When you’re starting a business, finding product market fit can be one of the most perplexing and daunting processes. There are so many variables that you need to consider in order to find your business’s ideal application, but with sheer willpower and some research, it is possible. And finding product market fit shouldn’t be about just making yourself suffer through hour after hour of analysis. It needs to become a game for you, one that has metrics aligned from start to finish so that you can track your progress with ease. Even if your end goal may not seem as attainable as the next person, setting up a number of smaller wins along the way will only increase your chances of success in the long run.

Product Market Fit in a Nut-shell

Product market fit is when you have reached the right size, with the right level of customers, to make a successful business. It is different from reaching a large number of customers, which can be easier said than done and different from finding a large number of applications for your product.

Why is it so important?

It’s important because if you don’t find a product-market fit:

• You’re more likely to fail at your startup than if you just stick with what you love to do. That’s because if your product isn’t solving a real problem for users, you’re not going to be able to keep customers happy for very long.
• You need to find your perfect customers — the people who are willing to pay money for what you’re selling. And that’s tough.

Four steps to help you find product market fit

You can’t find a product market fit all in one day, but you can get a good start by following these steps:

• Find your customers – Once you know who your customers are and what their needs are, you can find product market fit.
• Build a product that solves the right problems – Customers don’t care how awesome your business idea is, they care about how your product solves their problems.
• Optimize your products and marketing – You need to make sure you’re optimizing your products and marketing for the right channels so you stay relevant in the mind of your customers.
• Finalize your business model – Your product, marketing, and business model need to be all tied together in order to find product market fit.

Final Words

Finding product market fit is a challenging process, but with hard work and patience, it can be achieved. However, it’s important to remember that no matter how difficult the process may be, if you truly love what you do and are excited to see your product progress, then it will be worth it in the end.

There are no shortcuts to success and finding product market fit is no different — you must take the time to truly understand your customers, build products that solve real problems, and optimize your campaigns to make them as successful as possible. With perseverance and a little luck on your side, you’ll find your product-finding product market fit and will be well on your way to success as a business.

References:

• Productplan.com/blog
• Hubspot/blog