Defining your ICP (the non-hand-wavy way)

Founders don’t talk about it, but here’s the truth: most ideal customer profiles are just glorified wish lists. A few LinkedIn titles. Some vague industries. Maybe a customer persona with a fake name and a stock photo.

Looks good in a deck. Can’t build a list with it. Can’t write a message that gets replies.

If your ICP isn’t helping you prospect today, it’s not an ICP. It’s theater.

Here’s how to fix that.

This post walks you through a simple, testable framework to build your ICP v0, one you can actually use for outbound. A structured way to get targeting right and start learning.

The MarketFit Method: 3 Hypotheses, Not One Paragraph

Forget the one-paragraph ICP that tries to describe your buyer like a character in a novel. What you need instead is a set of testable hypotheses, because your ICP isn’t final. It’s a v0, built to be validated (and adjusted) through honest conversations.

Here’s the simple structure:

1. Targeting Hypothesis:

Who are we going after, specifically? This includes firmographic data such as industry, company size, and stage. But more importantly, it should describe a searchable slice of the market.

Example: “Seed-stage SaaS founders in B2B verticals”

1. Need Hypothesis:

What do they urgently want or struggle with? This is not about features. It’s about the outcomes they care about or the pain they feel now, not someday.

Example: “They need a predictable pipeline in the next 60 days or risk missing growth targets.”

1. Solution Hypothesis:

Why is your approach the best way to solve that need? This frames your positioning and messaging. It’s the bridge between the pain and your product.

Example: “We help them build an outbound system: messaging, list-building, and workflows they can launch in a week.”

Treat these like working hypotheses, not finished answers. You’re not trying to be right on Day One. You’re trying to be specific enough to test.

Most Targeting Fails Because It Stops Too Soon

When outbound doesn’t work, it’s rarely because of the message. It’s because you’re aiming at the wrong people, or the right people at the wrong time.

Great targeting has three layers. Most teams stop at one and wonder why no one replies.

Layer 1: Firmographics (Searchable Filters)

Start with data you can actually filter for. Think:

• Company size.
• Funding stage.
• Industry.
• Geography.
• Tech stack.
• Recent hiring activity.

Rule: If you can’t filter for it, it’s not useful yet.

This gets you in the right neighborhood, but it’s still too broad on its own.

Layer 2: Persona (Who Inside the Company)

Now zoom in.

• What level? (Founder, VP, Director)
• What function? (Sales, Marketing, Ops)
• What department owns the problem you solve?

You’re not just identifying a title, you’re identifying context. What do they own? What are they measured on? That’s where messaging starts to get personal.

Layer 3: Behavioral Signals (The Gold)

This is what makes timing work. Signals tell you why now. They reveal who’s likely to care today, not someday.

Examples:

• Hiring SDRs or AEs.
• Raised new funding.
• Job posts mentioning outbound or pipeline growth.
• Just launched a new product.
• Activity on competitor review pages.
  
  

Modern data tools make this easier than ever. You don’t need to guess anymore. If you only do firmographics + persona, you’ll still feel invisible. Signals are where the real targeting power lives.

Turn Vague Pain Into Messaging That Lands

Most outbound messages talk about pain, but rarely the right kind. To write something that resonates, you need to understand what your prospect is actually dealing with day to day.

Here’s a simple way to get there. Think in this chain:

1. Responsibilities:

What does this person own? If they’re a Head of Sales, maybe it’s pipeline coverage, ramping reps, or hitting quota. Ground your thinking in their role, not your product.

2. Goals:

What does success look like this quarter? Are they trying to double demos? Shorten sales cycles? Break into a new segment?

3. Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)

What outcome are they trying to achieve? This is the job they’re hiring tools, people, and playbooks to do.

Example: “Book more qualified meetings without hiring more reps.”

4. Obstacles / Friction

Why is that outcome hard right now? Limited headcount. Bad data. Low reply rates. Competing priorities. This is where urgency lives.

When you map this out, you’re not just “understanding the persona”, you’re building the raw material for outbound that actually connects.

Your first lines. Your personalization. Your call to action. They all come from this chain.

Build Your ICP v0 (So You Can Actually Start Prospecting)

You don’t need a 10-page persona deck. You need a starting point you can test, refine, and use immediately in outbound. Here’s a simple, focused ICP v0 template you can copy, fill in, and apply right away:

Company profile (firmographics):

• Industry:
• Stage:
• Headcount:
• Region:
• Tech context (optional):

Persona:

• Role/title:
• Function/department:
• Seniority:
• What they own:

3 behavioral signals to test:

1)
2)
3)

Top 3 goals:

1)
2)
3)

Top 3 obstacles:

1)
2)
3)

Optional: What would make them say “not now”?

Once this is filled out, you’re no longer guessing. You have a real target to build lists, write messages, and run outbound experiments against.

Validate Your ICP v0 in 7 Days (Without Overthinking It)

Don’t sit on your ICP doc, test it. The fastest way to validate (or refine) your targeting is to put it in front of real people and watch what happens.

Here’s a lightweight 7-day test you can run:

1. Build a list of 50–100 prospects that match your ICP v0. Use your firmographics, persona, and behavioral signals to guide list building. Keep it focused—this isn’t about volume, it’s about signal.
   
   
2. Create 2–3 micro-segments based on the signals. For example:

• Recently funded founders
• Sales leaders hiring SDRs
• Teams launching a new product

This helps you spot where the pull is strongest.

1. Send small-batch outbound to each segment. Use messaging based on their goals and obstacles (from your template). Track how each group responds.
   
   
2. Measure what matters:
   
   

• Reply rate: Are you getting any engagement?
• Positive reply rate: Are they interested in the problem you solve?
• “Wrong person” rate: Are you missing the target?
  
  

1. Iterate: If you’re getting replies but no interest, your Need hypothesis might be off. If everyone says “not my role,” tighten your Targeting hypothesis. Use this data to sharpen your pitch for the next round.

No need for perfection. Just run the play, learn fast, and adjust.

Conclusion

If your outbound isn’t landing, the fix isn’t a new tool or a clever subject line. It’s sharper targeting. A clear, testable ICP unlocks everything: who to reach, what to say, and why they should care.

This isn’t a one-time exercise. It’s a feedback loop. The tighter your ICP, the stronger your message, and the better your replies.

Not sure if your ICP holds up in the wild?

Book an intro call. We’ll help you pressure-test your targeting, messaging, and outbound motion, so you can stop guessing and start getting traction.