Finding Product Market Fit:
A UX-led strategy pivot at Liiva
Liiva was founded in 2021 by die Mobiliar and Raiffeisen. Originally a digital platform designed to help private individuals search, manage, and sell residential properties, the product struggled to achieve traction in the market, prompting a strategic pivot.
As Head of UX Design, I was a key driver in the effort to find product/market fit through UX methodologies, lean experiments, and a coaching approach. I guided the team in adopting a user-centered work ethic, ensuring customer insights drove the new strategy.
COMPANY
Liiva, formerly a subsidiary of
die Mobiliar
SKILLS
UX leadership, product strategy, lean UX, user & market research, low-/high-fidelity prototyping, design systems
SECTOR
PropTech
FinTech
Looking for UX expertise to elevate your project?
If you're seeking a seasoned UX leader to drive product strategy, facilitate lean experiments, or enhance your team's design process, I’d love to help take your project to the next level.
28
% PMF score increase in 6 months24
lean experiments50+
qualitative interviews15
tested prototypesWhy PMF matters
Achieving Product Market Fit (PMF) means that customers are finding real value in the product, leading to sustainable growth, customer retention, and long-term success. Without PMF, even well-designed products can struggle to gain traction, as they fail to solve a pressing problem for their target audience.
Liiva's PMF journey
This was how our PMF journey at Liiva began—our initial product offering lacked PMF, driving the need for a strategic pivot to better align with market needs.
Problem insights: Customer research
Methodologies practiced in the discovery phase:
Market analysis
Kano model
Jobs To Be Done
Value proposition hypotheses
Competitor analysis
Problem/solution fit: Hypothesis-driven lean experiments
Methodologies practiced in the iteration phase:
Qualitative interviews
Usability testing
SEA & SEO campaigns
Performance marketing
Quantitative & qualitative surveys
Expert interviews
Social listening
Financial advisor mystery shopping
Product iteration: Continuous testing for rapid validation
Over the course of six months, we developed and tested 15 prototypes, iterating every 2-4 weeks as part of our lean experimentation process. This frequent testing cycle allowed us to quickly validate or refute key hypotheses, ensuring that each iteration was informed by real user feedback. By testing early and often, we were able to minimize risk, prioritize features that resonated with users, and make data-driven decisions. This approach not only accelerated our path to Product Market Fit but also helped us stay aligned with evolving customer needs throughout the product development journey.

"Product/market fit means being in a good market with a product that can satisfy that market."
— Marc Andreessen
Promising results in just 6 months
Between May and December 2023, we regularly measured our Product Market Fit (PMF) score, showing steady growth. Starting at 9% in May, we identified the need to better align with market demands. Through continuous user research, lean experiments, and iterative prototyping, we raised our PMF score to 31% by November and 37% by December. While just shy of the 40% PMF benchmark, this consistent improvement highlights the impact of our user-focused, data-driven approach.
My contribution as Head of UX Design
🚀
Championing the Product Market Fit discovery process through lean experiments, exceeding annual company KPIs.
🔭
Crafting and driving Liiva's UX vision, instilling a user-centric company culture.
🏅
Steering the growth and excellence of the UX team, maintaining the highest design standards.
🌿
Developing, scaling, and maintaining two comprehensive design systems.
The new MVP: Liiva's Financial Assistant
