Home / Glossary / Product-Market Fit Survey (PMF)

    Product-Market Fit Survey (PMF)

    A PMF survey measures whether a product has achieved product-market fit, typically via Sean Ellis's 'very disappointed' test.

    Sean Ellis's test: 'How would you feel if you could no longer use [Product]?' Options: Very disappointed / Somewhat disappointed / Not disappointed / N/A. The threshold for PMF is 40%+ 'very disappointed.' Above 40% suggests sustainable growth potential. Below 40% suggests more iteration needed.

    Example

    Slack hit 51% 'very disappointed' early — strong PMF signal. The 40% threshold is Sean Ellis's heuristic, not a strict cutoff.

    Run a Product-Market Fit Survey (PMF) survey free

    SpaceForms includes pre-built templates with validated wording. Unlimited responses on the free tier — no credit card.

    Start free

    Related terms

    Sample Size

    Sample size is the number of respondents needed for survey results to be statistically meaningful at a given confidence level and margin of error.

    Margin of Error

    Margin of error is the range within which the true population value likely falls, given the sample size and confidence level.

    Confidence Interval

    A confidence interval is the range within which a true population parameter is expected to fall, at a specified confidence level.

    Pulse Survey

    A pulse survey is a short, frequent survey (3-5 questions) used to track sentiment over time.

    Kano Model

    The Kano model categorizes product features by their impact on customer satisfaction: must-haves, performance, delighters, indifferent, reverse.

    Van Westendorp Pricing

    The Van Westendorp Price Sensitivity Meter uses four questions to identify the range of acceptable prices for a product.