Every week I see the same illusion — startups chasing validation, not traction. They confuse noise with progress.
Fake traction looks like this: Awards that mean nothing. Press that converts no one. Accelerator badges from two years ago. Partner logos with no contracts. Free users who’ll never pay.
Real traction looks boring: Daily users, paying customers, repeat revenue, organic growth.
If you have to explain why your traction is impressive, it’s not traction.
Stop counting likes and logos. Count invoices paid, users retained, churn reduced.
Your startup isn’t a résumé; it’s a machine. If it stops working when attention fades, you never had traction — only theater.
Drop the vanity metrics. Get back to the numbers that matter.
Nice one!