Sean Ellis Product Market Fit Survey Template
The original 40% test to measure if your product is a must-have
Use this free Sean Ellis product market fit survey template to run the 40 percent test. Includes all 4 original questions. See results segmented by user group. Ready in minutes.
No credit card required
The 4 Sean Ellis survey questions
Beyond the core 40% question, Sean Ellis recommends these follow-up questions to understand your champions
How would you feel if you could no longer use [PRODUCT]?
Single Choice
Very disappointed · Somewhat disappointed · Not disappointed
The core Sean Ellis test — 40%+ "very disappointed" = product market fit
What type of people do you think would most benefit from [PRODUCT]?
Open Text
Free-form text response
Reveals your ideal customer profile from your champions' perspective
What is the main benefit you receive from [PRODUCT]?
Open Text
Free-form text response
Identifies your core value proposition in real user language
How can we improve [PRODUCT] for you?
Open Text
Free-form text response
Shows what to build to convert more users into champions
How the Sean Ellis 40% test works
Sean Ellis analyzed 100+ startups and discovered a single benchmark that separates companies with product market fit from those without it.
Ready to scale growth and invest in acquisition channels
Segment to your champions and optimize for them
Focus on product improvements, not growth spend
Your PMF Score = (% of users who said "very disappointed")
Survey at least 40 active users who have experienced your core product value.
How to run the Sean Ellis product market fit survey
Survey Active Users
Send the Sean Ellis survey to users who've experienced your core value (used product 2+ times in past 2 weeks). Get at least 40 responses.
Calculate Your 40% Score
Count "very disappointed" responses and divide by total. Above 40% = strong product market fit. Track this number over time.
Identify Your Champions
Segment users who said "very disappointed." What traits do they share? Company size? Role? Use case? This is your ideal customer.
Build for Champions
Read their qualitative feedback. Double down on what they love. Address gaps that prevent "somewhat disappointed" users from becoming champions.
Who should use the Sean Ellis PMF survey
Pre-PMF Startups
Measure product market fit before scaling. Don't pour money into growth until you've crossed the 40% threshold.
Founders Raising Capital
Investors ask about PMF. A real Sean Ellis score is more convincing than a pitch deck claim.
Product Teams
Track PMF over time as you ship features. See if changes move the "very disappointed" percentage up or down.
Growth Teams
Segment PMF by user cohort. Find which types of users see the most value so you can target more of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Browse more templates