compare

Where they overlap and where they differ

Startup Genome and the Traction Canvas: what each covers and where they overlap Left: covered by Startup Genome only. Middle: covered by both. Right: covered by the Traction Canvas only.

Box by box

Startup Genome: coverage of the ten Traction Canvas boxes How much Startup Genome covers each Traction Canvas box. Full circle: a core focus. Empty: not covered. This is our own assessment; see all models compared. The short answer: Startup Genome describes four stages a startup moves through: Discovery, Validation, Efficiency and Scale. The Traction Canvas gives founders the steps to complete in each stage, in order.

What Startup Genome does well

Startup Genome’s research described four stages of startup development: Discovery, Validation, Efficiency and Scale. It also highlighted premature scaling, growing before the fundamentals are in place, as a major reason startups fail. • It is grounded in research on how startups actually progress.
• It gives founders language to describe their stage.
• Its warning about premature scaling is essential.

How Startup Genome maps to the Traction Canvas

The Traction Canvas has ten boxes in three zones, completed in order: Learn (Boxes 1 to 5), Earn (Boxes 6 to 9) and Scale (Box 10). Here is how Startup Genome lines up with it. How Startup Genome maps onto the ten boxes of the Traction Canvas Where Startup Genome lands on the Traction Canvas. Faded boxes are not covered. The table below has the details. Discovery — Traction Canvas: Box 1: Problems / Box 2: Bifurcation / Box 3: Competition / Learn zone. How it connects: Problems, Bifurcation and Competition define the problem and the buyer.

Validation — Traction Canvas: Box 4: Seven Second Sale / Box 5: Enrolling / Learn zone. How it connects: The Seven Second Sale and Enrolling test interest with real buyers.

Efficiency — Traction Canvas: Box 6: Trigger Events / Box 7: Disqualifying / Box 8: Emotional Favourite / Box 9: Won Sales Analysis / Earn zone. How it connects: The Earn zone makes selling repeatable and efficient.

Scale — Traction Canvas: Box 10: Marketing Moat / Scale zone. How it connects: The Marketing Moat grows through word of mouth.

The gap Startup Genome leaves

Startup Genome and the Traction Canvas on the road to $1M in ARR and a Series A How far each canvas takes a founder on the road to $1M in ARR and a Series A. Bar strength shows how much of each zone is covered, using the box-by-box ratings above. Startup Genome tells you which stage you are in. It doesn’t give you the work to do in each stage. The canvas’s ten boxes do, and completing them in order is a built-in guard against premature scaling.

When to use Startup Genome, and when to use the Traction Canvas

Use Startup Genome’s stages when you want to benchmark where a startup is, or to check for premature scaling. Use the Traction Canvas to decide what to work on this week to move to the next stage, and do not move to Box 10 until the Earn boxes are solid.

Frequently asked questions

How is the Traction Canvas different from Startup Genome?

Startup Genome describes stages. The Traction Canvas gives founders ten steps to complete, in order, to move through them.

Does the Traction Canvas prevent premature scaling?

That is one of its main purposes. The Scale zone, Box 10, comes last on purpose. See how the Traction Canvas compares with other startup models

Ready for your next step?