The term product/market fit was popularised by the lean startup movement a few years ago and tends to be something we glibly trot out when referring to a runaway success or a miserable product failure. But what does it mean? How do we get to it? And what is the product manager’s role in maintaining it?
What is Product/Market Fit?
Marc Andressen first introduced the term in 2007. He called it “the only thing that matters for a new startup” and defined it as “being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market”.
If product/market fit is the degree to which a product satisfies strong market demand, then it can be measured. A few years ago, Sean Ellis, founder of
