Ash Maurya's Linkedin Analytics

Walk into any investor's office with the beginnings of a hockey-stick curve, and you'll automatically trigger a Pavlovian response where they sit you down and try to understand your business model. That's the power of traction. But here's the problem: Most founders don't truly understand what traction really means, so they showcase vanity metrics instead. Plotting cumulative user sign-ups over time might look impressive, but sophisticated investors see right through this facade. So, what is traction really? I just dropped a detailed YouTube video breaking down: 🔹 what traction really means, 🔹 why it matters so much to investors, and 🔹 how to measure it correctly for your specific business model. 👇 https://lnkd.in/gvj-BeEn

Companies that continuously outlearn their competition win. Speed of learning, not speed of execution, is the new unfair advantage. Speed of execution: Analyze-Plan-Execute Speed of learning: Model-Prioritize-Test More on the 3-step framework here:

The Costly Startup Trap I Fell Into (That You’re Probably Making Too) “Move fast and break things” is what we’re all told. But here’s the brutal truth I learned after wasting 9 months of my life: moving fast in the wrong direction is just a recipe for getting lost faster. Several years ago, I launched CloudFire, a photo-sharing product for busy parents. I checked ALL the boxes of “doing things right”: • Conducted 40+ customer interviews • Built and pitched a compelling demo • Collected credit cards upfront • Launched an MVP • Grew to 500 paying customers Until one simple 5-minute calculation on the back of an envelope, revealed a fatal flaw in my business model that couldn’t be fixed with more customers or better features. The math was undeniable – I was headed toward a “zombie startup” – neither dead nor truly alive. Just… stuck. The worst part? This wasn’t a complex analysis requiring months of data. I could have done this exact calculation BEFORE spending 9 months building and scaling a fundamentally flawed business. If you’re working on a startup or side project right now, ask yourself: • Have you actually validated your business model, or just your problem? • Could your pricing model realistically support your growth ambitions? • Are you targeting a segment that can sustain your business? I’ve since developed a systematic approach to stress-testing business ideas BEFORE investing significant time and resources – and it’s saved me countless months of wasted effort. I just posted a detailed video breaking down exactly what this 5-minute test looks like and how you can apply it to your business today. Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gKDHnfPP Life’s too short to build something nobody wants – or something that can never become a real business.

How do you establish sufficient runway to traction? Old way: Savings + FFF (friends, family, and fools) funding. New way: Bootstrapping (not self-funding, but customer-funding) Bootstrapping: low burn rate + sell before you build + speed of learning = traction Bootstrapping is the new default operating system for startups.

We've all heard this mis-attributed Henry Ford quote used as an excuse NOT to talk to customers: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." But what if I told you this quote actually contains a profound insight into what customers really want? Here's the irony - if customers had actually said "faster horses," they would be telling you something incredibly valuable about a problem worth solving. Most founders struggle with customer research because they're using one of these three approaches: 1️⃣ Building an MVP and hoping for feedback (that rarely comes) 2️⃣ Directly asking customers what they want (they don't know) 3️⃣ Trying to validate a list of problems (spotlighting bias) After years of working with startups, I've discovered there's a much more effective approach I call "The Innovator's Gift" - and it's counterintuitive to what most founders are taught. 💡 The key insight: New problems worth solving come from old solutions. In my latest video, I break down exactly how to uncover what customers actually want without asking them directly - the same process I used to develop Lean Canvas and other successful products. If you're building something new and want to ensure people will actually pay for it, this might be the most valuable 10 minutes you'll spend this week. 👉 https://lnkd.in/gnSrhxEm

Goodbye WAgile. Hello, Continuous Innovation. Old way - Waterfall/WAgile  - Analyze-Plan-Execute - Heavy-weight business planning - Build velocity is the measure of progress - Build then sell - Make a few large bets - Planning and execution are the unfair advantage New way - Continuous Innovation - Model-Prioritize-Test - Light-weight business modeling - Traction velocity is the measure of progress - Sell before you build - Make many small bets - Speed of learning is the unfair advantage Video on new way here: https://lnkd.in/gFgg6U2Q