A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders cover image

A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

Sean Ellis led growth at Dropbox—& invented growth hacking. Here's his step-by-step growth guide. | Sean Ellis, creator of the PMF test & best-selling author of Hacking Growth.

Aug 15, 2024
Sean Ellis, creator of the PMF test and author of Hacking Growth, revolutionized growth strategies at Dropbox and other top companies. He shares tactical insights on the Sean Ellis test for measuring product-market fit. Discover how a stellar first-time user experience can drive referrals and growth. Ellis emphasizes the balance between growth and marketing, highlighting the importance of word-of-mouth. He also details strategies for optimizing key growth levers to create a data-driven culture focused on PMF.
47:07

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Quick takeaways

  • The Sean Ellis test is essential for measuring product-market fit by assessing user disappointment if the product were unavailable.
  • A strong first-time user experience is critical for driving growth and referrals, as it directly affects user satisfaction and retention.

Deep dives

Understanding the Sean Ellis Test

The Sean Ellis test is a crucial method for measuring product-market fit, focusing on whether users would feel very disappointed if they could no longer access a product. Initially developed from Sean's experiences with past companies, this test helps identify customers for whom the product is essential. The test question is structured to elicit a visceral response from users, encouraging more accurate feedback on product necessity. Data from early implementations, such as with Dropbox and Eventbrite, demonstrated a clear correlation between high disappointment rates and company success, suggesting a benchmark around 40% indicated a promising product-market fit.

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