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At a glance
What it is
Applies the Bullseye Framework to rank all 19 traction channels by potential, cost, and time-to-results for a specific business, producing a prioritized acquisition strategy with test designs for top channels.
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SKILL.md
364 lines · 3,253 words
Use this skill when:
User asks about how to get their first customers or grow their customer base
User wants to evaluate which marketing and distribution channels are best for their business
User asks about the Bullseye Framework or traction channels
Applies the Bullseye Framework to rank all 19 traction channels by potential, cost, and time-to-results for a specific business, producing a prioritized acquisition strategy with test designs for top channels.
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What it covers
When to Use
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Example
Traction Channel Analysis: Real Estate Follow-Up SaaS
Each of these library teams gives its bots this skill. Import one and look inside first.
User needs to prioritize acquisition channels with limited budget and time
User wants a structured approach to testing growth channels rather than guessing
Do NOT use this skill when:
User needs a comprehensive marketing strategy document (use marketing-strategy)
User wants to write ad copy for a specific platform (use paid-ad-copy)
User needs to design a specific growth experiment (use growth-experiment)
User needs SEO content planning (use seo-content-strategy)
Understand the business context. Ask the user for:
What is the product or service?
Who is the target customer? (specific segment)
What is the price point? (determines which channels are economically viable)
What is the current stage? (pre-launch, early traction, growth)
What channels have been tried? (and what were the results?)
What is the budget for channel testing? (bootstrapped vs funded)
What is the timeline pressure? (need customers this month vs this quarter?)
B2B or B2C? (dramatically affects channel selection)
Present the 19 traction channels. The Bullseye Framework, from the book "Traction" by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares, identifies 19 channels through which every business acquires customers. Every business should consider all 19 before committing to a strategy:
Channel 1: Viral Marketing
Users invite other users as part of the product experience
Best for: products with built-in sharing mechanics, social products, collaboration tools
Metrics: viral coefficient (K-factor), cycle time
Example: Dropbox referral program, Slack team invitations
Channel 2: Public Relations (PR)
Media coverage in publications read by the target audience
Best for: novel products with a compelling story, B2C with broad appeal
Metrics: press mentions, referral traffic from articles, domain authority
Example: Launch coverage in TechCrunch, industry trade publications
Channel 3: Unconventional PR
Publicity stunts, creative campaigns, or viral content that generates attention
Best for: consumer products that benefit from word-of-mouth, brands with personality
Metrics: social shares, media pickups, brand mentions
Example: Dollar Shave Club launch video, Blendtec "Will It Blend" series
Channel 4: Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Paid ads on search engines (Google Ads, Bing Ads)
Best for: products where customers actively search for solutions, high-intent keywords
Metrics: CPC, CTR, conversion rate, CAC
Example: Google Ads for "best project management software"
Channel 5: Social and Display Ads
Paid ads on social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X) and display networks
Best for: B2C with visual products, B2B on LinkedIn, broad awareness campaigns
Metrics: CPM, CPC, CTR, conversion rate, ROAS
Example: Facebook ads targeting small business owners, LinkedIn ads for B2B SaaS
Channel 6: Offline Ads
Traditional advertising: billboards, radio, TV, print, direct mail
Best for: local businesses, mass-market consumer products, brand building at scale
Metrics: reach, brand awareness surveys, attribution (difficult)
Example: Local radio ads for a regional service business
Channel 7: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Organic search traffic from ranking for relevant keywords
Best for: content-rich products, products where customers search for information before purchasing
Metrics: organic traffic, keyword rankings, domain authority, conversion from organic
Example: HubSpot ranking for "how to write a marketing plan"
Channel 8: Content Marketing
Creating and distributing valuable content (blog posts, videos, podcasts, guides) to attract and retain customers
Best for: B2B SaaS, products that require education, markets with information-seeking behavior
