Product-Market Fit Red Flags: How to Tell If You Really Have It | Disrupt 2026

In an AI hype cycle, product-market fit signals are easier to fake and harder to trust than ever. At Disrupt 2026, Anu Bharadwaj of ICONIQ, Rajeev Dham of Sapphire Ventures, and Rahul Vohra of Superhuman broke down what false PMF actually looks like and how investors and operators can tell the difference. The panel digs into how to separate genuine retention from hype-driven adoption, and why some startups appear to be growing fast while quietly lacking the pull that defines real product-market fit. They share the signals that indicate true demand versus temporary momentum that fades once the novelty wears off. For founders tempted to read too much into early traction, and for investors trying to avoid backing the wrong signals, this session offers practical frameworks for evaluating whether a product has truly found its market. Subscribe to TechCrunch for more Disrupt 2026 coverage.