Identifying 4 high-PMF segments to improve retention +22 % and cut CAC −15 %

Overview

Found was struggling with diluted targeting and an unclear understanding of who its highest-value users were.
I led a 5 K-respondent quant + qual segmentation study combining survey analytics, cluster and factor modeling, and qualitative synthesis to identify four high-PMF audience segments.

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The work improved retention +22 %, reduced CAC −15 %, and increased conversion +28 % by aligning Product, Marketing, and Design around shared growth priorities.

Business Challenge

• Rising CAC ($251) and flat retention signaled weak product-market fit.
• Growth efforts were broad and undifferentiated.
• Product, Marketing, and Data Science used conflicting audience definitions, fragmenting decision-making.

Human Problem

Teams were building for “everyone,” which meant we weren’t deeply serving anyone.
Users felt mismatched — wrong messaging, unclear value, inconsistent experiences.
We needed to re-center the organization on who truly wins with Found and why.

Approach

• Designed and deployed a quantitative survey (N = 5 000) covering behaviors, motivations, and value drivers.
• Applied cluster + factor analysis to identify natural segments; validated via regression modeling on retention / conversion data.
• Conducted qualitative synthesis with 25 deep-dives to bring the numbers to life.
• Partnered with Product, Growth, and Marketing to operationalize the findings across messaging, onboarding, and roadmap prioritization.

Insights

We uncovered four high-PMF segments, each with distinct value perceptions and retention behaviors:
1️⃣ Performance-driven planners – high intent, high LTV.
2️⃣ Explorers – value novelty + variety, need early engagement hooks.
3️⃣ Cost-sensitive optimizers – respond to transparent value framing.
4️⃣ Passive browsers – low frequency / low payoff, best to deprioritize.

The analysis showed that Found’s strongest retention drivers were goal clarity + trust signals, not discounts — a critical reframing for both product and growth teams.

Insights → Action (4 Weeks)

I facilitated cross-functional workshops with Product, Marketing, Analytics, and Finance to turn insights into growth levers:

• Refocused onboarding and lifecycle messaging on top 2 segments (covering 68 % of revenue).
• Realigned pricing and incentives by segment needs.
• Established shared PMF + retention KPIs across teams.
• Created dashboards linking segment behavior to CLTV and CAC in real time.

Impact

CLTV/CAC ↑ 18 %  |  CAC −15 %  |  M1 Retention +22 %  |  Conversion +28 %
The segmentation framework became the foundation for company-wide growth strategy and retention OKRs, informing everything from product messaging to pricing tests.

Leadership & Influence

Principal-level IC (L8) — owned end-to-end segmentation framework design and implementation.
Unified Product, Growth, and Marketing orgs around common PMF criteria and decision logic.
Coached PMs + Data Science partners on mixed-method synthesis to ensure insights translated directly into growth execution.

Global Organizational Impact

Replaced anecdotal “persona” thinking with a quant-validated segmentation model used across the company.
Shifted teams from broad acquisition tactics to focused, high-ROI retention strategy — turning research into a durable competitive advantage.

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