What is the Sean Ellis Test?

Pablo Srugo, Principal at Mistral Venture Partners and host of the Product-Market Fit Show, joins Allan and Lauren to break down the Sean Ellis Test — one of the most practical metrics for measuring product-market fit.

What exactly is the Sean Ellis Test? How do you measure it, who should be asking the question, and how often? Pablo answers all of this and more, giving you a clear picture of how to use this metric to gauge whether your product has truly found its market.

What is the Sean Ellis Test?

The Sean Ellis Test is a single-question survey that measures product-market fit by asking users: "How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?" Users who answer "very disappointed" signal strong product-market fit. A benchmark of 40% or more in that category is generally considered a positive signal.

Pablo walks through the mechanics of the test — how to run it, who to send it to, and how to interpret the results. He also explains where teams tend to go wrong and what the number actually tells you (and doesn't tell you) about your product's trajectory.

Related metrics covered in this episode

This conversation touches on two closely related metrics that give broader context to the Sean Ellis Test:

• Net Promoter Score: Measures customer loyalty by asking how likely users are to recommend your product to others.
• Churn: Tracks the rate at which customers stop using your product — a key signal of whether product-market fit is holding over time.

About Pablo Srugo

Pablo Srugo is a Principal at Mistral Venture Partners and the host of the Product-Market Fit Show, a podcast dedicated to helping founders understand and achieve product-market fit. His work sits at the intersection of venture capital and early-stage product thinking.

If you love learning about metrics, explore MetricHQ — Klipfolio's online resource for metrics and KPIs.