Measuring customer-problem fit

What customers say and what it means for their problem urgency

One simple framework today:

Many founders struggle to identify which people actually have high problem urgency or high customer-problem fit.

🏁 This framework gives six levels.

1. Not your customer, take it with a grain of salt

2. Ditto

3. Risky, be sure if they recognise it as problematic

4. This is a money maker

5. This one too

6. Too late, identify what the window of opportunity looks like

📊 Which level did I talk to?

• If you are not speaking to 4s and 5s → Change your targeting who you talk to

• If 10%-20% is a 4 or 5 → Start proposing (discounted) pilots

• If 30%+ is a 4 or a 5 → RAMP UP OUTREACH to these ICPs

⚠️ Validating high problem urgency != validating PMF

Bitchin’ ain’t switchin’.

Always propose a sale (or paid pilot) to weed out the social talk See who really was urgent.

Rinse and repeat.

👍 Rule of thumb

Minimum: 5 sales calls per founder per week.

Amazing: 3 sales calls per founder per day

Your mileage may vary depending on industry and market size.

If you need help interpreting your market signals or are curious about your PMF, get a free 30-minute diagnostic call with me.