Why every start-up should begin with determining their ICP
Understand how colors evoke emotions and influence brand perception to create designs that connect with your audience.
Insights
Apr 22, 2025
How useful is a megaphone if you're shouting to nobody in particular? Once your product is live, it may appeal to all kinds of browsers—but only the right types of customers will fuel real, scalable growth.
These best-fit buyers form what's known as your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and building yours should be job #1.
Why your ICP deserves your full attention
Your ICP isn’t a persona—it’s the strategic lens that helps you stop targeting everyone and start targeting the right ones. Getting this wrong means busy work instead of growth work. And when you're lean, every minute—and euro—counts.
A well-defined ICP is your shortcut to smarter, faster results, because it helps you:
Target only the most promising leads, maximizing return on every marketing effort.
Spot patterns in your best customers, so you know exactly where to double down.
Save time and cash, since you're not chasing every lead—just the right ones.
Boost retention and upsells, because you're serving customers who truly value what you offer.
How to define your ICP (Without the guesswork)
Start with the data you already have
Pull your customer list and highlight your highest-value users—those yielding the best lifetime value (LTV), shortest closings, and longest dependency. Look for shared attributes like industry, size (revenue or headcount), geography, or deal size. These commonalities reveal where your ICP lives.Talk with your best customers
Run quick interviews with 5–10 of your most successful users. Ask:What problem were you trying to solve?
What stopped you from signing up sooner?
What convinced you to commit?
What keeps you coming back?
What alternatives did you consider?
Note recurring themes—those are your messaging nuggets.
Organize and share your ICP clearly
Draft a simple (or even visual) profile—like “UK-based mid-market HR teams managing 100–250 employees with complex onboarding needs.” Make this part of your company’s DNA by sharing it across teams—marketing, sales, product, and even customer support.
Treat your ICP as a living document
Markets shift, your product evolves, and customer profiles morph with time. Revisit your ICP every few quarters to stay sharp. Often, the best insights come from real, real-time feedback—not initial assumptions.
Why it matters for early start-ups
Breakthrough traction doesn't come from appealing to everyone—it comes from resonating deeply with a few. If you're ready to escape "spray-and-pray" marketing, defining your ICP is your first step toward focused, repeatable growth.
More to Discover
Why every start-up should begin with determining their ICP
Understand how colors evoke emotions and influence brand perception to create designs that connect with your audience.
Insights
Apr 22, 2025
How useful is a megaphone if you're shouting to nobody in particular? Once your product is live, it may appeal to all kinds of browsers—but only the right types of customers will fuel real, scalable growth.
These best-fit buyers form what's known as your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and building yours should be job #1.
Why your ICP deserves your full attention
Your ICP isn’t a persona—it’s the strategic lens that helps you stop targeting everyone and start targeting the right ones. Getting this wrong means busy work instead of growth work. And when you're lean, every minute—and euro—counts.
A well-defined ICP is your shortcut to smarter, faster results, because it helps you:
Target only the most promising leads, maximizing return on every marketing effort.
Spot patterns in your best customers, so you know exactly where to double down.
Save time and cash, since you're not chasing every lead—just the right ones.
Boost retention and upsells, because you're serving customers who truly value what you offer.
How to define your ICP (Without the guesswork)
Start with the data you already have
Pull your customer list and highlight your highest-value users—those yielding the best lifetime value (LTV), shortest closings, and longest dependency. Look for shared attributes like industry, size (revenue or headcount), geography, or deal size. These commonalities reveal where your ICP lives.Talk with your best customers
Run quick interviews with 5–10 of your most successful users. Ask:What problem were you trying to solve?
What stopped you from signing up sooner?
What convinced you to commit?
What keeps you coming back?
What alternatives did you consider?
Note recurring themes—those are your messaging nuggets.
Organize and share your ICP clearly
Draft a simple (or even visual) profile—like “UK-based mid-market HR teams managing 100–250 employees with complex onboarding needs.” Make this part of your company’s DNA by sharing it across teams—marketing, sales, product, and even customer support.
Treat your ICP as a living document
Markets shift, your product evolves, and customer profiles morph with time. Revisit your ICP every few quarters to stay sharp. Often, the best insights come from real, real-time feedback—not initial assumptions.
Why it matters for early start-ups
Breakthrough traction doesn't come from appealing to everyone—it comes from resonating deeply with a few. If you're ready to escape "spray-and-pray" marketing, defining your ICP is your first step toward focused, repeatable growth.
More to Discover
Why every start-up should begin with determining their ICP
Understand how colors evoke emotions and influence brand perception to create designs that connect with your audience.
Insights
Apr 22, 2025
How useful is a megaphone if you're shouting to nobody in particular? Once your product is live, it may appeal to all kinds of browsers—but only the right types of customers will fuel real, scalable growth.
These best-fit buyers form what's known as your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), and building yours should be job #1.
Why your ICP deserves your full attention
Your ICP isn’t a persona—it’s the strategic lens that helps you stop targeting everyone and start targeting the right ones. Getting this wrong means busy work instead of growth work. And when you're lean, every minute—and euro—counts.
A well-defined ICP is your shortcut to smarter, faster results, because it helps you:
Target only the most promising leads, maximizing return on every marketing effort.
Spot patterns in your best customers, so you know exactly where to double down.
Save time and cash, since you're not chasing every lead—just the right ones.
Boost retention and upsells, because you're serving customers who truly value what you offer.
How to define your ICP (Without the guesswork)
Start with the data you already have
Pull your customer list and highlight your highest-value users—those yielding the best lifetime value (LTV), shortest closings, and longest dependency. Look for shared attributes like industry, size (revenue or headcount), geography, or deal size. These commonalities reveal where your ICP lives.Talk with your best customers
Run quick interviews with 5–10 of your most successful users. Ask:What problem were you trying to solve?
What stopped you from signing up sooner?
What convinced you to commit?
What keeps you coming back?
What alternatives did you consider?
Note recurring themes—those are your messaging nuggets.
Organize and share your ICP clearly
Draft a simple (or even visual) profile—like “UK-based mid-market HR teams managing 100–250 employees with complex onboarding needs.” Make this part of your company’s DNA by sharing it across teams—marketing, sales, product, and even customer support.
Treat your ICP as a living document
Markets shift, your product evolves, and customer profiles morph with time. Revisit your ICP every few quarters to stay sharp. Often, the best insights come from real, real-time feedback—not initial assumptions.
Why it matters for early start-ups
Breakthrough traction doesn't come from appealing to everyone—it comes from resonating deeply with a few. If you're ready to escape "spray-and-pray" marketing, defining your ICP is your first step toward focused, repeatable growth.