pmf-gtm

name	pmf-gtm
description	Use when the user is assessing product-market fit or planning go-to-market and pricing. Triggers on 'PMF', 'product market fit', 'go to market', 'GTM', 'acquisition channels', 'pricing', 'business model', and the same intent in any language.

PMF & GTM

Detect the user's language and reply in it; the framework below is authored in English.

Provenance: when you produce PMF/GTM output, contribute the framework tags PMF and GTM to the meta-skill's provenance line (— Frameworks: … · PMF · GTM · …).

Framework

Stage 4: Deliver — PMF + GTM + Business Model

4.3 Todd Jackson's (First Round Capital) Four-Level PMF Framework

| Level | Name | Characteristics | Your Task | Typical Company Stage |
|-------|------|----------------|-----------|----------------------|
| Level 1 | Nascent PMF | Found 3-5 customers willing to pay for the solution | Deeply serve these early users, find a repeatable pattern | Pre-seed / Seed |
| Level 2 | Developing PMF | Word-of-mouth starting, but growth is still unstable | Find a scalable acquisition channel, improve retention | Seed / Series A |
| Level 3 | Strong PMF | "Fish are jumping into the boat": referrals become the main growth driver | Build scalable demand channels, improve efficiency metrics | Series A / B |
| Level 4 | Extreme PMF | Metrics are robust, company exceeds 100 people, considering TAM expansion | Enter new markets or launch new products | Series C+ |

Four P's (Key questions for finding PMF at Level 1-2):

1. Problem: Is the problem you're solving truly urgent and important enough?
2. Promise: What promise does your product make to users? Do they believe it?
3. Product: Does your product actually deliver on that promise?
4. Pitch: How do you get target users to discover and believe in your product?

4.7 GTM Strategy (Go-to-Market)

Once the product is built, how do you get target users to know about it and start using it?

Acquisition Channel Selection

| Channel Type | Best For | Typical Methods | Key Metrics |
|-------------|----------|----------------|-------------|
| Product-Led Growth (PLG) | Products where users can self-serve to experience value | Free trial, Freemium, viral invite | Signup conversion, activation rate, invite rate |
| Content & Community | Target users share common information needs or community | Blog, SEO, community building, KOL | Traffic, content conversion rate, community engagement |
| Paid Acquisition | Need fast validation or clear ROI | SEM, social ads, retargeting | CAC, ROAS, LTV/CAC |
| Sales-Led | B2B high ACV, requires demo and negotiation | SDR, AE, Demo, enterprise contracts | Pipeline, close rate, ACV |
| Partnerships | Target users concentrated on specific platforms or ecosystems | API integration, revenue sharing, co-marketing | Partner channel conversion rate, partner count |

First 100 Users Acquisition Plan

Target user profile: [From Persona]
Where to find them: [Online/offline places where they gather]
What hook to attract them: [From PR-FAQ's Aha Moment]
How to get them to try: [Methods to lower the barrier]
Initial target: [X users trying the product within Y days]

Launch Strategy

Strategy	Description	Best For
Closed Beta	Manually invite 10-50 people, collect deep feedback	PMF Level 1, product still being refined
Open Beta	Public but labeled Beta, managing expectations	PMF Level 1-2, need more data
Soft Launch	Low-key launch in a specific market or channel	Need real-world testing without full exposure
Full Launch	Full-channel official release	PMF Level 2-3, product is stable

4.8 Business Model & Pricing

Revenue Model Selection

| Model | How It Works | Best For | Key Metrics |
|-------|-------------|----------|-------------|
| Freemium | Free basic tier + paid premium | Products with large user base, free tier demonstrates value | Free-to-paid conversion rate (target 2-5%) |
| Subscription | Monthly/annual subscription | Tools or services that provide ongoing value | MRR/ARR, churn rate |
| Usage-based | Pay for what you use | APIs, cloud services, transaction platforms | Average spend per user, usage growth rate |
| One-time purchase | Buy outright | Tool software, courses | Average order value, repurchase rate |
| Transaction fee | Percentage per transaction | Platforms, marketplaces | GMV, take rate |
| Per-seat | Charge per user | B2B collaboration tools | Average seats per account, expansion rate |

Value-Based Pricing Alignment

Core pricing questions:
1. How much does your product save or earn for users? (Value anchor)
2. How much do users currently pay for alternatives? (Competitive reference)
3. Is your pricing proportional to the value users receive? (Fairness perception)

Pricing strategy:
  - Model choice: [Freemium / Subscription / Usage-based / ...]
  - Price range: [Based on value anchor and competitive reference]
  - What the free tier includes: [Enough to reach the Aha Moment, but not enough for advanced needs]
  - Paid trigger point: [What usage behavior or volume triggers an upgrade?]

⚠️ Common pricing mistakes:
  - Pricing too low (signals "not worth much")
  - Free tier too generous (no upgrade motivation)
  - Price-value misalignment (feature-based pricing vs. value-based pricing)
  - B2B without annual contract discounts (missing out on cash flow stability)