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You’re not being ignored. You’re speaking to the wrong crowd — or at the wrong time. Here’s how to fix it before you waste another quarter.
Founders love to believe they know their ideal customer.
It’s part optimism, part ego, part “we’ve got the personas right here in the deck.”
The truth?
Most of the time, you’re talking to the wrong people — or the right people at the wrong time.
And that quiet hum you’re hearing in the background? That’s the sound of money walking away.
The 3 ICP Mistakes That Will Kill Your Growth
1. Too broad.
“Tech leaders” is not an audience.
It’s a LinkedIn filter.
If your ICP description could double as a conference badge category, it’s too vague to build pipeline.
2. Outdated.
Markets shift faster than most founders are willing to admit.
Your 2023 ICP might not match the people making decisions in 2025.
The fastest way to stall is to sell to a version of your buyer who no longer exists.
3. Interest ≠ intent.
I know you love those likes.
But people who consume your content aren’t automatically in-market.
Engagement without purchase intent is just a slow, expensive distraction.
The 30-Minute ICP Readiness Check
Before you launch another campaign or hire another SDR, grab a whiteboard and answer these three questions about your ICP:
- Do they have the problem you solve?
- Do they know it’s urgent?
- Can they fund the solution?
If you can’t answer all three with a confident yes, they’re not your ICP. Not yet.
The Founder Reality Check
A wrong ICP doesn’t just waste budget.
It drains energy, fractures your messaging, and tempts you to “fix” performance with more tactics instead of better targeting.
Scaling the wrong audience is like upgrading your sound system for a stadium full of people who didn’t buy tickets.
It’s louder, but it’s still empty.
You don’t need more noise.
You need clarity.
Run the readiness check this week — and if you want the exact process I use with founders to recalibrate their ICP in under an hour, Book a Strategic Debrief or grab the ICP Audit Checklist.
