tools-only Boyce PLG Audit
Comprehensive PLG audit synthesizing all frameworks from Dave Boyce's FREEMIUM (Stanford University Press, 2025)
You are an AI specialist conducting a comprehensive PLG maturity assessment using Dave Boyce's complete FREEMIUM framework.
Overview
This audit evaluates your PLG maturity across all dimensions covered in Dave Boyce's book:
- First Impact (Chapter 8) - Are users achieving value quickly?
- Growth Teams (Chapter 5) - Do you have proper PLG org structure?
- PLG Bowtie (Chapter 7) - Is your funnel optimized?
- Pricing (Chapter 10) - Is pricing PLG-native?
- Growth Loops (Chapter 12) - Are loops driving compound growth?
- Retention (Chapter 11) - Are you building habits?
- Product-Led Sales (Chapters 14-15) - Is PLS properly implemented?
- Multi-GTM (Chapter 13) - Are GTM motions balanced?
The Boyce PLG Maturity Model
Level 5: PLG Leader │ All dimensions optimized, loops driving growth
Level 4: PLG Scaling │ Strong fundamentals, optimizing for scale
Level 3: PLG Growing │ Core PLG working, gaps in execution
Level 2: PLG Starting │ PLG initiative launched, early traction
Level 1: PLG Curious │ Exploring PLG, no formal initiative
Level 0: No PLG │ Pure sales-led, no self-serve
Execution Flow
Step 1: Gather Data
// Funnel metrics
analytics.funnel({
name: "plg_full_funnel",
steps: ["visit", "signup", "activate", "first_impact", "habit", "convert", "expand"],
timeframe: "30d"
})
// Cohort retention
analytics.cohort({
metric: "active_users",
dimension: "signup_week",
timeframe: "90d"
})
// Revenue metrics
stripe.get_revenue_metrics({
timeframe: "12m",
byChannel: true,
byTier: true
})
// Usage metrics
analytics.get_usage({
metrics: ["dau", "wau", "mau", "feature_adoption"],
timeframe: "30d"
})
Step 2: Score Each Dimension
Dimension 1: First Impact (25 points)
Key question: How quickly and reliably do users achieve their first value moment?
| Metric | Excellent (25) | Good (15) | Needs Work (5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to First Impact | < 5 min | 5-30 min | > 30 min |
| First Impact Success Rate | > 70% | 50-70% | < 50% |
| Activation Blockers | < 10% | 10-25% | > 25% |
Assessment questions:
- Can you define exactly what "First Impact" is for your product?
- Do you measure time-to-first-impact?
- Is your onboarding designed so users "cannot fail"?
- Do you have a growth team focused on activation?
Dimension 2: Growth Teams (15 points)
Key question: Do you have proper PLG organizational structure?
| Metric | Excellent (15) | Good (10) | Needs Work (5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Growth Team | Yes, cross-functional | Partial | No |
| Experiment Velocity | > 3/week | 1-3/week | < 1/week |
| Product Growth Model | Documented, measured | Informal | None |
Assessment questions:
- Do you have dedicated growth PMs and engineers?
- Are growth teams organized by objective (acquisition, activation, retention)?
- Do you run weekly growth team meetings with experiment readouts?
- Do you track cumulative impact from experiments?
Dimension 3: PLG Bowtie (15 points)
Key question: Is your full funnel healthy from visit to expansion?
| Stage | Benchmark | Your Rate | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visit → Signup | 3-10% | [X%] | [/3] |
| Signup → Activate | 50-70% | [X%] | [/3] |
| Activate → First Impact | 60-80% | [X%] | [/3] |
| First Impact → Convert | 5-15% | [X%] | [/3] |
| Convert → Expand | 20-40% | [X%] | [/3] |
Dimension 4: Pricing (10 points)
Key question: Is your pricing PLG-native?
| Factor | Excellent (10) | Good (6) | Needs Work (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Meaningful, achieves First Impact | Limited | None/Unusable |
| Pricing Metric | Value-aligned | Partially aligned | Arbitrary |
| Tier Structure | Clear Free→Pro→Team→Enterprise | Some tiers | Complex/Unclear |
| Self-Serve Purchase | Frictionless | Some friction | Requires sales |
Dimension 5: Growth Loops (10 points)
Key question: Are product loops driving acquisition and expansion?
| Metric | Excellent (10) | Good (6) | Needs Work (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| K-Factor | > 0.5 | 0.2-0.5 | < 0.2 |
| Organic Acquisition % | > 60% | 40-60% | < 40% |
| Loop Completion Rate | > 15% | 5-15% | < 5% |
| Identified Loops | 3+ active | 1-2 active | None formal |
Dimension 6: Retention (10 points)
Key question: Are you building product habits?
| Metric | Excellent (10) | Good (6) | Needs Work (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAU/MAU | > 50% | 25-50% | < 25% |
| D30 Retention | > 40% | 20-40% | < 20% |
| Retention Curve | Flattens early | Flattens eventually | Never flattens |
| Habit Loop | Designed, measured | Informal | None |
Dimension 7: Product-Led Sales (10 points)
Key question: If you have sales, is PLS properly implemented?
| Factor | Excellent (10) | Good (6) | Needs Work (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PQA Scoring | Automated, calibrated | Manual | None |
| Self-Serve Happy Path | Exists, protected | Partial | Sales intercepts all |
| User vs Buyer Distinction | Clear in process | Informal | Confused |
| PLS Win Rate | > 40% | 25-40% | < 25% |
Score N/A if no sales motion yet
Dimension 8: Multi-GTM (5 points)
Key question: Are GTM motions properly balanced?
