

#365 – How Dimitri Masin hit $1M ARR in 5 months by refusing to launch early
6 snips Jun 11, 2025
Dimitri Masin, Co-Founder & CEO of Gradient Labs, shares his unique journey in building an AI customer support platform. He spent 14 months developing his product before launch, defying conventional startup wisdom, and achieved $1M ARR in just five months. The conversation dives into his philosophy of prioritizing quality over speed, the significance of performance guarantees in building trust, and navigating the complexities of regulated industries. Dimitri's insights reveal how focusing on excellence can lead to remarkable traction.
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Monzo Shaped The Founder
- Dimitri joined Monzo early and scaled data science from zero to a team of 120 across the company.
- Those experiences taught him product, hiring, and operational lessons that seeded Gradient Labs.
Quality Before Launch Scales Faster
- Dimitri deliberately spent 14 months building before any customer launch to reach human-level quality.
- That pre-launch focus created a product that wins POCs and accelerated revenue after go-live.
Guarantee Measurable Superiority
- Offer objective guarantees that your AI outperforms existing human teams on measurable metrics.
- Use QA tooling and side-by-side metrics to prove better CSAT, compliance, and cost outcomes.