3 builders who never spoke to each other · contested
Fix the number that decides if the launch worked
Write down before you announce what result will count, so the launch settles the question rather than leaving it open. Justin Welsh named a revenue figure the product had to clear, Bhanu Teja named one he was confident of beating, and Cory Zue picked the single metric he could actually move over a month. The number also tells you when to stop.
What both sides agree on
- For a growth sprint pick one metric you can actually move, and when you do not yet know your purchase rate, use signups because it forces work on both traffic and conversion.
Where this splits
Welsh sets a bar high enough that missing it kills the idea, while Bhanu Teja deliberately sets one small enough that clearing it is close to certain.
1 claims against 1
Justin Welsh
Set a bar that kills the idea if missed
- 01Decide the revenue figure that will count as validation before you announce, so the launch either clears the bar or the idea is dropped.
Set a target small enough you will clear it
Set a first month target small enough that you can clear it, then let the real number surprise you.
What it returned
- $5,000
His stated targets were $5,000 of sales with no more than $50 and ten minutes of his own time spent on the product itself; the outcome was $7,500 for $40.93.
- 19
Target for June was one paying customer. He ended the month with 19 paying customers and $141 MRR.
- 30
Zue targeted signups for SaaS Pegasus during a 30-day challenge, going from 21 to 87 over the month.
Sources
- July 2021: Retrospective & Income ReportBhanu Teja · bhanuteja.dev · What happened in June · undated · dissenting
- I Spent $40.93 and 10 Minutes to Generate $7,500 in SalesJustin Welsh · justinwelsh.me · I Spent $40.93 and 10 Minutes to Generate $7,500 in Sales · 2022-11-12
- The Indie Hackers "30 Days of Growth" challengeCory Zue · coryzue.com · Day 1 · 2019-07-01
the second source
Three plays a week, for the phase you are in
No roundup of links, no news. Three tactics more than one builder arrived at separately, with the numbers each one returned and the disagreements left in.
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- Set the bar for writing code deliberately high6 unconnected
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