PMF disqualifiers
Signals that product-market fit is absent — and what to do about them.
Retention cliff before day 7
If over 60% of signups never return after the first session, the core loop is broken. No amount of top-of-funnel optimization fixes a product people don't want to open twice.
“I would use it if...” dominates feedback
Conditional enthusiasm is polite rejection. When users consistently attach a prerequisite to adoption, you haven't solved a must-have problem — you've built a nice-to-have.
Zero organic word-of-mouth
Paid acquisition masking zero referrals is the most expensive way to learn you don't have PMF. Track invites, shares, and unprompted mentions. Silence is data.
High NPS but flat retention
Users saying they love the product while not using it is a politeness artifact. Watch behavior, not survey scores. The “say/do” gap is a leading disqualifier.
What to do next
Disqualifiers aren't failure — they're fast feedback. Narrow the ICP, strip features until one thing is indispensable, and measure again. PMF is binary: you either have it or you don't. The recipe is iteration speed, not hope.