Zero to Traction

NOV 15, 2025

Hey friends 👋This week we’re breaking down why the common “you need to be 10x better than the competition” advice is dangerously misleading.Everyone says you need to be 10x better than the competition to overcome switching costs. But they’re missing a key factor: it’s not about being 10x better at something.It’s about the ratio between the value you create and the friction of switching.We dig into three real scenarios where founders chase this mythical 10x:* A construction scheduling tool that’s literally 10x faster, but customers still won’t pay.* An e-commerce support platform stuck at small customers who can’t crack mid-market.* A freelancer financial app with great reviews but terrible conversion rates.The common pattern is they’re all solving for the wrong equation. You need to either make switching 10x easier OR deliver 10x more value on the things that actually matter to your economic buyer.We walk through the hidden switching costs most founders miss (and it’s not integrations), why “we’re happy with [incumbent]” is always code for something else, and how to figure out if you’re targeting the right person in the organization.Plus: the etymology of “chip on your shoulder” and why Slow Horses is the best spy show you can watch right now.—Cameron and JDM This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://zerototraction.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">zerototraction.substack.com</a>

42 MIN

NOV 8, 2025

Assumptions make an ass...

Hey friends 👋We’re going deep on something that’s probably killing your startup right now: untested assumptions.Fresh off workshops with David Bland and our GrowTECH Fest session, we’re breaking down the assumption-to-evidence cycle that separates fundable startups from wishful thinking.Here’s what you need to know: A startup is literally just an organization searching for a business model. And this cycle—identify, define, design, measure, decide, repeat—IS that search. Master this, and you’ve cracked the code on what actually determines startup success.We walk through three real-world scenarios (okay, Claude made them up, but they’re painfully realistic):* The marketplace founder building supply before proving demand exists* The SaaS team building integrations instead of validating their go-to-market* The subscription service doubling down on “quality” without understanding why customers actually churnEach one shows how reasonable-sounding decisions can hide fatal assumptions.The pattern? Founders building solutions to problems they haven’t proven exist, for customers they haven’t validated will pay. Sound familiar?We break down exactly how to proportion your effort to your evidence, why customer interviews beat surveys every time, and how to spot the difference between interest and intent.Plus: Our Frivolous Thoughts segment covers barn burners, the Kings’ victory, and JDM’s questionable Dodgers fandom (Cameron is NOT pleased).Join us for a live recording on November 19th at the Carlson Center during Global Entrepreneurship Week—bring your toughest questions!—Cameron and JDM This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://zerototraction.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">zerototraction.substack.com</a>

38 MIN

NOV 3, 2025

Closing the Say-Do Gap

Hey friends 👋We’re diving into one of the most dangerous traps in early-stage startups: the say-do gap. You know the one—where 41 out of 47 customer interviews say they’d “definitely use this,” so you rush off to build... only to find crickets when you launch.This week we break down the Four Asks framework: time, money, effort, and access. These are the commitments that separate real intent from polite interest. Because here’s the thing: feedback is free, but commitment isn’t.We walk through three real scenarios (okay, Claude made them up, but they’re painfully realistic):* The AI procurement tool with suspiciously perfect interview results* The compliance reporting SaaS running “feedback pilots” instead of paid ones* The kitchen marketplace getting feature requests from “power users”Each one has signals mixed with noise. We show you exactly how to separate them.Key insight: You literally cannot achieve product-market fit without charging money. If you’re not asking customers to pay, you might just be building “product freeloader fit” instead.Whether you’re in customer discovery or running pilots, this episode gives you the tactical playbook to close that gap and validate real demand.Also: We finally offboarded Cass (he’s on “mandatory sabbatical”), welcomed Claude as our new co-host, and Cameron mourns the end of Slow Horses season 5.See you in your ears next week,—Cameron and JDMP.S.: Join us November 19th for a live recording during Global Entrepreneurship Week. Bring your questions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://zerototraction.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">zerototraction.substack.com</a>

32 MIN

OCT 25, 2025

Motion vs traction

Hey friends 👋This week we’re tackling something we see constantly: founders confusing motion with traction. You know the pattern—you’re “crazy busy” but somehow not making any real progress.We dive into what JDM calls “procrastivity” (productivity + procrastination), where you’re doing things that feel productive but are actually just clever ways to avoid the scary work that actually matters. Think: rebuilding your onboarding flow before anyone’s even used it, or spending a week redoing your pitch deck because one advisor said it needs to “pop more.”Here’s the reality check: Your startup won’t live or die based on your visual brand guidelines. It’ll live or die based on whether you can get customers to pay you money. Period.We walk through real scenarios of founders caught in what we’re calling the “Over-Optimization Olympics”—endlessly polishing things before they’ve proven there’s anything worth polishing. From the two technical co-founders hiding in Figma instead of doing sales, to the founder pivoting between customer segments because they haven’t put a real offer in front of anyone.The pattern? Founders retreat to technical work (the safe stuff) instead of adaptive work (the scary, ambiguous stuff that actually moves the needle). But here’s the thing: customers can’t tell you “no” while you’re color-coding swim lanes in Notion.Key insight: Most procrastivity is just unprocessed fear wearing a productivity costume.In Frivolous Thoughts, JDM shares his existential moment taking a tarmac bus at LAX and wondering if he’s living in the movie Speed. Cameron laments the Kings’ season outlook and battles with Xfinity’s AI bots (who clearly need better churn detection).Bottom line: If it feels productive but doesn’t involve talking to customers or testing your assumptions, you’re probably just procrastinating with extra steps.— Cameron and JDM This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://zerototraction.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">zerototraction.substack.com</a>

31 MIN

OCT 19, 2025

8 lies founders tell themselves

Hey friends 👋We’ve all been there—telling ourselves stories that feel true but are really just comfortable lies keeping us from the hard work of validation.In this episode, Cameron and I tackle 8 of the most common lies founders tell themselves. Things like “our users say they love it, so we’re on the right track” (spoiler: interest ≠ intent) and “we just need a few more features before we can start charging” (you’re optimizing for freeloaders, not customers).We dig into why these lies feel so good—fear of rejection, perfectionism, overconfidence — and, more importantly, how to overcome them. Because here’s the thing: a little delusion helps you start, but data is what gets you to product-market fit.Some of our favorite reality checks from this one:* “Nobody buys technology. People buy outcomes.”* “Validation over vibes. Intent over interest. Data over dogma.”* “Winners don’t never quit—they quit everything that doesn’t work.”We wrap with Frivolous Thoughts about marathons, perseverance, and Seth Godin’s “The Dip” — because knowing when to quit is just as important as knowing when to push through.Stop lying to yourself. Start shipping. Get the data.— Cameron and JDM This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://zerototraction.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">zerototraction.substack.com</a>

30 MIN

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