Read the original at Lenny’s Newsletter ↗lennysnewsletter.com · subscriber post
By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Part five of a B2B startup series argues there is no formula for product-market fit, but founders' stories reveal a pattern. It proposes a five-step progression from one loving customer, to a paying customer, to multiple paying customers, to pull-driven organic growth, and then consistent growth. It also notes that founders often never fully feel PMF and suggests questions to ask when stuck.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- PMF has no step-by-step formula, but studying successful founders can meaningfully improve your odds.
- In B2B, the median time from idea to feeling PMF was roughly two years, with 9-18 months from a working product.
- Progress runs from one company loving the product, to one paying meaningfully, to several paying, to pull and organic growth.
- Many founders never fully feel PMF; it is better seen as an ongoing process of fitting larger segments.
- Spend roughly half your time talking to customers, and focus early on making one customer truly successful.
“The journey to PMF starts by finding just one company to truly love your product.”Lenny Rachitsky · Lenny’s Newsletter
“You won't be great for anyone. Just get the thing to be really damn useful for one customer.”Barry McCardel · Lenny’s Newsletter
02Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.