'Defining and validating your ICP' on the Path to Market podcast
Practical ICP validation tips shared in conversation with Seedcamp VC & Pipeline Ventures
👋 Heya! It’s Alicia. Welcome to Customer Focus - a newsletter to help you accelerate growth by putting your customers at the heart of your business.
Identifying and validating your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is more than just a box-ticking exercise—it’s a foundational strategy for growth, especially in the high-stakes world of startups. Having helped to scale Deliveroo and build several 0-1 startups from scratch, I’ve seen firsthand how getting your ICP right can accelerate success or, if neglected, hinder your ability to scale effectively.
Recently, I had the pleasure of diving into this topic on a podcast with Seedcamp Director Natasha Lytton and co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures. It was great fun sitting down with these two, and chatting through how to validate your ICP both pre- and post-Product-Market Fit.
Special thank you to Natasha and Micah for having me on the first episode of their new podcast series, Path to Market. Without further ado, here’s the interview (also available on Apple, Spotify, Soundcloud):
Prefer to skim the highlights? Here’s a summary of what I shared about defining and validating ICPs across different stages of growth—plus practical tips you can apply today.
Tip #1: Start with customer needs, not product ideas
Too often, startups reverse-engineer their ICP based on what they’ve already built. While that might seem logical, it’s far more effective to anchor your ICP in customer needs. This means taking the time to understand what problems your target audience is facing, and how urgently they need those problems solved.
Tools like qualitative user research and pain mapping can help surface the unmet needs that should shape your ICP. For example, when I launched an ad platform at Deliveroo during the hypergrowth days, our ICPs weren’t static—they evolved based on iterative testing and constant feedback from different restaurant (and consumer) segments. Small businesses had very different pain points compared to large enterprises, and refining our strategies to “follow the pain” and meet the most urgent, unmet needs in our restaurant portfolio was critical.
Tip #2: Embrace the never-ending process of iteration
Your first ICP draft will never be perfect. That’s ABSOLUTELY FINE! The key is to test, refine, and iterate based on real-world feedback. Rapid experimentation—whether through user interviews, prototype testing, or quick surveys—is invaluable.
At Deliveroo, we prioritised segmentation to refine our go-to-market strategies. By creating tailored messaging and solutions for each segment, we were able to focus our resources effectively and scale operations with confidence. It’s this kind of targeted iteration that can unlock market fit and keep you on track as you grow.
Tip #3: Build evidence-based messaging
Empirical data is your best friend when defining your ICP. Rather than guessing at what your customers care about, use research-backed insights to craft messaging that resonates. This requires:
Deep user interviews that uncover motivations and pain points.
Competitive analysis to position your solution effectively.
Continuous engagement with customers to validate assumptions.
And don’t forget the importance of ‘niching down.’ Trying to appeal to everyone can dilute your message; focusing on a specific audience builds stronger connections and increases your chances of success.
Practical tools and methodologies
For teams looking to validate their ICPs, here are a few tools I’ve found invaluable:
User research platforms: Tools like User Interviews and Pollfish make it easier to gather feedback from specific customer profiles.
Customer conversation tools: Grain and Gong are great for capturing and analysing sales calls or interviews – identifying trends and uncovering the mindset and motivations of your buyer.
Pain mapping frameworks: These help visualise customer frustrations and opportunities for your product to solve them. Message me if you’d like me to share my template!
Key takeaways
Defining and validating your ICP isn’t a one-and-done task—it’s an iterative process that requires consistent attention and refinement. Here are some critical principles to keep in mind:
Start with customer needs and pain points.
Be intentional about who you’re serving and the unique value you offer.
Use empirical metrics to guide your decisions and build messaging that resonates.
For more strategies, frameworks, and lessons from the trenches, subscribe to Customer Focus. I share actionable insights to help founders and PMMs grow faster by keeping customers at the heart of their business. Join the community and get access to free resources here:
