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Zero-customer / exploration. If the customer is unknown, a Compass filled from your head becomes wishful thinking. Treat every entry as a hypothesis and validate via interviews/field work before committing vectors.Deep-tech / platform pre-application. When technology leads and use-cases are unclear, a single Compass can mask option value. Maintain a use-case matrix and pair the Compass with an explicit Innovation Waypoint. Hyper-growth / scaling. One generic Compass won’t fit diverging segments or regions. Create a Compass per segment and instrument updates on a cadence (e.g., quarterly). Mature enterprise motion. Long cycles and layered stakeholders slow learning, risks that the compass will go stale. Combine with system/force mapping (Vector Thinking) to surface opposing forces and mass that the Compass alone won’t expose.
Multi-sided markets/marketplaces. Needs one Compass per side (supply, demand, sometimes regulators). Don’t merge—map cross-side dependencies separately. B2B2C / channel-led. Economic buyer ≠ end user ≠ partner. Maintain a buyer/user/partner triad of Compasses to avoid conflating views. Regulated categories (health, finance, gov). External constraints dominate “South/East”; add a Regulator Compass or compliance annex to avoid underweighting adoption barriers. Ad-supported / freemium. The “customer” splits (user vs. advertiser). Use dual Compasses or you’ll optimize UX at the expense of the revenue engine. Community/open-source. Contributors’ intrinsic motivations and ecosystem effects aren’t captured by a buyer-centric Compass. Add community health/network-effect loops. Hardware/ops-heavy. Long trial loops mean the Compass can lag reality; pair with operational KPIs and periodic “East” refreshes to track shifts before PMF drifts.
Filling it once and filing it away. Product market fit is a moving target; stale Compasses mislead.Using it as a pitch worksheet. Entries must reflect customer voice/behavior, not founder assertions. Use to bring it to life Treating it as sufficient for category creation. Customers can’t always state what they’ll want next; that’s why the Innovation Waypoint is so important, and ALIGN/INFLECT/MULTIPLY are complementary.
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Application, limitations, adaptations
As always the Customer Compass framework is just that, a framework for you to start your own thinking.
Use the Compass as a diagnostic and strategic aid, not a universal substitute for discovery, invention, or your own innovative thinking. Keep it living, segment-specific, and frequently refreshed.
By venture stage — when it strains or needs augmentation
By business model — common edge cases
Method pitfalls (anti-patterns to avoid)
Bottom line: Keep the Compass dynamic, scoped to a specific segment/side, and coupled with to surface forces, mass, and potential inflection points, the compass doesn’t capture by itself.
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