> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://kelfordinc.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The problem with personas — Kelford Labs Daily
- URL: https://kelfordinc.com/the-problem-with-personas-kelford-labs-daily/
- Published: 2025-03-04T11:22:22.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-27T15:12:16.000Z
- Description: They’re not real.
- Author: Joel Kelly
- Tags: Daily Labs, personality, specific, clarity, fallacy, focus

Here’s the challenge with marketing personas:

**They’re *imaginary*.**

They don’t describe a person—a real, actual prospect—they describe a fantasy.

Now, yes, they might be inspired by data, anonymized and amalgamated. They might be born from reality.

But then reality gets transformed into a wish once we start combining different prospects into one. Once we start imaginging a backstory for a character that doesn’t exist, once we start putting words in their mouth and thoughts in their imaginary mind.

**But if our marketing is targeting a fake person, we’ll get fake results.**

Instead, it’s *specificity* that sells. Targeting a real, [actual human being](https://kelfordinc.com/who-are-you-talking-to-kelford-labs-daily/) with a problem to be solved. A challenge to be overcome. A “Job to be Done” in Christensen’s parlance.

When we create our marketing, we should be able to picture a real, actual person. With a name. With a job. With a life. With goals, hopes, dreams, and problems bigger than our product can solve.

**So that we focus on how we can actually help, instead of just assuming they already care—like personas trick us into believing.**

I’m writing this, right now, to one person. With a name. With a business. With hopes, dreams, and challenges that this newsletter *might* be able to help them overcome.

If they can ditch the personas and start focusing on people.

**Can you?**

---

[***Kelford Inc.***](https://www.kelfordinc.com/) ***shows experts the way to always knowing what to say.***