Traction Lab Podcast

Hey friends 👋“AI native” is everywhere right now—and almost nobody using the label actually qualifies. This week, Cameron and JDM dig into what it actually means to build with AI at the core of your startup (it’s not about your workflow tools), and why the founders most excited about shipping fast are making the same old mistake in a shiny new wrapper.There’s a meaningful difference between AI compressing your build cycle and AI being the reason your company exists. Get that wrong, and you’re efficiently moving in the wrong direction—stacking assumptions on top of assumptions, measuring inputs instead of outcomes, and calling it traction.Building got faster. Validation didn’t. Customers still decide on their own timeline, no matter how quickly you ship.JDM also has some personal news this week—Emilia has arrived, and the Miller family is officially a party of four. Cameron’s growing his own crew too, but his is decidedly more… reptilian.As always, thanks for listening.—Cameron and JDMTimestamps00:00 Introduction03:15 What “AI native” actually means06:00 The build vs. validation gap15:00 Efficiency vs. evidence: the core mistake20:00 Sequencing violations23:00 Frivolous Thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zerototraction.substack.com

🚨 NEW: Cameron and I are super happy to be launching the Traction Lab Venture School, a new program to help founders of early-stage startups find paying customers. Kicks off March 23rd. Only 20 spots. You in?Hey friends 👋It’s almost a cliché. Some VC tells you to “go bigger” on your fundraise, another investor says to keep it small, and you’re stuck in the middle.So in this episode, we tackle one of the most confusing decisions founders face: how much money should you actually raise? We break down the false dichotomy of “go big or go home” and why ego has no place in fundraising decisions.We dive into three realistic scenarios where founders are wrestling with round size—from a bootstrapped SaaS founder being pushed toward a $2M round when they only need $500K, to a profitable fintech debating whether to raise at all, to an AI startup running out of runway with thin traction.The key insight? It’s all about capital efficiency and what you’re actually buying with that money. In early stages, you’re buying learning, not growth—and 10x the money doesn’t mean 10x the learning.Our hot take: raising too much too early can actually screw you over when it comes time for your next round. We also get into why you need to understand investor business models—their “right size” round might not match your stage at all.In our Frivolous Thoughts segment: JDM battles his display link monitor (send help), and Cameron updates us on the Kings’ ambitious 16-game losing streak. Yes, he said ambitious. 😅—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 zerototraction.substack.com

Hey friends 👋We’re coming up on 75 episodes (yes, we’re calling that a win), and this week we’re tackling the decision every founder faces: should you pivot, persevere, or pack it in?It’s easy to confuse “hasn’t worked yet” with “never going to work.” But the difference between those two things is where smart founders separate themselves from the pack.We break down the evidence-based framework for making these calls. Not the hustle culture “never quit” nonsense, and not the “fail fast” hand-waving either.The real question is when should you go all in, and when should you cut your losses while you still have resources left?Then we put it to the test with three realistic scenarios: an AI cold email tool competing with ChatGPT, a freelancer management platform debating focus, and a social book app burning through runway with no revenue model—and, yeah, we had thoughts on that one!For each startup, we rate them on our conviction scale and show you exactly what evidence we’re looking at. Think of it as strength training for your decision-making muscles.Seth Godin nailed it in The Dip: winners don’t win because they never quit. They win because they quit everything else and go all in on the right thing.Frivolous Thoughts:* JDM discovers a criminally underrated Muppets show from 2015* Cameron reveals the surprising origin story behind Claude AI’s name…and it deserves a podcast by itself.As always, thanks for listening.—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 zerototraction.substack.com

Hey friends 👋This week we’re tackling something we see constantly in pitch decks: impressive growth charts that hide their broken unit economics.We dive into the real math behind customer acquisition cost (CAC), lifetime value (LTV), and payback periods—and why your revenue numbers might be hiding a ticking time bomb.Our core question: If you stopped acquiring customers tomorrow, would your existing customers actually pay back what you spent to get them? Or are you just scaling debt?We break down three real scenarios (okay, realistically contrived):* A coffee subscription bleeding money on every box* A B2B SaaS company betting everything on year-two renewals* A meal planning app in “land grab mode” (our response: 🤯😤)The pattern we keep seeing is a founder focusing on MRR growth while ignoring the fact that each customer costs more to acquire than they’ll ever pay back. That’s not growth—that’s buying your way out of business.We get into the weeds on cohort analysis, retention curves, and why “brand awareness” is usually code for “we haven’t figured out profitable acquisition.” Plus, JDM does actual math in real time. It gets messy, but that’s the point… you get to hear exactly how we process these numbers (perfect for an audio podcast 🙃).In Frivolous Thoughts:* JDM confesses his addiction to productivity gadgets served up by an eerily accurate algorithm* Cam discovers the joy of supporting artists through Patreon.As always, thanks for listening.—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 zerototraction.substack.com