« Don’t do growth hacking if you don’t achieve Product Market Fit. »
2 min of Growth Hacking Tips 🚀
Every week, I’ll give you a few insights into one of the growth hacking tips of this list.
Why can’t we do growth hacking if we don’t achieve PMF?
Before answering this question, do you know what really is Product Market Fit?
« Product Market Fit is when your product meets a target audience. »
3 simple questions to ask to know if you achieve PMF:
- Does my target audience understand my product?
PMF is always about a target market = not everyone has to understand your product. - Does it want to buy my product?
If you sell something, track your revenue to know the price market fit. If you have a free product, measure your active users (retention is key). - Does it want to share my product?
Check if you have a natural traction and if you can sell your product or retain your new users without effort.
For real, if you ask about PMF, chances you don’t achieve it.
This is something obvious. You know you have one when you’re overwhelmed by too many tasks: revenue increases, user base grows fast, support requests increase…
Sean Ellis gives another way to measure it. He says: “Ask your customers how they feel if your product dies tomorrow?” If 40% of them tell you that they feel embarrassed, you have your proof of PMF.
If you want to know more, I recommend you the TheFamilly’s video: How to Get to Product/Market Fit.
So, why can’t I do growth hacking to get PMF?
We can divide startups life into 2 parts: Before PMF and After PMF. As Marc Andreesen said:
« When you are BPMF, focus obsessively on getting to product/market fit. Do whatever is required to get to product/market fit. » — Marc Andreesen
2 things to do BPMF: build your product and talk to your customers (or users).
You can focus on one channel to have enough traction in order to improve your product. You can try big changes in your value proposition or in your target audience for instance.
Growth Hacking is for optimisation. You want to maximise your efforts. You don’t want to bring more users to your product if it doesn’t provide enough value yet.
Focus on what matters.
My thoughts
Growth Hacking is not magic. That’s a trap to think that you need it to unlock your core product problem. A sustainable growth without PMF is impossible. If no one uses your product, focus on why and not on how can you bring more people in front of your sh*t. Think about the basics: valid customers problem, find problem solution fit, test your value proposition…
However I agree to say that you need traction before PMF in order to test and improve your product. Find the who and the where first to know how you can drive enough people but don’t focus on growth levers.
Don’t put the cart before the horse 🐴
I recommend you another source of inspiration by Brian Balfour: Traction VS Growth.
- An overview of the list of Growth Hacking Tips
- « Process first, tactics second. » The 2min of Growth Hacking Tips #1
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! You can find me on Julien Collet Twitter :)
