the primary advice is to use your network. if you don't have one then that's a nigh-insurmountable headwind. look for architects and solutions people, or CTOS/

the primary advice is to use your network. if you don't have one then that's a nigh-insurmountable headwind. look for architects and solutions people, or CTOS/CEOS of smaller companies. someone who isn't so far up that they don't understand the day to day trouble, but someone far enough up that its part of their job to think about strategy and keep track of what's going on in the market. market yourself. put up blogs, go to meetups, and hang around on technical forums. if you have a little bit of a rep that opens up a lot of doors. try to use these as opportunities to vet your value prop directly as well as building recognition. know your vertical. I know you said this isn't something you can do...but this is a major handicap. consider hiring specifically for this. this isn't just product design, but knowing who to talk to, knowing what the workflows and pain points are. work for people. I have the same issue as you, and am strongly considering taking up contracts with my potential customers to really get into it. don't believe any single person. people come up with all kind of weird shit. look for patterns.