Ideal Customer Profile
Who specifically has this problem — and would they pay to make it go away?
Business Alignment
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Venture name | [name] |
| Validated idea (from DISCOVER) | [JTBD statement] |
| Which country/market? | [link to country page, e.g. New Zealand] |
| What conviction level is this profile? | HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW / NONE |
Procedure
- Start with the JTBD statement from Idea Capture. The struggling moment names the person.
- Find 3-5 real people who match. LinkedIn, communities, your network. Not imaginary composites.
- Fill the Identity section from observable facts, not assumptions.
- Fill the Pain Map from their words, not yours. If you haven't talked to them, mark conviction as NONE.
- Fill the Buying Triggers from evidence of past purchases, not hypothetical willingness.
- Run the Sentence Test. If it doesn't compress, the profile isn't specific enough.
Identity
| Dimension | Value | Source | Conviction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role/title | [specific job function] | ||
| Company size | [employees or revenue range] | ||
| Industry | [specific vertical, not "all businesses"] | ||
| Geography | [city/region — link to country page] | ||
| Age range | [if relevant to buying behavior] | ||
| Decision authority | [decides alone / needs approval / influences] | ||
| Tech adoption | [early adopter / mainstream / laggard] |
Pain Map
What wastes their time, money, or energy? Use their words.
| Pain | Current Workaround | Cost of Pain | Frequency | Conviction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [specific frustration] | [what they do today] | [$/hours/stress per month] | Daily / Weekly / Monthly | |
| [specific frustration] | ||||
| [specific frustration] |
Pain Ranking
| # | Pain | Severity (1-5) | Willingness to Pay (1-5) | Product of Both |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 |
Top-ranked pain = your entry point.
Buying Triggers
What event makes them search for a solution?
| Trigger Event | What Changes | Timeline to Purchase | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| [specific moment] | [situation shifts] | [days/weeks/months] | [how you know] |
| [specific moment] | |||
| [specific moment] |
Objections
What stops them from buying — even when they want to?
| Objection (stated) | Fear (hidden) | Proof That Dissolves It |
|---|---|---|
| "Too expensive" | [real fear: can't justify ROI to boss] | [specific proof point] |
| "We'll build it ourselves" | [real fear: switching cost] | [specific proof point] |
| "Not the right time" | [real fear: change is risky] | [specific proof point] |
Where They Gather
| Channel | Platform | Activity Level | Your Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online community | [specific subreddit, Discord, Slack] | [active/passive] | [member/outsider] |
| Events | [conferences, meetups] | ||
| Publications | [blogs, newsletters they read] | ||
| Social | [LinkedIn groups, X lists] |
Sentence Test
"[Role] at [company type] in [geography] wastes [resource] on [top pain] every [frequency]. They switch when [trigger event]. The hidden objection is [fear]. Proof: [what dissolves it]."
If you can't fill this, the profile isn't specific enough.
Gold Standard
A completed ICP for a hypothetical AI-powered accounting tool:
"CFO at a 20-50 person NZ construction company wastes 8 hours/week on manual invoice reconciliation every Friday. They switch when they miss a payment deadline and a subcontractor threatens to walk. The hidden objection is 'my accountant will feel replaced.' Proof: show the accountant doing higher-value work with the time saved."
Identity: Specific role (CFO, not "finance people"), specific size (20-50, not "SME"), specific vertical (construction, not "all industries"), specific geography (NZ — links to country page for compliance context).
Pain Map: Quantified (8 hours, every Friday), observed (their words from interviews), ranked by willingness to pay.
Buying Trigger: Concrete event (missed payment, subcontractor threat), not vague ("when they're ready to change").
Objection: Hidden fear named (accountant feels replaced), not surface objection repeated ("too expensive").
Questions
If you can describe your ideal customer but can't name three real people who match, is the profile a portrait or a fantasy?
- Which dimension of the identity section are you least certain about — and how would talking to one more person change it?
- Is the top-ranked pain the one you want to solve, or the one they most want solved?
- What trigger event would make them search for your solution at 11pm on a Tuesday?