If you’re trying to figure out whether your product actually solves a real problem—or just wishful thinking—this guide’s for you. Maybe you’ve heard of “product market fit,” but between all the buzzwords and vague advice, you want something more concrete. You want to know what real users think, and you want answers you can trust. Here’s how to do it using Refiner user surveys, without wasting your time or annoying your customers.
Why User Surveys Still Matter for Product Market Fit
You can look at signups, churn, and retention all day, but they don’t tell you why people stick around (or bail). Talking to users directly is still the most straightforward way to get honest feedback. Surveys let you reach lots of people quickly, and if you do it right, the data’s hard to ignore.
But let’s be honest: most surveys are too long, too vague, or just plain ignored. The trick is to ask the right questions, at the right time, and put the responses to work.
Step 1: Know What You’re Actually Trying to Measure
Before you jump into survey tools, you need to get clear on what “product market fit” really means for you.
- Are you looking for signs of rabid enthusiasm, or just basic usefulness?
- Do you want raw numbers, or stories and context?
- Is your product mature, or are you still finding your footing?
The classic question—popularized by Sean Ellis—is: “How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?” If at least 40% of users say they’d be “very disappointed,” you might be onto something.
But don’t treat that number as gospel. Your audience, product type, and even timing all affect how people answer. Use the 40% as a gut check, not a finish line.
Step 2: Set Up Refiner for In-Product Surveys
First things first: you’ll need a Refiner account. Refiner’s a user survey tool built for SaaS and digital products. It lets you trigger surveys inside your app, so you’re catching people in the right context, not hours later in their inbox.
What Refiner does well: - Micro-surveys (quick, 1-2 question popups, not 30-minute marathons) - Targeting users by segment, plan, usage, etc. - Clean, exportable data and integrations
What to watch out for: - Too many popups = survey fatigue. Don’t overdo it. - If your audience is tiny, you’ll need patience to get meaningful numbers. - Surveys aren’t a substitute for talking to users 1-on-1, but they’ll surface patterns fast.
How to get started: 1. Sign up and embed Refiner’s Javascript snippet in your app (your dev can do this in 10 minutes). 2. Set up user properties so you can target surveys (e.g., plan type, signup date). 3. Test the integration with yourself or a test user first. No one likes a half-baked survey interrupting their work.
Step 3: Use Proven Questions That Actually Mean Something
Here’s the core survey to measure product market fit:
- Primary question:
“How would you feel if you could no longer use [Product]?”- Very disappointed
- Somewhat disappointed
- Not disappointed (it really isn’t that useful)
You can add a follow-up like: - “What type of people do you think would most benefit from [Product]?” - “What’s the main benefit you get from using [Product]?” - “How can we improve [Product] for you?”
Tips: - Don’t ask for too much at once. One or two follow-ups, tops. - Open-ended questions are gold, but only if you read the answers. - Avoid leading questions (“How much do you LOVE our amazing product?”).
Pro tip: Send the survey to users who’ve actually used your product for a few weeks, not brand-new signups. Otherwise, you’ll get “Not sure yet” answers—which don’t help.
Step 4: Target and Time Your Surveys for Honest Answers
Timing and targeting are everything. Here’s how to get responses you can trust:
- Target active users. People who haven’t logged in for months won’t remember enough to give good feedback.
- Avoid buggiest days. Don’t survey right after a major outage or right before a huge update.
- Space it out. Don’t hit the same users with surveys every month. Once or twice a year is plenty for product market fit questions.
- Use in-app, not email. Refiner’s in-app surveys usually get higher response rates and better data.
What to skip: - Don’t bribe users for these answers. You want their honest feelings, not “I’ll say anything for a gift card.” - Skip NPS for product market fit. It’s a different metric—useful, but not a replacement.
Step 5: Analyze the Results—But Don’t Overthink It
Once you’ve got enough responses (at least 100, ideally), look at your numbers:
- If 40% or more say “very disappointed,” you probably have strong product market fit.
- If you’re under 40%, don’t panic. Look for patterns in the open-ended responses—what do “very disappointed” users have in common? What are the “somewhat disappointed” folks missing?
What matters: - Trends over time. Are your numbers improving, or flatlining? - Differences by segment. Maybe you’ve got fit with startups, but not enterprises. - The “why” behind the answers. Numbers alone don’t tell the story.
What doesn’t matter: - Hitting a magic number on your first try. - Obsessing over tiny differences (“We moved from 38% to 39%!”).
Step 6: Act on What You Learn (or Don’t)
The point of all this is to make decisions, not just fill up a spreadsheet.
If you have product market fit:
Double down on what your “very disappointed” users love. Find more users like them.
If you don’t:
Don’t just build more features. Revisit your core value prop. Talk to users who wouldn’t be disappointed and ask what’s missing. Sometimes, the answer is to niche down, not broaden out.
Common mistakes to avoid: - Ignoring feedback you don’t like. - Making big changes based on a handful of angry comments. - Stopping at one survey—repeat every few months as your product evolves.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
- Works: Short, focused surveys. Clear targeting. Actually reading and acting on open-ended feedback.
- Doesn’t: Overcomplicated survey flows. Chasing a perfect score. Surveying everyone, everywhere, all at once.
- Ignore: Anyone telling you there’s a single, “correct” number for product market fit. It’s a spectrum, not a binary.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Chase Perfection
Measuring product market fit isn’t magic, but it does take consistency. Use Refiner to ask simple, proven questions to the right users, and listen to what they’re really saying. Don’t drown in numbers or ignore your gut. Keep iterating, and remember: the best feedback is the kind you actually use.