Product-market Fit

The kernel — what creates the fire

[ ] Market timing: Would a real buyer care about this today? If ads paused, would anyone still look for it?
[ ] Enough buyers: Can you point to a group big enough to hit this year’s and next year’s goals?
[ ] Product works: Do customers say it actually solves the problem? Low returns. Few “didn’t help” refunds.
[ ] Clear who it’s for: Describe your best buyer in one simple sentence a friend would instantly get.
[ ] Real problem, real pull: When someone “gets it,” do they buy without a long convincing dance?
[ ] Price feels right: Do buyers say “fair” or “worth it,” not “too much” when they see the offer?
[ ] Tailwinds: Are trends this quarter helping you, not fighting you?

The aperture — how the fire spreads

[ ] Reachable customers: You know where your best buyers are and can reach them efficiently there.
[ ] Healthy unit economics: Contribution margin and payback window allow scaling without cash stress.
[ ] Smart offers and AOV: Bundles, upsells, and thresholds lift order value to fund CAC.
[ ] Smooth buying: Fast, clear, trustworthy site. Mobile checkout feels effortless.
[ ] Come back again: Customers return without heavy discounts or constant bribery.
[ ] Messages that land: Ads and content explain the “why” so clearly they convert repeatedly, not once.
[ ] Ops can keep up: Supply and fulfillment can handle a 2–3x jump without breaking.
[ ] Easy to find and buy: People remember your name and can purchase in two taps when the need hits.
[ ] Learn fast: You collect feedback weekly and ship improvements, not guesses.
[ ] No hidden ceilings: Vendor capacity, 3PL errors, or cash cycles won’t choke growth right when it works.

“The only thing that matters is getting to product/market fit.”

There is a reason why so many successful business owners & mentor believe in the above statement.

https://x.com/SamMendelsohnW6/status/1970925460365418522

“Product/market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.

*You can always feel when product/market fit isn’t happening.*

The customers aren’t quite getting value out of the product,
word of mouth isn’t spreading,
usage isn’t growing that fast,
press reviews are kind of “blah”,
the sales cycle takes too long,
and lots of deals never close.

And you can always feel product/market fit when it’s happening.

The customers are buying the product just as fast as you can make it—or
usage is growing just as fast as you can add more servers.
Money from customers is piling up in your company checking account.
You’re hiring sales and customer support staff as fast as you can.
Reporters are calling because they’ve heard about your hot new thing and they want to talk to you about it.
You start getting entrepreneur of the year awards from Harvard Business School.
Investment bankers are staking out your house. You could eat free for a year at Buck’s.

Lots of startups fail before product/market fit ever happens.” Read more at:

Pmarchive · The only thing that matters

“Achieving product-market fit means that you have a strong value proposition, people find out about your store by word of mouth, you have a steady stream of customers and sales, and that your product solves a problem within a larger, lucrative market.”