What is an ideal customer profile?
An ideal customer profile (ICP) is a structured description of the company most likely to buy from you, stay with you, and expand over time. It is the answer to one question: who should your reps spend their time on, and who should they ignore?
An ICP is not a target market. A target market is a vast pool. An ICP is the slice of that pool where your product wins, your customers succeed, and your unit economics work. It is the rule for what counts as a real account.
ICP vs buyer persona: stop confusing them
These two terms get blended constantly. They are not the same. The ICP describes the company. A buyer persona describes the people inside that company. Sequence matters: build the ICP first, then personas.
