The Problem: Everyone Gets PMF Wrong

Most founders think PMF is about building features. It's not. PMF is about finding a market that wants what you're building so badly they'll pay for it before you even finish building it.

The mistake? Founders build first, validate later. Then they spend months wondering why nobody's buying.

What Product-Market Fit Actually Is

PMF is when your product solves a real problem for a specific market, and that market is willing to pay for the solution. It's not about being perfect. It's about being wanted.

You know you have PMF when:

Customers are asking for your product (not the other way around)
People are willing to pay before you finish building
Your churn is low and retention is high
You have more demand than supply

The Validation Framework

Here's the exact process we use:

1. Define Your Hypothesis (Week 1)

Write down exactly who you're building for and what problem you're solving. Be specific. "Entrepreneurs" is not a market. "B2B SaaS founders struggling with customer retention" is.

2. Talk to 20 People (Week 1-2)

Not surveys. Real conversations. Ask them about their problem, not your solution. Listen for pain. If they're not frustrated, you're solving the wrong problem.

3. Show a Prototype (Week 2-3)

Don't build. Mock it up. Use Figma, slides, or even paper. Show them your solution. Do they light up? Do they ask when it's available?

4. Get Pre-Sales (Week 3-4)

Ask for money. Not a lot. But real money. If they won't pay $99 for your solution, they don't actually want it.

5. Measure & Iterate (Ongoing)

Track everything. How many conversations? How many showed interest? How many pre-sold? Use these metrics to refine your positioning.

The Metrics That Matter

When validating PMF, track these:

Interest Rate: % of people who want to learn more
Pre-Sale Rate: % of people willing to pay
NPS: How likely are they to recommend?
Objection Patterns: What's stopping the rest?

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Talking to the wrong people. Talk to people with the problem, not your friends.

Mistake 2: Not asking for money. If they won't pay, they don't want it.

Mistake 3: Polishing too much. A rough prototype is fine. You're validating, not launching.

Mistake 4: Ignoring objections. The reasons people say "no" are gold. Listen to them.

The Bottom Line

Validate before you build. Talk to 20 people. Show them a prototype. Ask for money. If 30%+ say yes, you've got PMF. If not, pivot and try again.

This takes 2-4 weeks. It saves you 6 months of building the wrong thing.

How to Actually Validate Product-Market Fit (Without Wasting 6 Months)