How do you balance custom client requests with keeping your SaaS product scalable?

We were super excited when a couple of large accounts joined us early, but it quickly turned into a trap. We ended up spending nearly all our engineering cycles building specific workflows tailored just for them.

It started feeling more like running an agency than building a true software product, and our main roadmap got put on pause.

If you’ve dealt with demanding early clients, what rules did you set to protect your core product focus?