Baris underscores that too many teams settle for shallow ICP definitions. He points out, “Those three parameters are never enough.” He explains that companies often skip the harder step to “lock themselves in a room and look at their wins and then look at their losses.” Without this level of analysis, ICP remains vague and operationally weak.

By studying both wins and losses, teams uncover patterns that go beyond demographics or firmographics. They can identify behavioral signals, buying triggers, and cultural alignments that differentiate profitable customers from costly ones. This process may reveal, for example, that specific industries have a higher adoption rate or that particular company structures lead to faster expansions. Once these insights are captured, ICP is no longer abstract; it becomes concrete. It becomes a practical targeting model that sharpens prospecting, strengthens account selection, and boosts conversion rates. Baris stresses that moving from the total addressable market to the relevant market is critical. He observes that companies “start drooling over their total addressable market.” Still, success comes when you “bring it down to the relevant market and relevant accounts that you believe are the best customers.”