PMF

PMF is the moment when your product clicks with the market. You know you have it when: customers are telling their friends without you asking, retention curves flatten (people stick around), growth feels easier, and you are struggling to keep up with demand, not fighting to create it. Before PMF, everything is an uphill battle. After PMF, growth compounds. The trap: thinking you have PMF when you do not. Real PMF is not 10 happy customers or a successful launch week. It is sustained, organic demand from a clear segment who cannot imagine going back to life without your product. Metrics that signal PMF: 40%+ of users say they would be very disappointed if your product disappeared (Sean Ellis test), strong word-of-mouth growth (>50% of signups from referrals), and high retention (60%+ retained after 30 days). Most startups die before PMF. Finding it is the only job that matters at the start.