Metrics: traffic, engagement, email signups, content-attributed revenue
Example: Buffer's social media marketing blog, Intercom's product management content
Channel 9: Email Marketing
Direct email communication with prospects and customers
Best for: any business with an email list, B2B nurture sequences, e-commerce
Metrics: open rate, click rate, conversion rate, list growth rate
Example: Weekly newsletter with product tips, drip campaigns for trial users
Channel 10: Engineering as Marketing
Building free tools, calculators, or widgets that attract the target audience
Best for: technical products where the target audience values utility
Metrics: tool usage, signups from tool users, conversion rate
Example: HubSpot's Website Grader, Moz's Domain Authority checker
Channel 11: Targeting Blogs
Guest posting or sponsoring content on blogs read by the target audience
Best for: niche markets with established blog communities
Metrics: referral traffic, signups from guest posts, brand mentions
Example: Guest post on a popular industry blog with a call to action
Channel 12: Business Development (BD)
Strategic partnerships with complementary businesses
Best for: B2B, platform businesses, products that integrate with existing workflows
Metrics: partnership revenue, co-marketing reach, integration adoption
Example: Salesforce AppExchange partnerships, Shopify app partnerships
Channel 13: Sales
Direct sales (outbound calls, emails, demos, meetings)
Best for: B2B with high contract values (> $1,000/year), enterprise products
Metrics: pipeline value, close rate, average deal size, sales cycle length
Example: Outbound sales team calling target accounts
Channel 14: Affiliate Programs
Paying third parties a commission for referring customers
Best for: e-commerce, SaaS with self-serve signup, products with clear value proposition
Metrics: affiliate signups, referred customers, revenue per affiliate, commission costs
Example: Amazon Associates, SaaS affiliate programs paying 20-30% recurring
Channel 15: Existing Platforms
Building on or distributing through established platforms (app stores, marketplaces, Chrome extensions)
Best for: products that enhance existing platforms, mobile apps, browser extensions
Metrics: platform-specific downloads, reviews, rankings
Example: Slack App Directory, Chrome Web Store, Shopify App Store
Channel 16: Trade Shows
Industry events, conferences, and exhibitions
Best for: B2B, products that benefit from in-person demonstration, industry-specific markets
Metrics: leads collected, demos given, deals initiated, cost per lead
Example: Booth at SaaStr Annual, industry-specific trade shows
Channel 17: Offline Events
Hosting or sponsoring meetups, workshops, dinners, and community events
Best for: local businesses, community-driven products, B2B networking
Metrics: attendees, leads generated, community growth
Example: Hosting a monthly meetup for target customers, workshop series
Channel 18: Speaking Engagements
Founder or team members speaking at conferences, webinars, and podcasts
Best for: B2B where the founder has domain expertise, thought leadership positioning
Metrics: leads from speaking events, brand mentions, inbound inquiries
Example: Speaking at industry conferences, podcast guest appearances
Channel 19: Community Building
Creating and nurturing a community around the product or problem space
Best for: products with engaged user bases, developer tools, passion-driven markets
Metrics: community size, active members, engagement rate, community-attributed conversions
Example: Figma community, dbt community, Product Hunt community
Apply the Bullseye Framework. Three concentric rings:
Outer Ring: What is possible (all 19 channels)
For each channel, brainstorm one specific tactic the business could use
Rate each channel on three dimensions:
Potential: How many target customers could this channel reach? (High/Medium/Low)
Cost: What would it cost to test this channel? ($, $$, $$$)
Time: How quickly could you see results? (Days, Weeks, Months)
This step takes 15-30 minutes and forces the team to consider channels they might otherwise overlook
Middle Ring: What is probable (top 6)
From the 19 channels, select the 6 with the best combination of potential, cost, and time
For each of the 6, define a specific, cheap test that could validate or invalidate the channel within 2-4 weeks
The test should cost less than $500 (or less than $100 for bootstrapped businesses)
Design channel tests. For each of the top 6 channels:
Hypothesis: "We believe [channel] can acquire customers at a CAC of [$X] because [reasoning]."
Test: Specific, concrete action (run $200 in Google Ads, publish 3 blog posts, send 100 cold emails)
Duration: 2-4 weeks
Budget: $100-$500 per channel test
Success metric: Signups, trials, purchases, or another conversion event
Decision: If [metric] > [threshold], move to Inner Ring. If not, deprioritize.
