# Startup Growth Playbook — Seed Stage Channel Selection

You have PMF but limited resources. This playbook helps you pick the ONE channel that will work.

## Channel Scoring Matrix

Evaluate 15+ channels against your product and audience.

- **Channels to score**: SEO, content marketing, paid search, paid social, email, referral, partnerships, communities, events, PR, outbound sales, influencers, marketplaces, product virality, integrations
- **Scoring criteria**: CAC potential, time-to-result, scalability ceiling, competition level, founder-fit
- **Weighted scoring**: Weight criteria by your specific constraints (runway = time-to-result matters more)
- **Top 3 shortlist**: Score all channels, then deep-dive test your top 3
- **Quarterly re-evaluation**: Your best channel at $1K MRR may not be your best at $20K MRR

## PMF-to-Growth Bridge

Signals that you're ready to scale vs still iterating.

- **Ready signals**: Organic word-of-mouth, retention curve flattens, users pull you into new use cases
- **Not ready signals**: Heavy discounting to retain, high onboarding support needs, feature requests scatter
- **Premature scaling trap**: Spending on growth before PMF wastes money AND gives false signal
- **Bridge activities**: While solidifying PMF, build content assets and audience (compounds later)
- **Milestone gate**: 40%+ "very disappointed" score on Sean Ellis test before scaling spend

## Organic vs Paid

Decision framework based on CAC, LTV, and runway.

- **Organic first if**: Runway < 12 months, LTV unclear, product has natural shareability
- **Paid first if**: Unit economics proven, market is time-sensitive, organic takes too long for your timeline
- **Hybrid approach**: Use paid to validate messaging/audience, then build organic for same segments
- **CAC ceiling**: Never exceed LTV/3 on CAC — leaves room for product costs and margin
- **Payback period**: Organic = slow start, zero marginal cost; Paid = instant but stops when budget stops

## Founder-Channel Fit

Why some channels work for you specifically.

- **Technical founder**: Content marketing, SEO, developer communities, open source, Product Hunt
- **Sales-oriented founder**: Outbound, events, partnerships, LinkedIn, referral from network
- **Design-oriented founder**: Social media (visual platforms), influencer collabs, brand-led growth
- **Honest assessment**: Play to your strengths in the first channel; hire for weaknesses later
- **Time commitment**: Your best channel requires 10+ hours/week of founder attention initially

## Sequencing Strategy

Which channel first, second, third — and when to switch.

- **First channel**: Highest-confidence, fastest-feedback channel you can personally drive
- **Proof threshold**: Channel is "proven" when you can predict CAC ±20% and it's below target
- **Second channel timing**: Only after first channel is systematized and delegatable
- **Diversification**: Never let one channel exceed 60% of acquisition (platform risk)
- **When to abandon**: 8–12 weeks of focused effort with no signal = move to next candidate

## Related Gingiris Skills
- Full version: https://clawhub.ai/skill/gingiris-b2b-growth
- All skills: https://clawhub.ai/user/gingiris
- Follow: [@WeiYipei on X](https://x.com/WeiYipei)