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Where they overlap and where they differ

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

Box by box

Bullseye: coverage of the ten Traction Canvas boxes How much Bullseye 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: The Bullseye Framework helps founders test traction channels until one works. The Traction Canvas prescribes the order instead: founder-led outbound first, then trigger-based selling, then inbound word of mouth.

What Bullseye does well

In Traction, Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares describe 19 channels a startup can use to grow and the Bullseye Framework for choosing among them: brainstorm every channel, rank the most promising, test them cheaply, and focus on the one that works. • It widens founders’ view of the channels available.
• It encourages cheap, parallel tests.
• It keeps the team focused on one channel at a time.

How Bullseye 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 Bullseye lines up with it. How Bullseye maps onto the ten boxes of the Traction Canvas Where Bullseye lands on the Traction Canvas. Faded boxes are not covered. The table below has the details. Sales — Traction Canvas: Box 1: Problems / Box 2: Bifurcation / Box 3: Competition / Box 4: Seven Second Sale / Box 5: Enrolling / Learn zone. How it connects: The Learn zone is founder-led outbound to strangers.

Business development — 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 reaches the right buyers at the right moment.

SEO and content — Traction Canvas: Box 10: Marketing Moat / Scale zone. How it connects: The Marketing Moat owns the 2 to 3 word phrases people use when they recommend you.

The gap Bullseye leaves

Bullseye 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. Bullseye helps you find a channel through testing. For early-stage B2B founders, the Traction Canvas says the order is known: outbound first, then triggered, then inbound. Each zone builds on the last. Skip ahead to content or ads and you’ll be marketing assumptions instead of what buyers told you.

When to use the Bullseye Framework, and when to use the Traction Canvas

Use the Bullseye Framework when you are choosing among many channels, especially for a consumer or non-sales-led business. Use the Traction Canvas when you are a B2B founder under Use the canvas to set the order. Within each zone, use Bullseye-style tests to find the fastest way to reach your buyers, for example which trigger events or which outbound approach works best.M: it sets the channel order, founder-led outbound first, then trigger-based selling, then inbound word of mouth.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Bullseye and the Traction Canvas?

Bullseye tests channels to find one that works. The Traction Canvas prescribes the order of channels for B2B founders heading to $1M in ARR.

Is the Traction Canvas related to the book Traction?

No, they are separate. The book covers channels, and the canvas is a ten-box sales playbook. See how the Traction Canvas compares with other startup models

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