A free 90-day program to get technical founders to their first $1,000,000.

Work with the creators of the Traction Canvas™, Brandy Old and Craig Elias, alongside other founders who are committed to reaching their first $1,000,000 in revenue.

Apply now

How it works

Over 13 weeks you work through the Traction Canvas™, our ten-box system that shows founders under $1,000,000 in revenue what's holding them back and how to slingshot past it.

Every week: one mandatory hour. A live Zoom session where participants workshop through the next box in the Traction Canvas. Each session is designed to get you started on the three tactics for that box so you leave with a clear understanding of what to do. At least one founder, the second-in-command or a mentor must attend with their camera on. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Every week: one optional hour. Office hours: ask us anything. You’ll hit walls doing that hard work between sessions, so bring the question that’s blocking you.

45 companies start, 15 in each of three tiers (early stage, sweet spot, and later stage), and 30 graduate.

The 30 who graduate get serious pitch coaching from Brandy and Craig, a place in a pitchbook that they forward to the ~500 investors in their personal LinkedIn networks, and two minutes to pitch on graduation day.

Every two weeks, one startup in each tier leaves the cohort. The first cut comes at the end of week 4, then weeks 6, 8, 10 and 12. That's five cuts, taking each tier from 15 to 10.

Why? Reaching $1,000,000 in revenue takes doing the right work, every week, in the right order. So we focus our time on the founders who are the most curious, coachable, committed and courageous.

Each week you’ll be asked to submit a three-sentence report on your efforts, learnings and key results for the week. Each cut is decided by Brandy and Craig based on evidence of demonstrated effort and the Four C's.

Regular cuts keep everyone accountable, and mean the 30 who graduate have earned their place in front of investors.

This program is not for the faint of heart.

We are looking for founders who can clearly demonstrate they have the Four C's:

  • Curious — you love learning about the problem and its implications.
  • Committed — you trust the process, do the hard work and don't skip steps.
  • Coachable — you welcome, embrace and act quickly on honest, candid feedback.
  • Courageous — you step out of your comfort zone and do the uncomfortable things that need to get done.

Three tiers, one goal: help you 10X your traction.

TWICE if all you’ve done so far is sell to people who already know you.

Early stage. $0–$9,999 MRR. Typically 1–5 paying customers, built on your own cash. You’re proving the problem is real.

Sweet spot. $10,000–$24,999 MRR. Typically 6–19 paying customers, friends-and-family money. You’ve got signal — now we go deep on the methodology that gets you to scale.

Later stage. $25,000+ MRR. Typically 20+ paying customers, angel or accelerator money. You have paying customers at scale and you’re fighting for competitive advantage.

Each tier runs 15 companies, narrowing to 10 graduates through the program’s format — 30 graduates total: the Traction 30.

Next cohort starts February 2027.

Applications are open now and close December 31, 2026. Apply using the form below.

Can’t wait for February? In the meantime, you can Work With Us privately, on your schedule.

30 tactics. 13 weeks.

We work through the 10 boxes of the Traction Canvas in order. You master each box's 3 tactics before moving on.

Problems

  • Find the painkiller problem
  • Count what it costs them
  • Name the feeling it causes

Initial Client Profile

  • Narrow to your first client
  • Pick the motivated half
  • Sell to early adopters

Competition

  • Compete by displacement
  • Know your 3 real rivals
  • Build your comparison grid

Seven Second Sale

  • Use painkiller verbs
  • Get asked "How?"
  • Don't answer "How?"

Enrolling

  • Talk to true strangers
  • Ask for advice, not money
  • Run 27 stranger interviews

Trigger Events

  • Spot the trigger
  • Watch for triggers weekly
  • Reach out in the window

Disqualifying

  • Look for reasons to say no
  • Score prospects on 5 factors
  • Drop the weakest prospects

Emotional Favourite

  • Find what you share
  • Win beyond one contact
  • Become their favourite

Won Sales Analysis

  • Interview every win in 72 hours
  • Study wins, not losses
  • Map the triggers behind wins

Marketing Moat

  • Use your customers' words
  • Own your name online
  • Win 30% of customers inbound

Traction 30 Application

Application for the Traction 30 — apply for one of 45 seats in our next cohort. It takes just 5 minutes.
Applications close December 31, 2026. Next cohort starts February 2027.
* indicates required fields

"*" indicates required fields

Full Name*
Is the business tech/software?*
Number of current paying customers*
Current Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)*
Most recent round of funding*
Money actually put into the business — not sweat equity or time.
Total money raised to date, including your own cash*

Write one or two sentences that demonstrate each of the Four C's

You love learning about the problem and its implications.
You welcome, embrace, and act quickly on honest, candid feedback.
You do the really hard work and don't skip steps.
You step out of your comfort zone and do the hard things.
Consider answering in three parts.
1) Why – why are you solving this problem?
2) Why you – why are you the best person/team to solve it?
3) Why now – why is now the time to solve this problem?
How did you hear about Traction 30?*