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How to identify your ideal customer profile (ICP)
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To identify your own ICP, go through the list below and take your best guess at picking the three most unique and important characteristics of your potential ideal customer (here’s a template to get you started): “Company size (e.g. 1,000-5,000 employees)” Job title (e.g. engineering manager, social media manager)
Specific tech used (e.g. data warehouse, GitLab) “Type of business (e.g. B2B SaaS, e-commerce)” Price point (e.g. sells software that’s $10k ARR)
There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below) “Also notice how specific these attributes get.” To identify your own ICP, go through the list below and take your best guess at picking the three most unique and important characteristics of your potential ideal customer (here’s a template to get you started):
Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples. “Most founders initially got their ICP wrong.” Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP.
Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP. “Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.” There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)
“We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front “But the same idea pitched to different people can change everything.” Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples.
A huge thank-you to Akshay Kothari (COO of Notion), Ali Ghodsi (CEO of Databricks), Barry McCardel (CEO of Hex), Boris Jabes (CEO of Census), Calvin French-Owen (co-founder of Segment), Cameron Adams (co-founder and CPO of Canva), Christina Cacioppo (CEO of Vanta), David Hsu (CEO of Retool), Eilon Reshef (CPO of Gong), Eric Glyman (CEO of Ramp), Guy Podjarny (CEO of Snyk), Jori Lallo (co-founder of Linear), Julianna Lamb and Reed McGinley-Stempel (co-founders of Stytch), Keenan Rice (founding team), Mathilde Collin (CEO of Front), Rick Song (CEO of Persona), Rujul Zaparde and Lu Cheng (co-founders of Zip), Ryan Glasgow (CEO of Sprig), Shahed Khan (co-founder of Loom), Shishir Mehrotra (CEO of Coda), Sho Kuwamoto (VP of Product of Figma), Spenser Skates (co-founder and CEO of Amplitude), and Tomer London (co-founder and CPO of Gusto) for contributing to this series. Art by Natalie Harney. “When they didn’t do this, they often regretted it.” “We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front
“We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front “If you’ve got a killer idea but you’re talking to the wrong people, you’ll come away thinking your idea stinks, and give up.” Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples.
Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples. “Most founders initially got their ICP wrong.” Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP.
Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP. “Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.” There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)
A huge thank-you to Akshay Kothari (COO of Notion), Ali Ghodsi (CEO of Databricks), Barry McCardel (CEO of Hex), Boris Jabes (CEO of Census), Calvin French-Owen (co-founder of Segment), Cameron Adams (co-founder and CPO of Canva), Christina Cacioppo (CEO of Vanta), David Hsu (CEO of Retool), Eilon Reshef (CPO of Gong), Eric Glyman (CEO of Ramp), Guy Podjarny (CEO of Snyk), Jori Lallo (co-founder of Linear), Julianna Lamb and Reed McGinley-Stempel (co-founders of Stytch), Keenan Rice (founding team), Mathilde Collin (CEO of Front), Rick Song (CEO of Persona), Rujul Zaparde and Lu Cheng (co-founders of Zip), Ryan Glasgow (CEO of Sprig), Shahed Khan (co-founder of Loom), Shishir Mehrotra (CEO of Coda), Sho Kuwamoto (VP of Product of Figma), Spenser Skates (co-founder and CEO of Amplitude), and Tomer London (co-founder and CPO of Gusto) for contributing to this series. Art by Natalie Harney. “When they didn’t do this, they often regretted it.” “We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front
“We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front “If you’ve got a killer idea but you’re talking to the wrong people, you’ll come away thinking your idea stinks, and give up.” Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples.
