The Phases of Fit
How “product-market fit” is just one phase in a larger framework for finding startup success
Entrepreneurs and Investors love to talk about Product-Market “Fit” — that nebulous milestone when customers embrace the product, the flywheel finally starts spinning, traction becomes momentum and everything is up-and-to-the-right.
Google the phrase “product market fit” and you can spend the rest of the week learning about what it is, what it isn’t, how you know you have it, how to measure it, and even how to achieve it (*these are all worthwhile reads, by the way).
However, focusing myopically on product-market fit is failing to see the forest for the trees. It misses other — arguably more important — phases. So let’s step-back and look at the other crucial “phases of fit” throughout the startup lifecycle.
Framing up the Phases of Fit
In my experience there are perhaps eight phases of fit in a company’s lifecycle. Some of these periods are transitional, others are transformational. Some have steep growth slopes, others shallow. Some have undulating volatility, others may…
