Run a 90-Minute Market Reality Check

If conditions change, change the fly 

If you’ve ever been fly fishing, you know this.

A slight change in temperature. A subtle shift in light. A minor change in water level. And suddenly the fish stop biting. The fly that worked beautifully an hour ago is now completely ignored. The fish haven’t disappeared. They haven’t become irrational. They’re simply responding to their environment.

Good anglers don’t blame the fish. They change the fly.

Markets work the same way.  Products and services that are well positioned in their markets can be analysed through four simple questions:

• What do you do?  Specifically, in clear, market language.
• Who do you do it for?   Not 'anyone with budget', but a defined segment.
• Who else does it?   Including real alternatives and the status quo.
• Why are you better?   Not feature lists; why do you win when you win?

If these fall out of alignment, performance suffers. And right now, the world is shifting. Geopolitical tensions are reshaping trading relationships. Supply chains are being reconsidered. Buyer and supplier concentration is increasing in certain sectors. Technology is transforming every sector. Government spending - including military procurement - is expanding in specific industries.

None of this feels dramatic on a daily basis, but like water temperature, small shifts compound.  When a CEO tells me, “Revenue’s fine… but it feels harder”, it’s rarely an execution issue. It’s misalignment. The market moved slightly, but the positioning didn’t. That’s when friction appears, sales cycles stretch, and margins tighten. Deals require more justification and competitors seem louder. And so, the team works harder for the same result.

Before you overhaul your sales team or rewrite your marketing plan, do something simpler.  Block 90 minutes next week.  No slides, no laptops; just honest discussion. 

The 90-Minute Market Reality Check

Work through these questions with your leadership team:

• Has our ideal customer changed in the last 12 months?  Who is actually buying now?
• If we were launching today, would we define the same Ideal Customer Profile?
• Has their ability, or willingness, to pay changed?   Have capital constraints, budget reallocations, or sector shifts altered the buying environment?
• Has their urgency changed?   Is our solution still mission-critical, or has it become deferrable?
• Has our competitive set changed?   Have AI tools, global entrants, substitutes, or vertical integration altered the landscape?

This is the intersection of ICP and Product–Market Fit.  If your answers are sharp, growth feels focused.

If they’re fuzzy, friction shows up everywhere.

You’re not looking for a dramatic pivot in 90 minutes. You’re looking for calibration. By the end of the discussion, you should know whether you’re aligned and disciplined, whether you need to narrow your focus, or whether it’s time to adjust your positioning before the market adjusts it for you.

In fly fishing, you don’t curse the river when the fish stop biting. You adjust.

Markets are no different.

See you next time,

Andrew