Lessons in Business Development for Researchers and Founders (Part 2)

Welcome to part two of our Meet the Experts interview with Matti Kawecki, electrical engineer, longtime business developer and consultant for tech startups. In part one of our conversation, Matti showed us WHY researchers need to shift their mindset. In this second part, we explore the HOW.

From Exploration to Traction: Business Development as the Missing Link

For Matti Kawecki, the bridge between invention and impact is business development. One of Matti’s core lessons is that business development is not the same as sales. He describes business development as “sales R&D”: the process of scouting opportunities, testing hypotheses, and shaping what a business could become. Sales, by contrast, only begins once you already know what works and can scale it with discipline.

Hiring a salesperson too early is, in his view, a common mistake. What startups need first are explorers; people who thrive in uncertainty, who are comfortable testing assumptions, listening to potential customers, and discovering new markets. Only later should hunters (those skilled at executing repeatable processes and closing deals) come in, to scale what has been proven.

Matti also frames the distinction in agricultural terms. “I see myself as a farmer,” he says. In deep tech especially, quick wins are rare. Success depends on cultivating long-term relationships, earning trust, and sometimes waiting years before ideas bear fruit. A hunter’s mindset, focused on immediate results, can damage credibility in industries where customers value reliability and continuity over speed.

Focus over Features

Another trap Matti warns against is over-engineering. “Many teams keep adding features that nobody uses. It’s better to stick to a simple core product that solves a real problem.” He has seen founders spend years chasing technical perfection, only to discover customers never asked for those extra features.

The same logic applies to markets. Matti has observed many startups spreading themselves too thin, trying to cover multiple cities or regions at once instead of building depth in one place. “Don’t try to enter Berlin, Munich, and Düsseldorf at once. Nail one segment, secure cash flow, then expand,” he advises.

He contrasts this with the mistake he made early in his career, investing years of work and savings into a technology before ever testing it with paying customers. “We spent €30K to learn that no one wanted what we built,” he recalls with a laugh. “That’s when I learned survival depends on focus. Ambition is good, but spreading too thin can crush you.”

For ambitious founders, this discipline can feel limiting, but in practice it’s often the difference between building something sustainable and collapsing under the weight of complexity.

The Power of Co-Creation

For Matti, business development means engaging customers from the very beginning, not after the product is polished. “Show something unfinished. Get feedback. And most importantly, ask for money. That moment when someone is actually willing to pay is the true test of value. If you don’t charge for it, they won’t value it.”

He outlines a practical approach: “Ask three questions: (1) Do you have problem X? (2) Is it really a problem? (3) How do you solve it now? Then say, ‘We could deliver a solution in two or three months, do you want to be among the first to test it?’”

Matti emphasizes that this isn’t about selling prototypes for profit but about learning alongside potential customers. “A sale at this stage isn’t for the sake of revenue, it’s for the sake of verification.”

By inviting customers into the process, founders not only avoid wasting years on the wrong product; they also create something users feel invested in. “If you go out and talk to people, you find out if they share the problem you’re trying to solve. And if they say yes, then you ask if they’d pay for it.”

That willingness to involve outsiders early, even when the product is imperfect, keeps teams grounded in real-world needs instead of internal assumptions.

Stepping out of the Bubble

Ultimately, business development is about leaving the safe confines of academia. His advice is straightforward: “Talk to people outside your bubble. Don’t just ask if they’re interested, ask if they’d pay.”

He explains that researchers are not trained to talk to future customers, and that they have to acknowledge that fact. Otherwise, this can become a dangerous blind spot. “What founders need,” he says, “is someone who can act as a translator between the lab and the market.”

Matti likens this to The Big Bang Theory, joking: “You need to find a Penny for your business.” Just as Penny helps the brilliant but socially isolated scientists connect with the outside world, founders need partners who can put their technology into words and stories that customers actually care about.

He also reminds founders that learning these skills is possible. “Use books, online resources, or coaching,” he suggests. “Read The 4-Hour Work Week, explore solopreneur models, study Steve Blank. And if you can, get a business coach. Because without business skills, even great technology can crash into the wall.”

Key Lessons for Founders

1.   Separate Business Development from Sales. Explore first, scale later.

2.   Think like a farmer. Relationships and trust matter more than fast wins.

3.   Stay focused. One core product, one validated market segment.

4.   Co-create. Involve customers early and validate with money.

5.   Leave the lab. Step into the market, even if it’s uncomfortable.

The Bottom Line

Great technology may start in the lab, but it only survives in the market. That survival depends not just on engineering skill, but on business development: the art of exploration, validation, and focus.

Or, as Matti puts it: “Even the best product doesn’t matter unless there’s someone ready to pay for it.”