Article · 12 min read

A Framework for Defining and Refining Your ICP

Michael King · Andreessen Horowitz Free Advanced

Michael King runs a16z's go to market network, and this piece is aimed squarely at the moment your first guess at an ICP needs to be tested and re-cut with real data. It gives you specific questions to ask about your existing customer base to see if your assumed ICP actually matches who renews and expands. Useful once you have some paying customers and want to check instinct against numbers.

  • Look at your best existing customers first, your ICP should describe them, not an aspiration.
  • Revisit your ICP after any major shift: new pricing, a new product line, or a wave of churn.
  • Many founders think they know their ICP but have never checked it against renewal data.
Open on a16z.com ↗

It answers 3 questions

  1. What is an ideal customer profile and how do I define mine?
  2. How do I know if I've defined my ICP too narrowly and I'm leaving obvious customers out?
  3. How do I use the customers I already have to sharpen my ideal customer profile instead of guessing?

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