That’s what many startup founders say. They’re usually right.

I don't blame them. Why get worried when users convert and engineers are shipping?

Typically, their attention moves to distribution, sales, brand story, etc.

That’s reasonable, and likely to be the right short-term move.

When founders say “the product works,” they usually mean it works under current conditions.

Scale changes that: more users, more edge cases. That's when I often start noticing products lose coherence which can quietly affect traction.

The product works. For now.

The real question is what happens when it scales.

Many founders think in terms of urgency versus importance. It’s natural to stay focused on what’s both urgent and important.

That said, success is built months in advance.

I've seen, firsthand, founders who take the Eisenhower Matrix's "Not Urgent & Important" quadrant seriously benefit in a few ways:

• They reduce expensive rework later.

• They seal potential product leakages before they even occur.

• They keep standards high, which improves their odds when raising again.

It’s about making sure the product works today without becoming a growth barrier tomorrow.