NPS + PMF
One Survey. Two Metrics.
4x Deeper Insights
NPS shows who recommends you. PMF shows who needs you. Together, they reveal exactly which users to prioritize and which feedback to ignore
Have Questions? DM founder on X / Twitter
Running NPS and PMF together changed how we prioritize. We discovered our highest NPS users weren't our most engaged and that insight alone saved us from building the wrong features.
What is Net Promoter Score (NPS)?
NPS measures customer loyalty by asking one simple question:"How likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?"
Respondents rate on a 0-10 scale and are categorized as:
- 9-10Promoters - Loyal enthusiasts who will keep buying and refer others
- 7-8Passives — Satisfied but unenthusiastic, vulnerable to competition
- 0-6Detractors — Unhappy customers who can damage your brand
NPS Formula
NPS = % Promoters - % Detractors
Your score ranges from -100 to +100. Generally:
Below 0
Needs work
0-30
Good
30-70
Great
70+
Excellent
NPS is Powerful, But It's Not the Full Picture
NPS tells you if customers will recommend you. But it doesn't tell you if your product is essential to them.
High NPS ≠ Product Market Fit
Users might recommend you because you're "nice to have", but would they be devastated if you disappeared?
Different Questions, Different Insights
NPS asks "will you recommend?" PMF Score asks "how disappointed would you be without us?", a much deeper signal.
Best Results Together
Running both surveys gives you a complete picture: loyalty (NPS) + product essentialness (PMF Score).
NPS vs PMF Score
Both are valuable metrics, but they measure fundamentally different things. Here's why you need both.
NPS (Net Promoter Score)
Measures satisfaction and advocacy (Lagging indicator)
The question:
"How likely are you to recommend our product to a friend or colleague?"
What it measures
Satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to advocate
Best for
Tracking customer satisfaction over time, predicting word-of-mouth growth
The limitation
Users can be satisfied but not dependent. High NPS doesn't always mean you have product market fit.
"I'd recommend it to others, but I wouldn't miss it if it disappeared."
→ This is what NPS can miss
PMF Score
Measures genuine need and dependency (Leading indicator)
The question:
"How would you feel if you could no longer use our product?"
What it measures
True product market fit, whether users are dependent on your product
Best for
Pre-PMF startups validating product necessity, finding must-have user segments
The advantage
Leading indicator that predicts growth. Get actionable data in 30 days vs 6-12 months for retention metrics.
"I'd be very disappointed without it. It solves a critical problem for me."
→ This is genuine product market fit
Key Differences at a Glance
| NPS | PMF Score | |
|---|---|---|
| What it asks | "Would you recommend?" | "Would you be disappointed?" |
| Measures | Satisfaction & advocacy | Genuine need & dependency |
| Indicator type | Lagging indicator | Leading indicator ✓ |
| Time to insights | Ongoing tracking | 30 days ✓ |
| Best stage | Post-PMF growth | Pre-PMF validation ✓ |
| Threshold | 50+ is "excellent" | 40%+ = PMF achieved ✓ |
The Bottom Line
NPS measures satisfaction. It's great for tracking how happy customers are and predicting word-of-mouth growth. But satisfied customers don't always stick around.
PMF Score measures need. It tells you if users are truly dependent on your product, the foundation for retention and sustainable growth.
Use PMF Score to figure out WHY you do or don't have product market fit, then use NPS to track satisfaction as you scale.
NPS + PMF Cross-Reference Matrix
Running both questions in the same survey takes 30 seconds for users. But now you can cross-reference responses to unlock insights neither metric provides alone.
The Segmentation Matrix
Cross-reference NPS and PMF responses to identify your most valuable user segments
These users would recommend you AND would be devastated without you.
✓ Action: Study them deeply. What do they have in common? Build your ICP around them.
They like you and would recommend you, but could easily switch to a competitor.
⚠ Action: Understand what's missing. They're one feature away from being champions.
They can't live without you, but they're frustrated. They won't recommend you (yet).
🔥 Action: Fix their pain points FAST. These are your most valuable users to retain.
They're not engaged and wouldn't miss you. That's okay - they're probably not your ICP.
→ Action: Don't build for them. Focus on segments with high PMF potential.