot the difference between "they said yes" and "they'll pay to scale"
3 questions to ask before you let customer feedback change your roadmap
A method for finding your next 10 customers without re-locking into the wrong segment
One reframe on ICP timing that changes when you should even define it
Agenda
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Coffee, coworking, and founder networking
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Featured session with Keith Lam
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Founder Q&A, networking, and coworking
Who Should Attend
Early-stage founders, teams building their first product, founders prepping for go-to-market, product and growth leaders, builders validating demand, investors and advisors, and students interested in startups.
About Build From The Dock
Build From The Dock is Venture Dock's weekly founder series — practical conversations with people who've navigated these challenges firsthand, not just inspiration.
Become Part of the Venture Dock Community
Venture Dock is a founder-first community and innovation hub connecting startups with investors, operators, mentors, and strategic partners.