Strengthening Product-Market Fit: How 12 Weeks of Coaching Changed the Game

Strengthening Product-Market Fit in 12 Weeks

Product launches are often driven by conviction. A decision is made internally to move forward, but the truth is that many teams don’t yet know what the market actually wants. We recently worked with a mid-size transport connectivity company in the U.S. that faced exactly this situation.

The product was greenlit, but the team still lacked answers to critical questions:

• What features do customers actually care about?

• How should pricing be positioned against competitors?

• What messaging will resonate in a crowded market?

  
  

Rather than commissioning a one-off report, they decided to build the answers with us, and learn to do it themselves for future products.

The Challenge

The mission was clear: shape the product pre-launch so that it didn’t just reach the market but had the best chance to succeed. That meant clarifying features, pricing, positioning, and messaging.

To get there, the team needed more than data. They needed a structured way of working that could be repeated internally, and they wanted one of their product managers to develop the skills to run market research independently in the future.

The Approach

We designed a 12-week coaching program where we worked side by side with the product manager. Every week, we combined research with hands-on mentoring so that results weren’t just delivered, they were understood, debated, and translated into action.

Phase 1: Understanding the Market and Customers

We started by building a clear picture of the environment:

• Customer and partner interviews to surface real needs and pain points

• Competitor benchmarks across specs, pricing, positioning, and distribution

• Market sizing and growth potential analysis

• SWOT and PESTLE frameworks to capture both constraints and opportunities

• Differentiation scans to identify where the product could stand out

Phase 2: Framing the Strategy for Launch

Once the data was clear, we helped translate it into strategy:

• A defined customer profile with segment-specific needs

• A validated value proposition linked to what buyers actually want

• Messaging and promotion recommendations grounded in market feedback

• A pricing approach that balanced perceived value with competitive benchmarks

• Product development guidelines aligned with demand and technical feasibility

• A roadmap showing immediate opportunities and long-term potential

Coaching for Repeatability

At the same time, we mentored the product manager on how to run research themselves: planning, conducting interviews, benchmarking, and presenting findings. The idea was not just to get answers now, but to make sure the capability stayed in-house.

The Impact

By the end of the 12 weeks, the company had something more: confidence. Confidence that the product strategy was based on real customer insights, not assumptions. Confidence that the features, value proposition, and pricing were aligned with the market. Confidence that teams were speaking the same language about what the product was and who it was for.

Just as important, the product manager had learned the tools and methods to do this again, for the next product, and the one after that.

Takeaway 

Product-market fit doesn’t come from assumptions or copying competitors. It comes from structured research, tested insights, and the ability to adapt. Mentoring helped this company build the right launch plan, and the skills to keep doing it long after the project ended.

If your team is preparing for a new product or expansion, let’s talk. Together, we can turn uncertainty into a clear strategy, and build the skills to do it again for your next launch!