Don’t worry about television. It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread
– Red Skeleton
Oh, the unattainable, mythical, and illusionary product/market fit we hear all about. What is it?
By definition, it is how much your product actually satisfies market demand, and in layman’s terms, it’s how much your product actually solves a user’s need.
Does it alleviate their pain? does it provide a gain they longed for? does it answer their needs and requests?
Well, how did that saying go about being able to sell ice to the Eskimos? While that may illustrate you’re a great salesman, that makes you more of a charlatan. And while you may be able to sell something to someone who doesn’t really need it, it can only take you so far.
With a product that fits a market demand, you’re providing an actual solution – a tangible answer to a much-required need.
Still, sometimes it seems the product/market fit is unattainable. But is it really?
We cannot expect to hit the nail on the head every single time, nor can we expect to solve a problem from the get-go, but we can make an offer, listen to the response, iterate, improve, and try again to provide a real gain to their pain.
Same with the process of reaching a true product/market fit…continuously working and improving to better answer your market’s need, and the greater it fits, the greater they will flock to it and spread the word on your behalf.
Heck, I am not sure anyone ever asked for sliced bread in the first place, but it does seem to have resonated extremely well, answered a need, and is still perfectly fitting in our homes today.