Customer fit analysis

When this is useful

You are about to run this process and need one reusable working document.

What the workbook covers

Decision and population

Account comparison

Fictional cost illustration

Pattern and alternative explanations

Next audience or operating test

Use with real evidence

Download the full Markdown resource, replace placeholders with your situation and retain sources beside claims. Keep unanswered questions visible rather than filling them with plausible guesses.

Put it to work

1. Read the full worksheet and define the decision it supports.
2. Fill the relevant tables using dated observations and explicit assumptions.
3. Review the output with its owner and record the next decision.

Limits and tradeoffs

The worksheet structures work; it does not supply missing customer evidence or guarantee a business result. Adapt examples and assign a responsible owner.

Worksheet preview

# Customer-fit analysis worksheet

Use comparable account populations and observation windows. Keep identifying records restricted. The numerical example is fictional and excludes costs beyond the stated support assumption.

## Decision and population

- Owner and date:
- Decision this analysis informs:
- Population: paying accounts, trials, or another defined group:
- Eligibility and exclusions:
- Observation window and tenure rules:
- Source records and known gaps:
- Definition of useful customer result:

## Account comparison

| Account reference | Workflow and requirements | Observed customer result | Repeat use or renewal evidence | Revenue and period | Delivery effort and basis | Acquisition context | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |

Separate revenue, customer outcomes, and effort before creating a combined score. Include stopped or unsuccessful accounts when the comparison calls for them.

## Fictional cost illustration

Account A: $400 monthly revenue, two monthly support hours. Account B: $900 monthly revenue, twelve monthly support hours. At an assumed $50 per support hour, both have a support-adjusted amount of $300. Calculation: revenue - hours × assumed cost. This is not profit or complete contribution margin; hosting, acquisition, implementation, and other costs are excluded.

## Pattern and alternative explanations

| Possible pattern | Supporting accounts | Contrary cases | Known before acquisition? | Other explanation | Evidence still needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in | Fill in |

Check differences in assistance, acquisition route, product version, tenure, and data quality. Show counts alongside averages. Mark findings from small groups as tentative.

## Next audience or operating test

- Proposed audience/workflow hypothesis:
- Requirements:
- Discovery filters:
- Why the evidence supports testing it:
- Biggest remaining uncertainty:
- Next bounded action:
- Result and delivery effort to observe:
- Window and review condition:
- Owner:

Fictional hypothesis: test whether agencies with a recurring weekly reporting task and stable source data can complete reports with less ongoing assistance. This describes a test, not a proven customer segment.


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Original resource by Jon Bishop. CC BY 4.0. Illustrative examples are not customer results.