Market May is a 4-part series on how to deeply understand, test, and validate your market as a startup.
Each week, we’ll unpack one key pillar:
- Customer personas (this article)
- Go-to-market strategies
- Pricing & positioning
- Rapid MVP testing with no-code tools
This week? Personas. Because everything starts with knowing who you’re building for.
✅ 1. The Problem With Most Personas
- Quick reality check: Most teams build personas once—and forget them.
- Truth: Good personas are living tools, not just pretty slides.
TL;DR: This article will help you build personas that are useful today and stay useful next quarter.
✅ 2. What Is a Customer Persona and why should you care?
Simple definition: A semi-fictional profile rooted in real user data.
Includes:
- Goals, pain points, behavior
- Buying decisions & preferred channels
Why it matters: Everything from services, product to pitch changes when you know your customer.
✅ 3. Meet Gaja – A Quick Example
Persona: Data-Driven Gaja
- Role: Head of Data Engineering
- Pain: Overwhelmed by stack, hates vendor lock-in
- Goal: Open-source, modular solutions
- Your win: Offer Postgres-based tools + active community
Your prompt: Who’s your Gaja?
✅ 4. The 5-Step Persona Framework
| Step | What to Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Start with Research | Collect data from interviews, CRM notes, sales calls, analytics.Ask: “Why us?” and “What almost made you quit?” | Builds personas grounded in real, not assumed, customer behavior. |
| 2. Keep It Sharp | Include: Name, role, key motivations, blockers, real quotes.Skip non-essential details. | Ensures relevance and usability across teams. |
| 3. Validate with People | Share with Sales, Support, and customers.Revise if it feels off or artificial. | Keeps personas credible and aligned with real-world input. |
| 4. Put It to Work | Apply personas to Product (pain prioritization), Marketing (messaging), Sales (objections). | Translates insights into action across departments. |
| 5. Keep It Evolving | Update quarterly using tickets, market changes, or new ICPs. | Keeps personas relevant as your market shifts. |
✅ 5. Common Traps to Avoid
- Too many personas → No focus
- Built on guesses → Not grounded
- Treated like documents → Not used
- Disconnected from decisions → No ROI
✅ 6. Final Nudge: Your Personas Are Your Compass
Ask your team:
- Who are our top 2–3 personas?
- When did we last update them?
- Are they part of real decisions?
If the answers aren’t clear, it’s time to rebuild—together.
Up Next in Market May
Next Week: Go-To-Market Strategies for Early-Stage Startups
- How to get your product in front of the right people—fast.
- Templates and case studies included.
Stay tuned!