Product-Market Fit

PMF surveys, Sean Ellis test, retention analysis, and pivot frameworks.

Purpose

Determine whether you've found product-market fit and, if not, what to change. PMF is the single most important milestone for any startup.

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Context

• •Product/service description
• •Current customer count and engagement
• •How customers find you today
• •Retention/repeat usage data (if available)
• •What customers say they love (and hate)

Step 2: Sean Ellis Test Design

Survey question: "How would you feel if you could no longer use [product]?"

• •Very disappointed
• •Somewhat disappointed
• •Not disappointed
• •N/A — I no longer use it

Benchmark: 40%+ "Very disappointed" = PMF signal

Design the full survey (5-8 questions) to understand:

• •Who are the most passionate users?
• •What's the primary benefit they get?
• •What would they use as an alternative?
• •How did they discover you?

Step 3: PMF Assessment

Based on data provided:

• •Strong PMF signals: High retention, word-of-mouth growth, pull from customers
• •Weak PMF signals: High churn, feature requests that change the core, price sensitivity
• •No PMF signals: Growth only from paid acquisition, low engagement, high support volume

Step 4: Pivot Framework (if needed)

If PMF isn't there, evaluate:

• •Zoom in: Double down on the feature users love most
• •Zoom out: Your feature should be a platform
• •Customer pivot: Same product, different audience
• •Need pivot: Same audience, different problem
• •Channel pivot: Same product, different distribution

Step 5: Action Plan

Concrete next steps based on assessment.

Output Format

## PMF Assessment: [Product]

### Current Signals
| Signal | Status | Evidence |
|--------|--------|----------|
| Retention | [Strong/Weak] | [Data] |
| Word of mouth | [Strong/Weak] | [Data] |

### Sean Ellis Survey
[Survey questions]

### Assessment
[PMF status and reasoning]

### Recommended Actions
1. [Action]
2. [Action]

Constraints

• •PMF is not binary — present it as a spectrum
• •Don't declare PMF based on vanity metrics (signups, downloads)
• •Be honest if the data suggests a pivot is needed
• •Note that PMF can be lost — it's not permanent