Pmf Strategy
Validate product-market fit with structured tests and framing before you scale marketing, hiring, or feature breadth.
Overview
pmf-strategy is an agent skill most often used in Validate (also Idea and Grow) that guides product-market fit measurement, Sean Ellis testing, and anti-premature-scaling decisions before go-to-market scale.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills --skill pmf-strategyWhat is this skill?
- Sean Ellis 40% “very disappointed” survey framework with response interpretation table
- Marc Andreessen PMF definition and organic traction signal checklist
- Premature scaling and vitamin-versus-painkiller diagnosis for traction problems
- Explicit handoff: use gtm-strategy after PMF validation passes
- First-use optional intro then direct structured output on repeat invocations
- Sean Ellis 40% test for “very disappointed” responses
- Skill metadata version 1.1.1
Adoption & trust: 753 installs on skills.sh; 586 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You are tempted to pour money and features into growth but lack evidence that customers would be very disappointed if the product disappeared.
Who is it for?
Solo founders with an MVP or early users who need a disciplined PMF check before GTM spend.
Skip if: Post-PMF teams ready for channel strategy—use gtm-strategy instead—or builders with an already-approved scale plan and stable retention metrics.
When should I use this skill?
User mentions PMF, product-market fit, Sean Ellis test, very disappointed, vitamin vs painkiller, PMF validation, or premature scaling.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a structured PMF validation plan with survey framing and signal interpretation, then invoke gtm-strategy only after fit looks real.
- PMF validation plan
- Survey question framing and interpretation
- Scale-or-hold recommendation tied to fit signals
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Validate is canonical because the skill is explicitly for PMF measurement and diagnosis before scaling go-to-market. Scope fits deciding what to build for whom, vitamin versus painkiller positioning, and whether the market pull justifies a full build-out.
Where it fits
Decide whether the problem is a painkiller worth building before you commit a quarter of dev time.
Run the 40% very-disappointed survey on early adopters before expanding the feature roadmap.
Interpret flat growth as weak PMF versus channel mismatch instead of blindly increasing ad spend.
How it compares
Structured PMF methodology skill—not a landing-page generator or ad creative workflow.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is pmf-strategy for?
Indie founders and small teams validating SaaS, tools, or content products who want agent-guided PMF surveys and scaling guardrails.
When should I use pmf-strategy?
Use it in Idea when narrowing painful problems, in Validate before pricing and scope lock-in, or in Grow when retention stalls and you need to diagnose fit versus channel issues.
Is pmf-strategy safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page; the skill is procedural marketing guidance and does not execute payments or ad spend on its own.
Workflow Chain
Then invoke: gtm strategy
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Pmf Strategy
# Strategies: Product-Market Fit Guides product-market fit (PMF) validation and measurement. PMF occurs when a product precisely meets market needs, creating widespread demand. ~99% of startups fail primarily due to PMF issues (vitamin problems, premature scaling). Use this skill when validating before scaling, measuring PMF, or diagnosing traction problems. **When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output. ## Definition **Product-market fit** (Marc Andreessen): "Being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market." **Signals**: Customers buying rapidly; usage growing; word-of-mouth spreading organically; high retention, low churn. ## Sean Ellis 40% Test **Question**: "How would you feel if you could no longer use [product]?" | Response | Meaning | |----------|---------| | **Very disappointed** | Strong PMF signal | | Somewhat disappointed | — | | Not disappointed | — | | N/A – I no longer use | — | **Threshold**: 40%+ answering "very disappointed" = PMF achieved. Below 40% = iterate. | Score | Action | |-------|--------| | **Below 25%** | Significant changes needed | | **25–39%** | Close to PMF; iterate and improve | | **40%+** | PMF achieved | **Best practice**: Survey 40–50 active users (used product 2+ times in last 14 days). Segment by user type—some segments may have PMF while others don't. **Limitation**: Combine with retention curves, engagement, organic growth; avoid false positives in early stages. ## Vitamin vs Painkiller | Type | Definition | Adoption | |------|-------------|----------| | **Painkiller** | Solves urgent, acute problems; users actively seek solutions | Fast adoption; high retention; willing to pay | | **Vitamin** | Nice-to-have; incremental benefit; users can live without | Slow adoption; expensive marketing to succeed | **~99% of failures**: Solving vitamin problems instead of real pain. Validate: Would users be genuinely inconvenienced if your product vanished? **Validation**: Talk to users; listen for frustration; run pre-sells; check frequency and time-sensitivity of the problem. ## Key Indicators | Indicator | Strong PMF | |-----------|------------| | **Retention** | High; low churn | | **CAC vs CLTV** | CAC decreasing relative to CLTV | | **Activation** | Strong conversion to paying customers | | **Growth** | Organic; word-of-mouth | | **NPS** | High; enthusiastic advocacy | ## Common Failures | Failure | Avoid | |--------|-------| | **Vitamin problems** | Solve urgent pain, not nice-to-have | | **Vanity feedback** | Use retention data, not polite opinions | | **Premature scaling** | Validate PMF before scaling acquisition | | **Misalignment** | Customer-problem fit before product-build | ## Product Research & SaaS Context | Area | Notes | |------|-------| | **Product positioning** | Target audience; core value; competitive differentiation | | **Market research** | Competitor analysis; surveys; interviews to validate assumptions | | **SaaS form** | Cloud delivery; subscription; ease of use; dependency on industry standardization | | **Enterprise / ACV** | Customization; data security/private deployment; procurement cycles; buy vs SaaS trade-offs | **Use**: When discussing PMF for SaaS or enterprise—factor in product research rigor and ACV-specific challenges. See **gtm-strategy** for enterprise GTM. ## PMF as Continuous Process PMF is increasingly a **continuous vali