Product Market Fit Framework: Which One Actually Works?

Core question

“How would you feel if you could no longer use [Product]?”

Output

PMFit score (% very disappointed)

Threshold

40%+ = product market fit

Best for

Any stage with 40+ active users. The fastest way to get a quantitative PMF signal.

Core question

“Core Ellis question + 3 follow-ups: who benefits most, main benefit, how to improve”

Output

PMFit score segmented by user cohort

Threshold

40%+ in your champion segment

Best for

Teams with 100+ responses who need to identify which segment to build for.

Core question

“Where in the 5-layer hierarchy does fit break down?”

Output

Diagnosis of which layer is misaligned

Threshold

All 5 layers aligned = PMF

Best for

Diagnosing why your PMFit score is low. Traces the problem to its root layer.

Core question

“Are all four fits aligned - or is growth breaking down at a different layer?”

Output

Assessment of all four fits: product-market, product-channel, channel-model, model-market

Threshold

All four fits aligned = sustainable growth

Best for

Post-PMF teams whose growth is stalling despite strong user satisfaction.

Core question

“What is the riskiest assumption? Can we test it in the shortest possible build cycle?”

Output

Validated or invalidated hypotheses through iteration

Threshold

PMF is the goal of the BML loop - reached when a segment cannot live without the product

Best for

Pre-PMF teams with fewer than 40 active users who are still in discovery mode.

Core question

“What job is the customer hiring this product to do? How well does it do that job?”

Output

The job the product completes - and how well it completes it vs alternatives

Threshold

PMF = the product completes the job better than any alternative, for a real segment

Best for

Teams struggling to articulate their value proposition or finding the right ICP.