Startup Ideal Customer Profile

Use this skill when the startup needs a real beachhead segment instead of a broad market fantasy.

Use when

• The first customer segment is still unclear.
• The team is trying to decide who to target first.
• Messaging and GTM work need a sharper customer definition.

Do not use when

• The startup already has a validated beachhead segment and only needs tactical campaign work.
• The task is general market commentary with no startup targeting decision.

ICP failures to avoid

• describing a huge market instead of a first segment
• using only demographics or firmographics with no JTBD context
• pretending several segments are equally important
• leaving buying behavior and proof requirements unspecified
• failing to define who is not a fit

Workflow

1. Define the segment boundary

Clarify:

• role or buyer type
• company or usage context
• trigger moment that makes the problem urgent

2. Map the JTBD

Capture:

• primary job
• supporting jobs
• emotional or organizational dimension

3. Understand current behavior

Document:

• how they discover solutions
• how they evaluate options
• who is involved in the buying or adoption decision

4. List pains and needs

Name:

• the strongest pain points
• current workarounds
• proof they need before trusting a new startup

5. Define non-fit

State:

• adjacent users who are tempting but wrong for the beachhead
• why they are not the first target

Output format

Return:

1. Beachhead segment definition

• who they are
• why they come first

2. JTBD and success criteria

3. Buying and adoption behavior

4. Top pain points and unmet needs

5. Proof they need to believe us

6. Disqualification criteria

7. Open questions and validation gaps

Use together with

• startup-founder-problem-framing
• startup-value-proposition
• startup-go-to-market-strategy