Overview
ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles) and Personas work together to identify your best-fit prospects. ICPs define target companies using company-level parameters, while Personas specify individuals at those companies using contact-level parameters.
Note: Your first ICP and Persona are created automatically during signup and onboarding and linked together. Review and refine them based on your specific targeting needs.
What makes Unstuck Engine ICPs different
Unlike other tools with traditional firmographic and technographic filters, Unstuck Engine goes far beyond basic company data:
Behavioral signals – GTM motion, signup mechanisms, product features
Growth indicators – Funding rounds, company age, website traffic
Market positioning – Target market, pricing model, product categories
Professional depth – Experience keywords, career trajectories, content creation
Real engagement – Creator status, influencer identification, thought leadership
You're targeting based on how companies and individuals actually behave—not just static demographic data.
How ICPs and Personas work together
Layer 1: ICP (Company-level) The system evaluates whether a company matches your ICP criteria.
Layer 2: Persona (Contact-level) Once a company qualifies, individuals at that company are evaluated against linked Personas.
Important: Personas must be linked to ICPs to function. If a Persona isn't linked to a specific ICP, it won't be evaluated for that ICP's prospects.
Understanding parameters and modes
What are parameters?
Parameters are the specific criteria you use to define your ICPs and Personas. They describe the characteristics of companies and people you want to target.
ICP parameters describe companies (company-level criteria):
Industry, headcount, country, funding stage, GTM motion, technologies used, etc.
Persona parameters describe individuals (contact-level criteria):
Job title, seniority, function, experience, skills, LinkedIn activity, etc.
Each parameter can be configured using one of three modes to control how it affects prospect qualification and scoring
Every parameter can be configured using three modes:
Filter mode
Creates hard requirements. Prospects must match to qualify.
When to use: Non-negotiable requirements (e.g., "Must be B2B," "Only Director+ level")
Score mode
Adds weighted points (default: 10) to the overall score. Prospects can still qualify without matching, but matching increases their score.
When to use: Preferences rather than requirements (e.g., "Prefer US-based," "Prefer SaaS companies")
Note: The default score weight is 10 for all parameters.
Exclude mode
Automatically removes prospects that match, regardless of other scores.
When to use: Hard disqualifiers (e.g., "Never target competitors," "Blocked countries")
Combining modes strategically
Pro tip: Use Score mode for preferences and Exclude mode for hard disqualifiers.
Example:
Include: Country "United States, United Kingdom, Canada" (Score mode, weight 10)
Exclude: Country "Russia, China, North Korea"
Result: All countries except excluded ones qualify, but US/UK/Canada companies score higher and get prioritized.
ICP priority and evaluation order
When you have multiple ICPs, prospects are evaluated in priority order and assigned to the first ICP they match. Learn how to setup priority here.
Strategy: Put most specific or valuable ICPs first to ensure high-value prospects are captured in the right segment.
Getting started approach
Review your onboarding ICP and Persona – Refine them rather than starting from scratch
Start with 3-5 key parameters – Don't configure everything at once
Use Filter for non-negotiables, Score for preferences – Most parameters should use Score mode
Publish and test – Review lead quality
Iterate and refine – Adjust based on results
Next steps
Setting up ICPs – Complete guide to company-level parameters
Setting up Personas – Complete guide to contact-level parameters
FAQs
What's the difference between an ICP and a Persona?
ICP defines target companies using company-level criteria. Persona defines individuals within those companies using contact-level criteria.
How many ICPs and Personas should I create?
Start with 1-2 ICPs and 2-3 Personas. Most customers use 3-5 ICPs and 5-10 Personas. Total number available depends on your pricing plan.
When should I use Filter mode vs Score mode?
Filter: Non-negotiable requirements where prospects must match. Score: Preferences where you want flexibility. Use Filter sparingly - most parameters should use Score mode.
Can I change modes after publishing?
Yes. Updates to Live ICPs or Personas apply immediately, but we do not re-score existing prospects.
What happens if I don't link a Persona to an ICP?
The Persona won't be evaluated for prospects matching that ICP. Personas must be linked to at least one ICP to function.
Can a prospect match multiple ICPs?
No. Prospects are assigned to the first ICP they match based on priority order.