Product Market Fit Expires

Adam Grenier advises companies during economic shifts to start from zero.

'Start by assuming you no longer have product market fit, because you had product market fit in a different market. It's a different market now, so you have to start over.'

This is developmental stages in a nutshell. That perfect bedtime routine? Worked at two. Kid is now three. Different market.

The reward chart that motivated them? That was six months ago. Different customer.

The food they loved? Last month. Market has shifted.

'Hopefully you do, or it's pretty close to it and you just have to adjust a couple things.'

Sometimes the old approach still works with minor tweaks. Often it doesn't. The mistake is assuming continuity when the underlying customer has fundamentally changed.

Every few months, your child becomes a different person. Don't cling to strategies that worked on the previous version.

Re-validate fit constantly.