Floor 1 ยท The case files
Questions founders bring me
Grouped by where you're stuck, in the order I use to solve product/market fit. Not sure where to start? Begin with how to know you've reached P/MF.
Diagnose your P/MF
Where do you stand, and what's actually broken?
- Case file 010 How do I know I've reached product/market fit? You can't measure P/MF directly, but you can see its clues.
- Case file 007 The P/MF Matrix: 4 steps, 3 tools, 12 questions to find product/market fit One grid, twelve questions, and you always know what to do next.
- Case file 008 P/MF survey template: the Sean Ellis question and the follow-ups that matter The score tells you where you stand; the follow-ups tell you who and what.
- Case file 002 Not selling? How to tell a P/MF problem from a go-to-market problem Look at what your best customers do, not at your funnel.
- Case file 003 Pivot or persevere? How to decide (and when to shut down) Set your thresholds first, then let the evidence choose.
Find your customer (ICP)
Who it's for, and why them first.
Early B2B traction and building
Design partners, pilots and the smallest thing worth building.
- Case file 012 How to find B2B design partners and pilots when you have nothing to show yet Pitch the destination, not the product.
- Case file 006 How to run a B2B pilot or design partnership that proves product/market fit A pilot is an experiment, not a free trial.
- Case file 005 What should a product team build before product/market fit? As little as possible: the shortest path to one Aha! Moment.
- Case file 004 How do you find product/market fit for an AI product? Same four variables; harder evidence, and a sharp answer to 'why not just ChatGPT?'
Funding and product leadership
Investors, seed money and who leads product.
- Case file 001 How to prove product/market fit to investors (before you have it) Show them you're finding it methodically.
- Case file 011 Raised a seed round but no P/MF yet? Here's your work plan Go back to the market before you build anything else.
- Case file 013 Fractional CPO or full-time head of product? When each one makes sense Fractional for senior judgement now, full-time for the long road.
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