20 Comments
User's avatar
Danny Lieberman's avatar

I love this definition

Selling the same thing

Same product/service, pricing, packaging

To the same buyer

Same titles, industries, company sizes

In the same way

Same messaging and acquisition channels

With the same results

Same customer outcomes, satisfaction, and retention

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Chris Tottman's avatar

It's a good one. Super simple. Not perfect but clear and easy to grasp that more is wrong vs clear, clean and simple

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Barry Winata's avatar

this is awesome. great write up

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Thanks Barry. Glad you liked it

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David Jackson's avatar

You repeatedly and rightly mention value as a key element of PMF. My experience is that being clear about what that means goes beyond PMF. Being specific and identifying the measurable results that matter most to key roles in your chosen customers is a foundation of GTM.

There is a lot of talk about the power and benefits of alignment but to work, it has to have a basis, a red thread. I think measurable customer results is that red thread: it's what marketing markets, sales sells, services enable and what the product delivers.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Wise words - thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom. I publish 3x per week for Founders and so feel free to take what you need from the back catalog ✨

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Sharyph's avatar

Most people talk about it like a destination, but you’ve correctly identified it as a durable pattern...a rhythm you earn.

I especially liked the point on 'Emotional signals'...urgency in feedback and complaints that reveal commitment. That dependency is the tell.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Well put as always Sharyph ✨ thanks for sharing your wisdom 🌞

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Matteo Turi's avatar

Replication is how businesses become successful.

An offer that can be replicated and can produce several revenue streams is a winner.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

💯 in fact the moment I think it's all highly repeatable I've moved onto something new with a new team in place to run the repeatable thing. My happy place is the chaos period not the repeatable period 📈 hence why I'm so plural

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James's avatar

It made me think of someone buying gym gear in January, hoping the purchase will create the discipline.

The intention is good, but without rhythm and clarity behind it, the results never match the spend.

Through the 5 Voices lens, this pattern is easy to recognise:

Nurturers buy tools hoping to support the team.

Guardians buy for safety and stability.

Creatives buy for inspiration or possibility.

Connectors buy for story and momentum.

Pioneers buy for speed.

Without a shared plan, the spend drifts. With a shared plan, every voice helps shape smarter decisions.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Thanks for sharing James ! Great points 🌟

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John Brewton's avatar

Retention always tells you the truth long before anything else.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Tells you what's interesting and whether PMF( and therefore growth) is more and less enduring 📈

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John Brewton's avatar

Yes. Yes. Yes.

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Passport Inspiration's avatar

there are plenty of metrics, too many to be honest, less is more, as important as PMF is, it shouldn't be complicated, just very specific to your product/service

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Chris Tottman's avatar

💯 should be simple

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John Brewton's avatar

Founders get in trouble when they scale before the product can carry the weight.

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Chris Tottman's avatar

Nice framing! 😁

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John Brewton's avatar

🤓🙏🏼🤓🙏🏼

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