Create the prioritized channel strategy. After testing, build the ongoing acquisition plan:
Primary channel (most effort and budget)
Secondary channel (supports primary)
Experimental channel (testing the next potential winner)
Review and re-evaluate every quarter
## Traction Channel Analysis: [Business Name]
### Business Context
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Product** | [What it does] |
| **Target customer** | [Specific segment] |
| **Price point** | [$X per unit/month] |
| **Stage** | [Pre-launch / Early traction / Growth] |
| **Budget for testing** | [$X] |
| **B2B or B2C** | [B2B / B2C / Both] |
| **Channels tried** | [What has been attempted and results] |
---
### Outer Ring: All 19 Channels Ranked
| # | Channel | Potential | Cost | Time | Specific Tactic | Ring |
|---|---------|-----------|------|------|-----------------|------|
| 1 | Viral Marketing | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 2 | PR | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 3 | Unconventional PR | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 4 | SEM | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 5 | Social/Display Ads | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 6 | Offline Ads | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 7 | SEO | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 8 | Content Marketing | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 9 | Email Marketing | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 10 | Engineering as Marketing | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 11 | Targeting Blogs | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 12 | Business Development | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 13 | Sales | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 14 | Affiliate Programs | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 15 | Existing Platforms | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 16 | Trade Shows | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 17 | Offline Events | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 18 | Speaking Engagements | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
| 19 | Community Building | [H/M/L] | [$-$$$] | [D/W/M] | [Specific tactic] | [Middle/Outer] |
---
### Middle Ring: Top 6 Channels to Test
#### Channel Test 1: [Channel Name]
| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Hypothesis** | [We believe X can acquire customers at $Y CAC because Z] |
| **Test** | [Specific action: run $200 in ads, send 100 emails, publish 3 posts] |
| **Duration** | [2-4 weeks] |
| **Budget** | [$X] |
| **Success metric** | [X signups/trials/purchases] |
| **Success threshold** | [If > X, move to Inner Ring] |
*(Repeat for all 6 channels)*
---
### Inner Ring: Top 3 Channels (after testing)
| Rank | Channel | Test Result | Next Step | Monthly Budget |
|------|---------|-------------|-----------|---------------|
| 1 | [Primary channel] | [Results from test] | [Scale: specific actions] | [$X] |
| 2 | [Secondary channel] | [Results from test] | [Optimize: specific actions] | [$X] |
| 3 | [Experimental channel] | [Results from test] | [Continue testing] | [$X] |
---
### Channel Strategy Summary
| Category | Channel | Allocation |
|----------|---------|-----------|
| **Primary (60% effort)** | [Channel] | [$X/month] |
| **Secondary (25% effort)** | [Channel] | [$X/month] |
| **Experimental (15% effort)** | [Channel] | [$X/month] |
**Review cadence:** Re-evaluate channel performance monthly. Re-run full Bullseye analysis quarterly.ALWAYS evaluate all 19 channels before selecting the top candidates. The most common mistake in customer acquisition is defaulting to familiar channels (Facebook ads, Google ads) without considering alternatives. The best channel for a specific business is often not the obvious one.
NEVER recommend a channel without a specific tactic. "Try content marketing" is not actionable. "Publish a weekly blog post targeting the keyword 'how to [solve problem]' and promote each post in [specific community]" is actionable.
ALWAYS design cheap, fast tests. A channel test should cost $100-$500 and take 2-4 weeks. If a test requires $10,000 or 3 months, the scope is too large. The goal is signal detection, not full optimization.
The Bullseye Framework requires iteration. The first analysis identifies channels to test. After testing, the analysis is updated based on actual data. Channels that performed well in theory may fail in practice, and vice versa.
ALWAYS tailor channel ratings to the specific business. SEO is high-potential for a content-driven B2B product but low-potential for a consumer mobile game. Social ads are high-potential for a visual B2C product but low-potential for an enterprise infrastructure tool. Context determines everything.
Include the cost dimension for every channel. A channel with high potential but high cost is only viable for funded businesses. Bootstrapped businesses must prioritize low-cost channels with faster time to results.
ALWAYS separate B2B and B2C channel strategies. B2B businesses typically succeed with sales, content marketing, SEO, business development, and speaking engagements. B2C businesses typically succeed with social ads, viral marketing, PR, and community building. Overlap exists, but the primary channels differ significantly.