A huge thank-you to Akshay Kothari (COO of Notion), Ali Ghodsi (CEO of Databricks), Barry McCardel (CEO of Hex), Boris Jabes (CEO of Census), Calvin French-Owen (co-founder of Segment), Cameron Adams (co-founder and CPO of Canva), Christina Cacioppo (CEO of Vanta), David Hsu (CEO of Retool), Eilon Reshef (CPO of Gong), Eric Glyman (CEO of Ramp), Guy Podjarny (CEO of Snyk), Jori Lallo (co-founder of Linear), Julianna Lamb and Reed McGinley-Stempel (co-founders of Stytch), Keenan Rice (founding team), Mathilde Collin (CEO of Front), Rick Song (CEO of Persona), Rujul Zaparde and Lu Cheng (co-founders of Zip), Ryan Glasgow (CEO of Sprig), Shahed Khan (co-founder of Loom), Shishir Mehrotra (CEO of Coda), Sho Kuwamoto (VP of Product of Figma), Spenser Skates (co-founder and CEO of Amplitude), and Tomer London (co-founder and CPO of Gusto) for contributing to this series. Art by Natalie Harney. “many (perhaps most?) of the B2B companies I researched spent just as much time on picking the problem as they did on figuring out who to solve the problem for.” “We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front
Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP. “Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.” There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)
Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends. “There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)” Through my interviews, I’ve gathered the initial ICPs of over a dozen startups. In the chart, and in the stories below, notice how most companies landed on exactly three attributes. Some had more, but no one had fewer. Also notice how specific these attributes get.
Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples. “Most founders initially got their ICP wrong.” Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP.
Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP. “Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.” There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)
“We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front “If you’ve got a killer idea but you’re talking to the wrong people, you’ll come away thinking your idea stinks, and give up.” Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples.
A huge thank-you to Akshay Kothari (COO of Notion), Ali Ghodsi (CEO of Databricks), Barry McCardel (CEO of Hex), Boris Jabes (CEO of Census), Calvin French-Owen (co-founder of Segment), Cameron Adams (co-founder and CPO of Canva), Christina Cacioppo (CEO of Vanta), David Hsu (CEO of Retool), Eilon Reshef (CPO of Gong), Eric Glyman (CEO of Ramp), Guy Podjarny (CEO of Snyk), Jori Lallo (co-founder of Linear), Julianna Lamb and Reed McGinley-Stempel (co-founders of Stytch), Keenan Rice (founding team), Mathilde Collin (CEO of Front), Rick Song (CEO of Persona), Rujul Zaparde and Lu Cheng (co-founders of Zip), Ryan Glasgow (CEO of Sprig), Shahed Khan (co-founder of Loom), Shishir Mehrotra (CEO of Coda), Sho Kuwamoto (VP of Product of Figma), Spenser Skates (co-founder and CEO of Amplitude), and Tomer London (co-founder and CPO of Gusto) for contributing to this series. Art by Natalie Harney. “many (perhaps most?) of the B2B companies I researched spent just as much time on picking the problem as they did on figuring out who to solve the problem for.” “We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front
A huge thank-you to Akshay Kothari (COO of Notion), Ali Ghodsi (CEO of Databricks), Barry McCardel (CEO of Hex), Boris Jabes (CEO of Census), Calvin French-Owen (co-founder of Segment), Cameron Adams (co-founder and CPO of Canva), Christina Cacioppo (CEO of Vanta), David Hsu (CEO of Retool), Eilon Reshef (CPO of Gong), Eric Glyman (CEO of Ramp), Guy Podjarny (CEO of Snyk), Jori Lallo (co-founder of Linear), Julianna Lamb and Reed McGinley-Stempel (co-founders of Stytch), Keenan Rice (founding team), Mathilde Collin (CEO of Front), Rick Song (CEO of Persona), Rujul Zaparde and Lu Cheng (co-founders of Zip), Ryan Glasgow (CEO of Sprig), Shahed Khan (co-founder of Loom), Shishir Mehrotra (CEO of Coda), Sho Kuwamoto (VP of Product of Figma), Spenser Skates (co-founder and CEO of Amplitude), and Tomer London (co-founder and CPO of Gusto) for contributing to this series. Art by Natalie Harney. “When they didn’t do this, they often regretted it.” “We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —Mathilde Collin, co-founder and CEO of Front
Most founders initially got their ICP wrong. “Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP.” Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.
Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples. “Most founders initially got their ICP wrong.” Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP.
Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP. “Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.” There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)
Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP. “Data from outbound sales is the best signal for what’s working, versus leads from investors and friends.” There are four common signs that you’re getting closer to your ICP:A significant increase in your conversion rateA significant increase in enthusiasmA much stronger desire to take action nowThe nod (see below)
Below, I’ll share a guide for nailing your ideal customer profile (ICP), dozens of stories of how founders identified their ICP, and as always, templates and tons of examples. “Most founders initially got their ICP wrong.” Everyone landed on at least three attributes to describe their ICP.