We don't have a clear ICP

By
Mukund Kabra

When teams say "We don't have a clear ICP", it usually means the system that should drive decisions is unclear or untrusted. Make retention measurable by cohort, identify the moments that predict churn, and build lifecycle triggers that act before drop-off.

Category:
Lifecycle
Reading time:
2
min read
Published on:
January 24, 2026

We don’t have a clear ICP

Problem

You know who uses the product, but you are not sure who it is really for. Marketing targets broadly, sales talks to anyone willing to listen, and product builds for a blended set of needs. Some customers love what you do, others churn quickly, and the team cannot explain the difference with confidence. Campaign performance is inconsistent because every message is trying to appeal to too many people at once. Without a clear ICP, growth feels scattered and expensive.

Insight

An ICP is not a demographic profile, it is a success profile. Most teams define their ICP by who converts, not by who retains, expands, and creates momentum. They also confuse market size with market quality, assuming broader reach means more growth. In reality, the strongest ICP is the customer who reaches value fastest, stays longest, and pulls the business forward through referrals, usage, or expansion. Without anchoring on those signals, acquisition optimizes for volume instead of durability, and every downstream system inherits the ambiguity.

How Velocity Approaches It

Velocity defines ICPs using evidence, not opinion. We analyze behavioral data, retention patterns, expansion signals, and qualitative context to identify which customers create the most long term value. Then we translate that into clear targeting rules, messaging priorities, and product focus areas. The ICP becomes an operating constraint that guides growth, not a slide in a deck. When everyone builds and markets for the same customer, execution tightens and results compound. If your ICP feels fuzzy today, we will help you define it in a way the business can actually use.

Tags:  
Retention Revenue Linkage; Growth Accounting; LTV Modeling; Churn Impact; Retention Analytics; Profitability Analysis

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