Include a "what has been tried" assessment. If the business has already tested channels, those results are the most valuable data. Do not recommend re-testing a channel that has already failed unless the test was poorly designed.
The top 3 channels get 80% of resources. Spreading effort across 8 channels produces mediocre results on all of them. Concentrated effort on 3 channels produces excellence on at least one.
Re-evaluate channels quarterly. Markets shift, competitors emerge, and channels saturate. A channel that works well in year one may degrade in year two.
Pre-launch product (no customers yet): Focus the analysis on channels that can generate pre-launch signups, waitlist members, or beta testers. Content marketing, PR, community building, and social ads are common pre-launch channels. The "test" at this stage is landing page conversion, not product adoption.
Very small niche market (< 10,000 potential customers): Mass-market channels (social ads, PR, offline ads) are inefficient for tiny markets. Focus on direct channels: sales, business development, trade shows, speaking engagements, and community building. In a small niche, personal relationships and reputation are the primary traction channels.
Marketplace (two-sided): Run the Bullseye analysis separately for supply and demand sides. The channels that attract suppliers (BD, sales, trade shows) are often different from those that attract buyers (social ads, SEO, PR). Prioritize whichever side is harder to acquire.
Developer tool or API product: The target audience is developers, who are famously resistant to traditional marketing. Prioritize: engineering as marketing (free tools), content marketing (technical blog posts and tutorials), community building (Discord, forums), existing platforms (GitHub, npm), and speaking engagements (conference talks). Traditional ads are usually low-performing for developer audiences.
Local business (geographic constraint): Eliminate channels that are not geographically targetable. Prioritize: local SEO, offline events, offline ads (local radio, signage), community building (local groups), and partnerships with complementary local businesses. Trade shows in the region are high-value. National PR has limited value unless it drives local awareness.
Input: "I built a SaaS tool that helps real estate agents automate their follow-up emails with leads. It costs $49/month. I have 12 customers from my personal network but need to figure out how to grow beyond people I know. I have $2,000/month for marketing."
Output:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Product | Automated follow-up email sequences for real estate agents |
| Target customer | Independent real estate agents and small brokerages |
| Price point | $49/month |
| Stage | Early traction (12 customers) |
| Budget | $2,000/month |
| B2B or B2C | B2B (small business) |
| Channels tried | Personal network only |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | Real estate agents are active on Facebook and respond to productivity-focused ads |
| Test | $300 in Facebook ads targeting real estate agents, 3 ad variants, 2-week run |
| Success threshold | 5+ free trial signups at < $60 CAC |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | Agents search for "real estate follow up email templates" and similar queries |
| Test | Publish 4 blog posts targeting high-intent keywords, promote in real estate forums |
| Success threshold | 200+ organic visitors and 10+ email signups in 4 weeks |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | Agents discover tools through platforms they already use |
| Test | List on real estate tech directories and Zapier integrations marketplace |
| Success threshold | 3+ signups from platform referrals in 4 weeks |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | Current customers will refer agents in their network for an incentive |
| Test | Offer existing 12 customers one free month for each referral that converts |
| Success threshold | 3+ referred customers in 4 weeks |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | Guest posts on popular real estate blogs reach the target audience |
| Test | Pitch and publish 2 guest posts on real estate agent blogs |
| Success threshold | 100+ referral visitors and 5+ signups |
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Hypothesis | Real estate agents attend local association meetings and would value a talk on lead follow-up |
| Test | Offer a free 20-minute presentation at 2 local real estate association meetings |
| Success threshold | 5+ demo requests from attendees |
SKILL.md
364 lines · 3,253 words
The text of SKILL.md is shown as it downloads, under the Apache-2.0 license, by Ferrox Labs. The license is the one in the file's own frontmatter.
Your new bot
Traction Channel Analysis bot
Waiting in your sidebar once you say go.
After running the 6 tests, identify the 3 channels that showed the strongest signal
Double down on these 3 channels. Allocate 80% of growth effort and budget to the top 3.
Optimization begins: A/B test messaging, refine targeting, improve conversion, scale spend
No account needed · Runs on the AI plan you already pay for