Product-Market Fit Score
Measure your product-market fit using the Sean Ellis survey method. Enter your survey responses to see if you have crossed the 40% benchmark. Optionally add retention, NPS, and organic growth signals for a complete picture.
Sean Ellis PMF Survey Responses
“How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?”
Additional PMF Signals (optional)
% of growth from word-of-mouth
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Understanding Product-Market Fit
Product-market fit is the point where your product satisfies a strong market demand. Marc Andreessen described it as “being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market.” The Sean Ellis survey provides a quantitative way to measure something that is often described in qualitative terms.
The 40% Benchmark
Sean Ellis analyzed hundreds of startups and found that companies where 40%+ of users said they would be “very disappointed” without the product consistently went on to scale successfully. Below 40%, companies struggled to find sustainable growth. This became the de facto PMF benchmark.
Beyond the Survey
The PMF survey is a leading indicator, but it should be complemented with behavioral data. Strong retention rates, high NPS, organic growth, and users who resist switching all confirm PMF. The survey tells you what users say; retention data tells you what they actually do.
Iterating Toward PMF
Most companies do not achieve PMF on the first try. Use the survey results to segment users. Focus on the “very disappointed” cohort — understand their demographics, use case, and what they value most. Then narrow your positioning and product to serve that segment better before expanding.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the PMF survey?
- The Product-Market Fit survey, created by Sean Ellis, asks users one question: 'How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?' with options: Very Disappointed, Somewhat Disappointed, Not Disappointed. The percentage who answer 'Very Disappointed' is your PMF score. If 40%+ would be very disappointed, you likely have product-market fit.
- What is a good PMF score?
- 40% or higher is the benchmark for strong product-market fit — this means at least 40% of surveyed users would be very disappointed without your product. 25-40% means you are approaching PMF and should iterate. Below 25% suggests you have not yet found product-market fit and should focus on core value proposition.
- How many survey responses do you need?
- Sean Ellis recommends a minimum of 40 responses for statistical reliability, though 100+ is better. Survey users who have experienced the core value of your product — not brand new signups who have not had time to engage. Target users who have used the product at least 2-3 times in the past 2 weeks.
- What should you do if your PMF score is below 40%?
- Focus on the users who said 'Very Disappointed.' Understand what they love about your product, what their primary use case is, and who they are. Then double down on serving that segment better. Also ask 'Not Disappointed' users what would make the product more valuable — their answers reveal feature gaps.
- What are other indicators of product-market fit?
- Beyond the survey: high retention rates (80%+), strong NPS (50+), significant organic/word-of-mouth growth (30%+ of new users), users pulling the product into their daily workflow, and demand exceeding your ability to serve it. No single metric confirms PMF — look for a constellation of positive signals.