Early on, every paying customer feels like validation, so founders say yes to all of them. That instinct is right for a while and dangerous after.
Bad revenue is money that pulls the roadmap toward a customer who will never be your core market, or whose demands cost more than they pay.
Saying no to it is one of the hardest disciplines a founder learns.
Spotting the Bad Kind
If a deal requires building something only one customer will ever use, it is usually a trap dressed as a win.
Protecting focus is worth more than the line item.