Fits Break: Revisit Them Continuously

Fit is not a state you achieve once. Markets shift, channels saturate, platforms change their rules, competitors move in. A channel that printed growth for two years can decay in six months, and when it does, the product and model built around it are suddenly misfit too.

So Balfour's operating advice: treat the four fits as living hypotheses. Write them down, state what you believe about your market, product shape, channel, and model, and re-examine them on a regular cadence rather than waiting for the growth curve to flatten.

For a founder the takeaway is a diagnostic habit. When growth stalls, don't reach first for more tactics or more budget. Walk the four fits in order and find which one broke. Tugboat effort is almost always a symptom of a broken fit, not a lazy team.