Traction

Guide startup PR and unconventional PR outreach using the media chain, pitch templates, and amplification tactics. Use whenever a founder or marketer needs to pitch reporters, plan a PR campaign, land media coverage, run a publicity stunt, amplify a press story, use HARO, build reporter relationships, or avoid common PR mistakes. Also covers unconventional PR (stunts, customer appreciation) for startup launches. Activates on phrases like 'press release', 'PR campaign', 'media coverage', 'reporter outreach', 'pitch email', 'TechCrunch', 'HARO', 'product launch', 'PR strategy', 'publicity stunt', 'get coverage', 'press pitch', 'media pitch', 'journalist outreach'.

Select and execute an SEO strategy using the fat-head vs long-tail binary decision framework. Use whenever a founder or marketer is planning SEO, comparing organic search strategies, choosing between targeting high-volume category keywords or many low-volume long-tail terms, evaluating keyword difficulty, planning content production for SEO, or avoiding black-hat tactics. Activates on phrases like 'SEO strategy', 'SEO', 'search engine optimization', 'organic search', 'ranking on Google', 'keyword research', 'fat-head', 'long-tail', 'content for SEO', 'Moz', 'keyword difficulty', 'link building', 'SERP', 'backlinks'.

Design free tools and micro-sites that acquire customers through engineering effort rather than ad spend. Use whenever a founder or marketer wants to build a free calculator, tool, widget, grader, or educational resource as a customer acquisition channel. Activates on phrases like 'engineering as marketing', 'free tool', 'marketing tool', 'calculator', 'grader', 'micro-site', 'widget', 'free app', 'HubSpot Marketing Grader', 'Moz tools', 'lead generator tool', 'utility for marketing', 'free resource for customers'.

Design and run cheap validation tests for customer acquisition channels before committing budget. Use whenever a startup founder, growth marketer, or product leader needs to test a marketing channel, validate CAC and LTV assumptions, set up A/B testing, calculate whether a channel can hit growth targets, measure channel performance, detect a saturating channel (Law of Shitty Click-Throughs), decide whether to optimize or abandon a channel, or compare channels quantitatively. Activates on phrases like 'test a channel', 'cheap test', 'CAC', 'customer acquisition cost', 'LTV', 'lifetime value', 'A/B test', 'does this channel work', 'how do I know if this is working', 'conversion rate', 'channel metrics', 'measure marketing', 'channel saturation', 'Law of Shitty Click-Throughs'.

Design and measure viral growth loops using the viral coefficient (K-factor), viral loop type taxonomy, and cycle time optimization. Use whenever a startup founder, growth marketer, or product lead is designing referral programs, measuring word-of-mouth, building viral features, calculating K-factor, trying to achieve exponential growth, optimizing invite flows, debugging a viral feature that isn't working, or evaluating whether viral is the right channel. Activates on phrases like 'viral marketing', 'viral coefficient', 'K-factor', 'referral program', 'invite flow', 'network effects', 'word of mouth', 'exponential growth', 'viral loop', 'Dropbox referral', 'Hotmail signature', 'inherent virality', 'cycle time', 'should we go viral'.

Guide systematic customer acquisition channel selection using the Bullseye Framework. Use whenever a startup founder, growth marketer, or product leader is deciding which marketing channel to focus on, evaluating customer acquisition options, choosing between viral, SEO, SEM, content, sales, PR, or any other growth channel, struggling with where to invest marketing budget, trying to escape channel bias, asking 'how do we get customers', planning a go-to-market, or needs to narrow 19 possible channels down to one focused bet. Activates on phrases like 'channel selection', 'customer acquisition', 'marketing strategy', 'growth channel', 'traction channel', 'Bullseye Framework', 'which channel should we use', 'how do we grow', 'marketing plan', or any discussion of prioritizing acquisition investments.

Leverage existing platforms with large user bases (App Stores, browser extensions, social networks, super-platforms) for startup customer acquisition via parasitic growth patterns. Use whenever a founder is planning to distribute via app stores, building browser extensions, targeting Facebook or Twitter as a channel, launching on a new platform Day-1, exploiting an unsatisfied need on a larger platform, or mapping platform gap opportunities. Activates on phrases like 'App Store strategy', 'Chrome extension', 'browser extension', 'Facebook platform', 'Apple ecosystem', 'existing platforms', 'distribution platform', 'Product Hunt launch', 'Airbnb Craigslist', 'YouTube MySpace', 'Zynga Facebook', 'parasitic growth'.

Design content marketing and email lifecycle programs that work together as an acquisition engine. Use whenever a founder or marketer is planning a blog, newsletter, content calendar, email sequences, lead magnets, drip campaigns, onboarding emails, activation emails, retention emails, or any combination of content creation and email marketing. Also covers the acquisition → activation → retention → revenue lifecycle. Activates on phrases like 'content marketing', 'blog strategy', 'newsletter', 'email marketing', 'drip campaign', 'onboarding emails', 'lifecycle emails', 'activation email', 'email list', 'lead magnet', 'nurture sequence', 'email automation'.

Optimize Search Engine Marketing performance using CTR, CPC, CPA formulas, Quality Score benchmarks, and keyword profitability filtering. Use whenever a founder or marketer is running Google Ads, Bing Ads, or any SEM campaign, measuring CAC on paid search, optimizing ad groups, pruning unprofitable keywords, improving Quality Score, testing SEM as a channel, or comparing SEM vs other acquisition channels. Activates on phrases like 'SEM', 'Google Ads', 'AdWords', 'PPC', 'pay-per-click', 'CPC', 'CPA', 'CTR', 'Quality Score', 'keyword optimization', 'paid search', 'ad groups', 'bid strategy', 'search advertising'.

Build a business development pipeline with 5 partnership types, attribute-based partner selection, and a 9-step BD process. Use whenever a founder or BD lead is planning partnerships, pursuing integration deals, negotiating licensing, structuring joint ventures, setting up distribution deals, sourcing supply partnerships, or transitioning from traditional BD to low-touch self-serve BD. Activates on phrases like 'business development', 'BD', 'partnerships', 'strategic partner', 'integration partner', 'licensing deal', 'distribution partner', 'joint venture', 'channel partner', 'co-marketing', 'white label', 'BD deal'.

Guide startup growth strategy by diagnosing which phase the startup is in (Phase I: making something people want, Phase II: marketing something people want, Phase III: scaling) and selecting phase-appropriate traction channels. Use whenever a startup founder, growth marketer, or product leader is deciding how to split time between product and traction, asking whether they have product-market fit, choosing which channels fit their current stage, dealing with rising CAC or saturating channels, wondering if they should pivot, applying the 50% Rule, or escaping the Product Trap ('if we build it they will come'). Activates on phrases like 'product-market fit', 'phase I', 'phase II', 'scaling', 'growth strategy', 'should we pivot', '50% rule', 'product trap', 'traction vs product', 'which channels for our stage', 'moving the needle'.