Market Fit ReadSample reportFernhollow Roasters
Small-batch coffee subscription, direct to consumer. Read date: 14 October 2026 (sample). Promise version: as found, v1. Rubric version: Promise Index, four readings.
Surfacing
One diagnosis: Distinctiveness is lowest. The promise could belong to any roaster. One move: rewrite the promise around the one thing only Fernhollow does (Focus layer), then carry that exact sentence to every surface.
Your promise, as found and as suggested
As found on the homepage hero:
"Great coffee, delivered fresh to your door."
Suggested rewrite, for you to test:
"Fernhollow promises one farm's harvest a month, roasted the week it ships, for home brewers who want to know whose hands grew their cup."
Every score below measures fidelity to the sentence as found, not the rewrite.
Presence, coherence, ownership, belief
| Reading | Score | Band | Evidence (one line each) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage | 14 | Broad | Promise appears on the homepage, subscription page and Instagram bio. Missing from the gift page and wholesale page (the buyer surfaces). |
| Consistency | 9 | Loose | Three different versions: "delivered fresh", "roasted to order", "ethically sourced". The emphasis shifts from surface to surface. |
| Distinctiveness | 6 | Generic | Swap test failed. The sentence works unchanged for both named competitors. |
| Resonance | 8 | Parroted | Reviews repeat "fresh" back but nobody says why Fernhollow over others. No arm's-length mention of the farms. |
The four whys
| Question | Clarity (0 to 3) | What we saw |
|---|---|---|
| Why me | 1 · implied | The About page mentions the founder worked harvests abroad, but this never reaches the offer. |
| Why this | 2 · stated | Single-origin monthly rotation is explained, but not why it beats a grocery bag. |
| Why now | 0 · missing | No timing or cost of inaction. |
| Why us | 1 · implied | The community of home brewers is pictured but never invited. |
Directional profiles
| Profile | Who they are | What they need |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer (who uses) | Home brewers who own a grinder | Freshness they can taste, a story with each bag |
| Customer (who pays) | Gift buyers, small offices | A safe, simple purchase; currently unaddressed |
| Catalyst (who spreads) | Coffee educators, local cafes | A sourcing cause to share; currently unaddressed |
Swap test
We placed two named competitors (fictional: "Competitor A", "Competitor B") into your promise sentence. It read naturally for both. A promise that fits everyone is owned by no one.
What the market says back
Four arm's-length review quotes found (invented for this sample). Two repeat "fresh"; none mention the farms or the founder. Reach and follower numbers are not counted.
Belief and promise
"I believe coffee should carry the name of the people who grew it, because I worked those harvests, and that's why I'm building Fernhollow with home brewers who care where their cup comes from."
"Fernhollow promises one farm's harvest a month for home brewers by roasting the week it ships."
30 / 60 / 90 days
| When | Layer | Move |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Focus | Test and lock the rewritten promise sentence. |
| 60 days | Form | Carry the same sentence to all surfaces, including gift and wholesale pages. |
| 90 days | Fit | Give cafes and educators a farm story to share; start a resonance ledger. |
Method and limits
Public surfaces read on the read date, scored on the Promise Index's four readings against the promise as found. One evidence line per score. Resonance uses arm's-length quotes only. Limits: no private data, no interviews; a second reader may differ by up to a band.
Re-read in a quarter
Same rubric, same promise version, so the trend is honest. Or upgrade to the Read + Strategy Call.
Sample report, fictional company
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