Traction • Pitoa

Startup Traction Toolkit

Startupien pitotyökalupakki

Traction is built through deliberate practice. Pitoa curates 20 simple scenes—workshops, scorecards, and checklists— that help early teams launch faster, validate demand, and speak the same traction language with partners and investors.

Interactive Wizard All Tools Metrics & KPIs Timeline Impact

AARRR (Pirate Metrics)

Growth Engines

Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral framework for tracking marketplace growth funnel.

Key Metrics:

  • Acquisition Rate
  • Activation %
  • Monthly Retention
  • Revenue per User
  • Viral Coefficient

SWOT Analysis

Market Strategy

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis for marketplace positioning.

Key Metrics:

  • Competitive Advantages
  • Risk Factors
  • Market Opportunities

Lean Startup

Growth Engines

Build-Measure-Learn loops for rapid marketplace hypothesis testing and iteration.

Key Metrics:

  • Cycle Time
  • Learning Velocity
  • Pivot Count

Unit Economics

Financial Backbone

Per-transaction profitability analysis including CAC, LTV, and contribution margins.

Key Metrics:

  • CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)
  • LTV (Lifetime Value)
  • LTV:CAC Ratio
  • Contribution Margin

North Star Metric

North Star Kpis

GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) as the primary success indicator for marketplace health.

Key Metrics:

  • Current GMV
  • GMV Growth Rate
  • Target GMV

OKRs (Objectives & Key Results)

North Star Kpis

Goal-setting framework aligning team efforts toward marketplace milestones.

Key Metrics:

  • Objectives Set
  • Key Results Achieved
  • Completion Rate

Supply-Demand Balance

Market Strategy

Framework for managing marketplace liquidity and matching efficiency.

Key Metrics:

  • Supply Growth
  • Demand Growth
  • Match Rate
  • Time to Match

Commission Model

Financial Backbone

Revenue structure based on transaction fees and value-added services.

Key Metrics:

  • Commission Rate
  • Average Transaction Fee
  • Service Revenue

TAM/SAM/SOM

Market Strategy

Total, Serviceable, and Obtainable market size analysis for rural/peri-urban segments.

Key Metrics:

  • Total Addressable Market
  • Serviceable Market
  • Obtainable Market Share

Cohort Analysis

Growth Engines

User behavior tracking across acquisition cohorts to measure retention and engagement.

Key Metrics:

  • Cohort Retention
  • Revenue per Cohort
  • Engagement Trends

Impact Metrics

Impact Metrics

Social and environmental outcomes including payouts, CO₂ savings, and rural resilience.

Key Metrics:

  • €5M Total Payouts
  • CO₂ Emissions Saved
  • Rural Jobs Created

Go/No-Go Decision Gates

Decision Gates

Milestone-based checkpoints with success criteria for stage progression.

Key Metrics:

  • Gates Passed
  • Current Stage
  • Next Milestone

18-Month Projections

Financial Backbone

Revenue, cost, and profitability forecasts with sensitivity scenarios.

Key Metrics:

  • Revenue Forecast
  • Cost Projections
  • Break-even Point

Growth Loops

Growth Engines

Self-reinforcing cycles that drive organic marketplace expansion.

Key Metrics:

  • Loop Velocity
  • Activation per Loop
  • Viral Factor

Marketplace Density

Market Strategy

Geographic concentration analysis for supply and demand optimization.

Key Metrics:

  • Density Score
  • Coverage Area
  • Active Regions

Buyer-Seller Ratio

North Star Kpis

Balance metric ensuring adequate supply for buyer demand in each segment.

Key Metrics:

  • Current Ratio
  • Target Ratio
  • Segment Breakdown

Average Order Value (AOV)

Financial Backbone

Transaction size analysis to optimize pricing and upsell strategies.

Key Metrics:

  • Current AOV
  • AOV Growth
  • Segment AOV

Competitive Positioning

Market Strategy

Differentiation strategy analysis versus existing marketplace alternatives.

Key Metrics:

  • Unique Value Props
  • Competitive Advantages
  • Market Gap Score

Supply-First Motion

Market Strategy

Strategic approach prioritizing supplier acquisition and activation before demand scaling.

Key Metrics:

  • Supplier Onboarding Rate
  • Supplier Activation %
  • Listings Quality Score

Retention Strategy

Growth Engines

Playbook for reducing churn and increasing lifetime engagement on both sides.

Key Metrics:

  • Retention Rate
  • Churn Rate
  • Engagement Score

Lean Canvas

Validation Tools

One-page business model that helps you deconstruct your idea into its key assumptions across 9 building blocks.

Key Metrics:

  • Problem-Solution Fit
  • Unique Value Proposition
  • Key Assumptions Tested

The Mom Test

Validation Tools

Customer interview framework that helps you ask questions that reveal truth, even from people trying to be nice.

Key Metrics:

  • Interviews Completed
  • Real Problems Discovered
  • False Positives Avoided

Landing Page Validation

Validation Tools

Build a simple page to test demand before building your product. Measure real interest through email signups or pre-orders.

Key Metrics:

  • Conversion Rate
  • Email Signups
  • Pre-orders / Commitments

Conversion Copywriting

Validation Tools

Framework for writing clear, compelling copy that converts visitors into customers using proven psychological triggers.

Key Metrics:

  • Message Clarity Score
  • Value Prop Strength
  • CTA Conversion Rate

SPIN Selling Framework

Validation Tools

B2B sales methodology using Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-payoff questions to uncover customer needs.

Key Metrics:

  • Discovery Call Quality
  • Needs Identified
  • Conversion to Proposal

Growth & Validation Loops

Validation Tools

Build systems to continuously test assumptions, measure what matters, and create feedback loops that drive sustainable growth.

Key Metrics:

  • Weekly Active Experiments
  • Learning Velocity
  • Growth Loop Strength

Your First 10 Customers

Validation Tools

Manual, unscalable tactics to get your first real users. Do things that don't scale to learn what works.

Key Metrics:

  • Customers Acquired
  • Conversion Rate
  • Time to First Customer
  • Customer Feedback Sessions

Distribution Channel Testing

Validation Tools

Test 3-5 acquisition channels quickly to find what works for your product. Focus beats spreading thin.

Key Metrics:

  • Channels Tested
  • Cost per Acquisition
  • Best Performing Channel
  • User Quality Score

Build-Measure-Learn Loops

Validation Tools

Ship fast, measure what matters, learn from users, iterate weekly. Speed wins at the MVP stage.

Key Metrics:

  • Cycle Time (idea → shipped)
  • Features Shipped per Week
  • User Feedback Sessions
  • Features Killed

Founder-Led Sales

Validation Tools

Close your first deals yourself. High-touch sales teach you positioning, objections, and what value resonates.

Key Metrics:

  • Sales Calls Completed
  • Close Rate
  • Deal Size
  • Time to Close

Early Retention Focus

Validation Tools

Keep the users you get. At MVP stage, 10 retained users > 100 churned users. Build for your power users.

Key Metrics:

  • Day 1/7/30 Retention
  • Weekly Active Users
  • Power User Actions
  • Churn Reasons

Framework Categories

Growth Engines
Market Strategy
Financial Backbone
North Star Kpis
Impact Metrics
Decision Gates
Validation Tools