Muhammed Shabreen didn’t set out to become a salesperson. He just wanted to solve a problem that had bothered him for years.
As a developer, learning on the job was a constant challenge. New technologies emerged every quarter, frameworks changed without warning, and most training resources felt detached from reality. He didn’t want theory. He wanted a way to learn by doing.
That frustration became the foundation for Actualize — a platform that helps developers level up through hands-on projects, not passive video content.
But building the product was only the first challenge. Getting people to use it was a whole different story.
Product-first, reality-later
In the early days, the team focused entirely on creating a brilliant product. It was designed for developers by developers. Practical. Interactive. Fast.
But once they launched, something became clear. The product wasn’t selling itself.
They tried content. They tried partnerships. They talked to individual users. And they got feedback, but not traction.
It took time to realise they were solving the right problem, but talking to the wrong audience.
Finding the GTM fit
The turning point came when they shifted focus from individual learners to teams. Engineering managers were struggling to onboard new hires. Actualize helped make that process faster, smoother, and less painful.
That changed everything.
Instead of positioning Actualize as an upskilling platform for developers, they started speaking to tech leads about improving onboarding and team ramp-up.
And that was the use case that stuck.
Sales as user research
For a team of engineers, sales felt foreign. It was awkward. It was unclear. It was slow.
But they treated it the same way they treated product: with curiosity and iteration.
They didn’t try to be perfect. They just showed up, listened, asked better questions, and learned how to speak the customer’s language. Over time, the pitch got tighter. The audience got clearer. And the sales motion started to make sense.
Lessons from the journey
Actualize is still evolving its GTM strategy. But there’s something refreshingly honest about their story. Sales is hard. Especially when you’re technical. Especially when you’re used to building instead of persuading.
But it’s not impossible. And it doesn’t have to feel fake.
Shabreen and the team learned to:
Stay close to the customer
Treat sales like a discovery loop, not a performance
Solve one clear problem really well
Be willing to change the message, not just the product
If you’re a technical founder wrestling with GTM, this episode might just help you breathe.
What you’ll learn in this episode
This conversation is for early-stage founders who feel more comfortable in code than in pitch decks.
You’ll learn:
Why technical teams often struggle with sales
How to reposition your product around team workflows
What makes onboarding such a powerful wedge
Why sales is a process, not a personality
How to build early traction without feeling like you’re “selling”
If that sounds familiar, you’ll want to give this one a listen.
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