My co-founder and I recently launched an AI startup building custom agents for manufacturers in old-school industries (think: industrial suppliers, factory ops, regional distributors, etc.).

The good news: we shipped a real solution, got our first paying customer, and even sent out our first invoice! The bad news: getting our second and third customers has been way harder than we expected.

We're running into what feels like a canal-product fit issue — our product works, and solves real pain, but the people we’re targeting don't check emails, barely pick up their phones, and often aren’t even on LinkedIn. It’s like trying to sell software to 1997.

We’re hustling hard — cold calling, showing up at trade shows, chasing introductions — but it's slow and uncertain.

If you've navigated early traction in a legacy industry, how did you break through the wall after the first win? Would love to hear any advice, strategies, or similar war stories.

Thanks in advance