Chapter 3: Product-Market Fit & Lean Startup Basics

Product-Market Fit (PMF) is when a product satisfies a strong market need. In simple terms, it means you’re in a good market with a product that really solves people’s problems. As venture capitalist Marc Andreessen put it, “the only thing that matters is getting to product/market fit.” When PMF occurs, customers love the product and growth happens naturally. In fact, you can “feel” it: customers start buying as fast as you can make the product and usage grows rapidly. Before PMF, however, growth is slow, word-of-mouth is weak, and sales disappoint. Achieving PMF means your idea matches real customer needs and begins to sell or spread on its own.