Glossary of Behavioral Strategy Terms
Core fits at a glance #
- Problem Market Fit - users actively seek solutions to a meaningful problem.
- Behavior Market Fit - users can and will perform the specific target behaviors in context.
- Solution Market Fit - your solution measurably enables those behaviors at low friction.
- Product Market Fit - those behaviors sustain in real market conditions.
Canonical metrics: Δ-B, TTFB, Behavior Retention D30/D180, Chain Risk Score.
Foundational Models #
Behavioral State Model #
The Behavioral State Model is a practitioner diagnostic model with six Personal Components: Personality, Perception, Emotions, Abilities, Social Status/Situation, and Motivations. It also includes two Context Components: the Social Environment and Physical Environment. The Behavioral State Model is a practitioner model, not a validated psychometric instrument or a universal prediction equation.
Its eight diagnostic components include:
- Personal Components: Personality, Perception, Emotions, Abilities, Social Status/Situation, and Motivations
- Context Components: Social Environment and Physical Environment
The original BSM materials use Identity as a historical technical alias for the Personal Components. It names the person side of the model and is broader than self-concept or an aspirational identity. The Personal Components operate on different timescales rather than sharing one fixed level of stability.
Key Principle: Use a low component rating to identify a diagnostic hypothesis or next test. It does not determine behavior likelihood.
Behavior Fit Assessment #
The Behavior Fit Assessment is a practitioner decision tool for comparing candidate behaviors across Dispositional Fit, Capability Fit, and Context Fit. It is not a validated measurement instrument. Treat the minimum dimension as a bottleneck and prioritization heuristic; it is not a deterministic probability of behavior.
A score of 6 out of 10 on each Behavior Fit Assessment dimension is a starting threshold that must be calibrated by domain, population, context, stakes, and observed behavior.
The Four-Fit hierarchy #
The following concepts form a sequential validation chain, where each fit must be achieved before proceeding to the next:
1. Problem Market Fit #
Definition: Clearly identifying a substantial problem users actively seek solutions for.
Validation Criteria:
- Evidence of active solution-seeking behavior
- Willingness to pay (time, money, or effort)
- Current workarounds or makeshift solutions exist
Common Mistake: Assuming a problem exists without validating user demand.
2. Behavior Market Fit #
Definition: Matching specific user behaviors to validated market needs.
Validation Criteria:
- Provisional Dispositional, Capability, and Context Fit ratings with supporting evidence
- A starting screen calibrated for the domain, population, context, stakes, and observed behavior
- Real-context observation showing that the target population can and will perform the behavior
Common Mistake: Selecting behaviors based on assumptions rather than observation.
3. Solution Market Fit #
Definition: Validating that a designed solution effectively enables and scales desired user behaviors.
Validation Criteria:
- Completion clears a pre-registered threshold for the named domain, population, and stakes
- Time to first behavior is compared with a pre-registered domain benchmark
- Observed behavior and friction evidence show that the solution enables the behavior
Common Mistake: Building features before validating they enable target behaviors.
4. Product Market Fit #
Definition: Ensuring a market-ready product sustainably supports validated behaviors to solve problems for a viable market.
Validation Criteria
- Retention of the target behavior at day 30 and day 180 with denominators and windows specified
- Expansion driven by behavior visibility or network value, not paid acquisition
- Stability across contexts is established through observed behavior, explicit cohorts, and diagnostic evidence rather than a universal BSM cutoff
Common Mistake: Celebrating initial adoption without measuring behavior sustainability.
Operational Concepts #
Behavioral Selection #
Definition: The systematic process of identifying and prioritizing behaviors critical to achieving strategic outcomes.
Process:
- Generate a list of candidate behaviors that could achieve the outcome
- Screen candidates with the Behavior Fit Assessment (Dispositional Fit, Capability Fit, Context Fit)
- Use the minimum rating to identify candidate bottlenecks and prioritize candidates with the clearest outcome path
- Establish Behavior Market Fit through field observation and realistic prototyping
Common Mistake: Choosing complex behaviors when simpler ones would suffice.
Quick Reference: Term Relationships #
Using This Glossary #
Each term page includes:
- Detailed definition and context
- Practical examples and case studies
- Common misconceptions
- Measurement approaches
- Relationship to other concepts
These terms form the foundational vocabulary for implementing Behavioral Strategy effectively.