| Factor | Excellent (5) | Good (3) | Needs Work (1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motion Clarity | Clear boundaries | Some overlap | Competing |
| Capacity Balance | All motions efficient | Some underutilized | Major imbalance |
| Inflection Awareness | Know where on S-curve | Vague sense | No visibility |
Step 3: Calculate Overall Score
Total Score =
First Impact (0-25) +
Growth Teams (0-15) +
PLG Bowtie (0-15) +
Pricing (0-10) +
Growth Loops (0-10) +
Retention (0-10) +
Product-Led Sales (0-10) +
Multi-GTM (0-5)
= X / 100
Step 4: Identify Critical Gaps
Critical Gap = Any dimension scoring < 50% of possible points
Priority order for fixing gaps:
- First Impact (foundation of everything)
- Retention (compounds over time)
- Bowtie (full funnel health)
- Growth Teams (execution capability)
- Loops (compound growth)
- Pricing (monetization)
- PLS (enterprise motion)
- Multi-GTM (optimization)
Step 5: Generate Recommendations
Quick Wins (< 2 weeks, high impact)
- Improvements that can be made immediately
- Often messaging, UX, or configuration changes
- Low engineering effort
Medium-Term Initiatives (1-3 months)
- Feature development or process changes
- Requires dedicated team time
- Measurable impact expected
Strategic Transformations (6-12 months)
- Major organizational or product changes
- Requires executive sponsorship
- Foundational improvements
Output Format
# Boyce PLG Audit Report
## Executive Summary
**Overall PLG Maturity Score**: [X]/100
**Maturity Level**: [Level 0-5]
**Top Strengths**:
1. [Strength 1]
2. [Strength 2]
**Critical Gaps**:
1. [Gap 1]
2. [Gap 2]
## Dimension Scores
| Dimension | Score | Max | % | Status |
|-----------|-------|-----|---|--------|
| First Impact | [X] | 25 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| Growth Teams | [X] | 15 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| PLG Bowtie | [X] | 15 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| Pricing | [X] | 10 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| Growth Loops | [X] | 10 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| Retention | [X] | 10 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| Product-Led Sales | [X] | 10 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| Multi-GTM | [X] | 5 | [Y%] | [🟢/🟡/🔴] |
| **Total** | [X] | 100 | [Y%] | - |
## Detailed Analysis
### First Impact ([X]/25)
[Analysis of First Impact performance]
**Key Metrics**:
- Time to First Impact: [X] minutes
- First Impact Success Rate: [X%]
**Recommendations**:
1. [Specific recommendation]
### Growth Teams ([X]/15)
[Analysis of Growth Team maturity]
**Key Metrics**:
- Dedicated team: [Yes/No]
- Experiment velocity: [X]/week
**Recommendations**:
1. [Specific recommendation]
[...continue for all dimensions...]
## Recommendations Summary
### Quick Wins (Do Now)
| Action | Dimension | Expected Impact | Effort |
|--------|-----------|-----------------|--------|
| [Action 1] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [Low/Med/High] |
| [Action 2] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [Low/Med/High] |
| [Action 3] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [Low/Med/High] |
### Medium-Term Initiatives (Next Quarter)
| Initiative | Dimension | Expected Impact | Resources |
|------------|-----------|-----------------|-----------|
| [Initiative 1] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [Team/Budget] |
| [Initiative 2] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [Team/Budget] |
### Strategic Transformations (This Year)
| Transformation | Dimension | Expected Impact | Timeline |
|----------------|-----------|-----------------|----------|
| [Transformation 1] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [X months] |
| [Transformation 2] | [Dimension] | +[X] points | [X months] |
## Benchmark Comparison
| Metric | Your Value | PLG Benchmark | Gap |
|--------|------------|---------------|-----|
| First Impact Rate | [X%] | > 70% | [±Y%] |
| DAU/MAU | [X%] | > 25% | [±Y%] |
| Free-to-Paid | [X%] | > 3% | [±Y%] |
| NRR | [X%] | > 100% | [±Y%] |
| K-Factor | [X] | > 0.3 | [±Y] |
## Next Steps
1. **Immediate**: [Most urgent action]
2. **This Week**: [Quick win to pursue]
3. **This Month**: [Initiative to plan]
4. **This Quarter**: [Strategic priority]
## Appendix: Boyce Framework References
This audit is based on Dave Boyce's FREEMIUM (Stanford University Press, 2025):
- First Impact: Chapter 8
- Growth Teams: Chapter 5
- PLG Bowtie: Chapter 7
- Pricing: Chapter 10
- Growth Loops: Chapter 12
- Retention: Chapter 11
- Product-Led Sales: Chapters 14-15
- Multi-GTM: Chapter 13
Related Skills
For deep dives on specific dimensions, use these companion skills:
boyce/first_impact_optimizer- Optimize time to first valueboyce/growth_team_orchestrator- Structure and run growth teamsboyce/plg_bowtie_mapper- Map and optimize the PLG funnelboyce/plg_pricing_architect- Design PLG-native pricingboyce/acquisition_loop_designer- Design growth loopsboyce/usage_retention_optimizer- Improve DAU/MAU/retentionboyce/product_led_sales- Implement PLS motionboyce/multi_gtm_orchestrator- Balance GTM motions
References
- Dave Boyce, FREEMIUM (Stanford University Press, 2025)
- Boyce Substack: daveboyce.substack.com
- Related frameworks from Ben Williams, MongoDB, Unity, HubSpot case studies