Has your distribution ever worked once, then stopped working the second time?

I've been working with founders for years, and I keep seeing this specific pattern that's hard to explain:

They launch a campaign → it works → they run it again → it doesn't work
They switch channels → traction comes → they try to repeat it → nothing
They rewrite their positioning → one customer bites → the second one doesn't

For a long time I thought it was a tactics problem. More optimization, better channels, smarter outreach. But the real pattern is deeper.

The bug isn't in execution. It's in the foundation.

Most founders build their positioning from the product out (what we built, why it's better). It makes sense, that's where you have the deepest knowledge. But that direction produces a description of the technology, not an anchor to what your customer urgently needs.

Without that anchor, distribution can't compound. PMF signals exist, but they won't repeat.

So here's my question for this community: Have you hit this wall? Where your first wins won't reproduce, no matter which channel or tactic you try?

I'm launching Seiless today specifically built to fix this. But I'm genuinely curious about your experience first. Does this pattern ring true?