Defining Your Ideal Customer Profile: Lessons from Guy Rubin on Focus, Data and Discipline
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
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Defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) isn’t about limiting your market- it’s about knowing where you can make the biggest impact. In our latest Insiders podcast, I spoke with Guy Rubin, founder of Ebsta (now MD at Fullcast), who shared how his company transformed by aligning strategy, data, and discipline around a clearly defined ICP.
His story shows that understanding your Ideal Customer Profile requires focus, patience, and the courage to hold your nerve when the easy wins disappear.
Why focus matters: defining your Ideal Customer Profile
Sustainable growth starts with clarity about who you serve. Guy described the moment he realised how costly a lack of focus could be: “We spent $1 million building into HubSpot – and it was a complete waste of time and money.”
That decision diverted resources away from Ebsta’s Ideal Customer Profile and stalled growth.
Key lessons from Guy’s experience
Define your Ideal Customer Profile early and stick with it, even when short-term numbers dip.
Avoid “logo chasing” – focus on customers where your value is transformational.
Validate ICP decisions with measurable data, not assumptions.
When your team defines its ICP precisely, every marketing and sales effort points in the same direction.
The long game: partnerships that align with your ICP
Ebsta also learned the value of long-term partnerships. The company identified partners that matched its Ideal Customer Profile, a move that took over a year to show results. Today, 30% of Ebsta’s revenue comes through that channel.
Why partnerships work when they fit your ICP
They extend your reach into the right audience segments.
They strengthen credibility with your ICP market.
They deliver compounding returns through long-term collaboration.
Strategic partnerships are rarely quick wins. However, when they fit your ICP, they become a steady engine for growth.
Using AI to refine your Ideal Customer Profile
Technology can play a powerful role in evolving your ICP. For Guy Rubin, AI isn’t about replacing sellers – it’s about enabling them to focus on the right customers.
“AI should increase the time sellers spend in front of customers – not behind a screen.”
At Ebsta, AI helps rescore qualification calls and analyse patterns to identify which prospects best match the Ideal Customer Profile.
When used wisely, AI acts as a force multiplier. It automates admin tasks, freeing teams to build stronger relationships with their ICP customers.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What’s the first step to defining an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?
A: Analyse your best customers – the ones that generate the highest value and retention. Then, shape your ICP around that evidence.
Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: It usually takes three to six months before focusing on your ICP delivers measurable outcomes. Once it does, your results will be more predictable and scalable.
Q: How does data support a strong ICP?
A: Data highlights which markets, deal sizes, or customer types create the most value. As a result, you can focus time and resources where they have the biggest impact.
Final thoughts
Defining your Ideal Customer Profile requires discipline, data, and determination. Guy Rubin’s story proves that focus beats flexibility when it comes to long-term success. Once you know your ICP – and align every part of your business around it – record growth becomes repeatable, not accidental.
Listen to the full conversation and discover how defining your Ideal Customer Profile can transform your go-to-market strategy.
