Justin Mares

Traction

1. IDEA 1

   Traction matters as much as product

   Weinberg and Mares argue that many startups fail not because their product is bad but because they cannot get customers. They urge founders to spend as much effort on getting traction as on building the product.

2. IDEA 2

   There are many channels

   The authors describe nineteen traction channels, such as search engine marketing, content marketing, public relations, partnerships and sales. Different channels suit different businesses. The idea is that no single route works for every business, so a founder should look at many options before choosing.

3. IDEA 3

   Use the bullseye framework

   The authors propose a bullseye framework: brainstorm all channels, pick the most promising, test them and focus on the one that works best. This narrows options. In the authors' view, it stops founders from simply using the channel they already know and tries to find the best one.

All 8 ideas from Traction →