Your first B2B customers as a solo founder

  1. Write a one-page ideal customer a stranger could use to build the list
    1 hour

    Make it so specific a stranger could find 20 matches without asking you a question. Vague segments like small businesses or startups give you no list — you need firmographic and behavioural filters you can check from outside.

    Build a one-page sheet with this table. Fill every cell before you source:

    CriterionIncludeExcludeEvidence to confirm
    Industry / segmente.g., independent dental clinics in DE, Series A SaaS 20–80 staffEnterprises >500 staff, public sectorWebsite, LinkedIn, register
    Company size10–50 employees, €2–10M revenueSolo trader with no staff, <€500k revenueLinkedIn headcount, annual report
    Tech stack / constraintUses Tool X, no dedicated IT, GDPR data in EUAlready on direct competitor with 12-month contractBuiltWith, job ads, pricing page
    Role with painOperations manager who onboards staff weeklyFounder who will never use productTitle on site, job description
    BehaviourHiring for role Y in last 30 daysNo hiring, no trigger this quarterCareers page, press release

    How to keep it to one page:

    • Write inclusion as testable rules, not aspirations. Use and, not or.
    • Write exclusion that saves time. If an account matches any exclusion, drop it.
    • Add a notes line: source you will use for each criterion and what counts as proof (screenshot URL, register extract).
    • Store the sheet as ICP-v1.pdf or a single sheet tab called ICP — this is the hand-off document for list building.
    • Review after 20 contacts: if your builder keeps asking what you meant, the criterion is vague.