A product can attract sign-ups without becoming important to the people who use it. In this lesson, Carlos Sanabria introduces the product-market fit survey associated with Sean Ellis and explains how the response can help a founder choose whom to build for.
The central question asks how someone would feel if they could no longer use the product. The useful work continues after the percentage is calculated: investigate which customers would miss it and why.
What you'll learn.
- Use the disappointment question as a directional signal of dependence.
- Segment responses to understand the customers experiencing the most value.
- Connect that evidence to roadmap, retention and acquisition decisions.
Ask about dependence on the product.
The survey separates people who would be very disappointed, somewhat disappointed or not disappointed if the product disappeared. That shifts the conversation from general approval to the role the product plays in someone’s work.
Carlos discusses the familiar 40% benchmark for the very-disappointed response. Treat that as a signal to investigate alongside behavior and customer context, rather than proof that every aspect of product-market fit is solved. The makeup of the surveyed group matters.
Learn from the segments.
The recording uses Superhuman’s survey work as an example. Its initial aggregate result concealed differences between types of users. Some groups depended heavily on email and experienced more value from the product than others.
The transferable lesson is to examine the people behind the average. Compare roles, needs and usage across response groups. Avoid assuming that the loudest request or the largest segment necessarily represents the customer for whom the product works best.
Focus the roadmap around demonstrated value.
Investigate what highly dependent users value and what makes that value possible. Their answers can reveal which outcomes deserve protection and which improvements would make the product more useful for similar customers.
This provides a way to evaluate competing requests. A feature that reinforces the main value for a well-understood segment deserves a different discussion from a request that pulls the product toward an unrelated audience. The survey supplies context for that decision; it does not replace judgment.
Connect product learning with acquisition.
Once you understand the customers who depend on the product, ask where you can find more people with similar needs. The same evidence can inform your messaging, onboarding and retention efforts.
Repeat the exercise as the product and customer base develop, and look for explanations behind changes in the results. The objective is a clearer picture of whom you serve and what they rely on, not simply a more attractive percentage for a presentation.
Use the survey to start a focused investigation. Find the customers receiving lasting value, understand that value and let the evidence shape both what you build and whom you try to reach.
