Rahul Vohra founded Superhuman in 2014 with a clear vision: to build the fastest email experience ever made. As of August 2021, the company was valued at $825 million after raising a $75 million Series C funding round, bringing their total funding to $108 million. Today, Superhuman is a premium email client that charges $30 per month (with a $10 monthly option for students) and has transformed how professionals manage their inboxes.
The Product-Market Fit Engine
Vohra developed a systematic approach to achieving product-market fit that proved crucial to Superhuman's success. At the core of this methodology is one pivotal survey question:
How would you feel if you could no longer use this product?
- Very disappointed
- Somewhat disappointed
- Not disappointed
This question reveals critical insights about your product's value:
Very disappointed indicates your product has become essential to users' workflows or daily lives.
Somewhat disappointed suggests potential value, but users aren't fully convinced yet.
Not disappointed signals a lack of perceived necessity or deep value.
The 40% Benchmark
Vohra discovered through experimentation that achieving at least 40% in the "very disappointed" category strongly indicates product-market fit. Initially, only 22% of Superhuman users responded with "very disappointed," but after analyzing the data and making targeted improvements, they increased this to 60% within just three quarters.
If you're below the 40% threshold, it's a clear signal to refine your product strategy or positioning before claiming product-market fit.
Segmentation Strategy
The survey responses naturally segment your users into three groups:
Very disappointed: Your champions who find your product indispensable.
Somewhat disappointed: Users who see value but haven't reached the "must-have" threshold.
Not disappointed: People who haven't experienced enough benefit to remain engaged.
This segmentation helps identify which user groups drive growth and which need more convincing.
Uncovering the "Why"
After segmentation, dig deeper by asking follow-up questions:
- What's the main benefit you get from our product?
- What would make the product indispensable to you?
- What would you replace us with if you had to stop using our product?
These insights help bridge the gap between "nice-to-have" and "must-have," often revealing missing features, UX issues, or messaging problems.
Prioritize and Iterate
With feedback in hand, create a strategic roadmap:
- Enhance the experience for your "very disappointed" fans to maintain their loyalty.
- Address pain points for the "somewhat disappointed" group to convert them into superfans.
- Fix critical issues for the "not disappointed" segment if they show potential.
Then implement, measure results, and repeat. This continuous improvement cycle helps systematically increase your product-market fit score.
Why This Approach Works
This methodology succeeds because it:
- Focuses precisely on creating must-have experiences
- Combines quantitative metrics with qualitative insights
- Creates a sustainable feedback loop for ongoing improvement
Superhuman's Success
This approach helped Superhuman grow to over 50,000 paying customers by 2024, with an estimated annual revenue of $20-36.5 million. The company now has approximately 151 employees and counts major companies like Netflix, Compass, Brex, Deel, Notion, and Spotify among its customers.
Next Steps for Your Product
To apply Vohra's methodology:
- Run your first user survey and calculate your "very disappointed" score.
- Identify gaps and prioritize improvements.
- Implement changes and measure impact.
- Repeat the process to continuously improve your product-market fit.
By following these steps, you can transform your product into one that users truly can't live without—just as Rahul Vohra did with Superhuman.
Let Us Help You Achieve Product-Market Fit
Navigating the journey to product-market fit can be challenging, but you don't have to do it alone. Our team of experienced product strategists can help you:
- Design effective user surveys that uncover actionable insights
- Analyze your feedback data to identify key improvement areas
- Develop a prioritized roadmap based on user needs
- Implement the Product-Market Fit Engine for your specific business
Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your existing product to the next level, we're here to guide you through each step of the process.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.