The GTM glossary

A

Acquisition Repeatability Score

A diagnostic metric measuring what percentage of recent customers were acquired through a documented, repeatable process. Score of 83%+ indicates readiness to scale. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Attention Dilution Effect

Win rate degradation when reps spread focus across too many low-quality opportunities. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Auction Tax

The premium paid when demand fundamentals are weak. 40-70% higher costs. From the Architecting Demand playbook

B

Best Case (Forecast Category)

Deals that could close this period if conditions align. Requires qualified opportunity, buyer intent, plausible timeline. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Binding Constraint

The binding constraint is the revenue gate with the lowest Gate Efficiency. It is the diagnosis: everything downstream of it is a symptom rather than a cause. Where two gates tie, the binding gate is the earlier one in causal order, because an upstream constraint manufactures downstream symptoms. Full definition

Bleeding Neck Metric

The specific, quantifiable metric that is currently failing for a target buyer. Must include specificity, quantification, causality, and urgency. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Borrowed Credibility

The use of institutional affiliations (investors, accelerators, advisors) to establish trust when the company itself has no brand recognition. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Bottleneck Diagnosis

Using conversion physics to identify which stage transition is underperforming. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Bus Test

The heuristic for Sales Extraction completeness: "If the founder were hit by a bus tomorrow, could someone else close deals using only written documentation?" ([Chapter 7](/insights/0-100k-playbook/founder-led-sales/)) From the $0 to $100k playbook

Buyer Commitment Ladder

Progression from low-stakes (sharing information) to high-stakes (committing budget) buyer actions. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Buyer-Centric Stages

Stage definitions based on buyer actions. Measure actual commitment and correlate with close probability. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

C

CAC Ceiling

Maximum acceptable customer acquisition cost based on economics. From the Architecting Demand playbook

CAC Payback Threshold

The maximum acceptable months to recover customer acquisition cost at each company stage. Seed: 6-9 months. Series A: 12-15 months. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Cash Test

A binary validation diagnostic: has anyone you do not personally know paid money for this product? If no, validation has not occurred. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Challenger Pivot

The moment in a sales conversation where the seller challenges the prospect's assumptions, reframing the status quo as a high-risk liability. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Channel-Stage Fit Matrix

A framework mapping acquisition channels to company stages based on economic viability. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Churn Tax

The implicit increase in effective CAC caused by customers who churn before payback completes. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Commit (Forecast Category)

Deals that will close this period. Requires verbal commitment, contract in process, no blockers, buyer-confirmed close date. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Commit Protocol

Evidence-based framework for forecast category assignment. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Context Void

The absence of specific, actionable targeting criteria, leading to generic outreach that fails to resonate. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Conversion Cascade

Multiplicative progression of deals through stages. Overall win rate equals product of all stage conversion rates. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Conversion Physics

Mathematical patterns governing how deals progress through pipeline stages. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Cost of Inaction (COI)

The calculated financial loss a prospect incurs every day they delay solving a problem. Distinct from ROI (future gain). From the $0 to $100k playbook

Coverage Paradox

Obsession with raw coverage incentivizes behavior that undermines revenue outcomes. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

CPL Inversion

Higher CPL campaigns often produce lower cost per customer due to quality. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Creative Decay

Performance degradation over time due to frequency fatigue. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Credibility Tax

Organizational cost of repeated forecast misses. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

D

Dark Funnel

Buyer influence outside trackable touchpoints (40-60% of B2B influence). From the Architecting Demand playbook

Days-in-Stage Threshold

Time limit beyond which deal probability begins declining. Typically 1.5x to 2x average stage duration. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Decay Curve

Pattern where early stages have lower conversion rates than late stages. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Decision Audit

Framework documenting what must be true for a deal to close and what evidence exists. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Demand Efficiency Ratio (DER)

Revenue from demand / demand spend. Target: 3x+. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Design Partner Trap

The failure mode where "design partners" (non-paying users) consume resources and provide misleading signal. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Developing Stage

Non-pipeline holding area for opportunities that don't meet PAIN Threshold. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Discounting Trap

The failure mode where reactive discounts signal arbitrary pricing and desperation. From the $0 to $100k playbook

E

Economic Authority

The specific power to authorize spending and allocate budget. Identified by budget line ownership, not job title. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Economic Gravity

The underlying economic forces that determine whether a channel is viable at a given company stage. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Efficiency Ceiling

Spend level above which channel efficiency degrades. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Execution Multiplier

3-5x performance gap between poor and excellent execution. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Exit Criteria Protocol

Methodology requiring each stage to have defined criteria based on buyer-verifiable actions. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

F

Forcing Function

Tactic for creating urgency through legitimate constraints. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Forecast Accuracy

Actual closed revenue divided by forecasted revenue. Target: 90-100%. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Forecast Integrity Index (FII)

Diagnostic measuring pipeline's ability to support accurate forecasting. Score 0-6. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Forensic Persona Audit

An economic targeting system that defines buyers by Trigger Event, Economic Authority, and Bleeding Neck Metric - not demographics. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Founder Trap

The stage where growth is capped by the founder's personal capacity to sell rather than by market demand, typically emerging between $20k and $50k MRR. The signal is that revenue tracks the founder's calendar instead of demand. ([Chapter 7](/insights/0-100k-playbook/founder-led-sales/)) From the $0 to $100k playbook

Founding Customer Offer

A structured offer to early buyers that exchanges early access, discounts, or product input for pre-launch payment. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Full-Cycle Rep

An account executive who prospects, qualifies, demonstrates and closes without handoffs. The correct profile for a startup's first sales hire, because it is the only one that tests whether the whole process transfers. ([Chapter 7](/insights/0-100k-playbook/founder-led-sales/)) From the $0 to $100k playbook

G

Garbage Inflation Effect

Tendency for coverage pressure to inflate pipeline with unqualified deals. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Graceful Exit

Closing dead deals professionally while preserving relationships. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

I

ICP Architecture

Building targeting precision across five dimensions. From the Architecting Demand playbook

ICP Precision Score

0-100 score measuring targeting precision. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Intent Hierarchy

Query classification by purchase proximity. From the Architecting Demand playbook

L

Laboratory Sprint

A time-boxed period (typically 30 days) of intensive outbound experimentation, structured around weekly hypothesis cycles. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Leads Fallacy

False belief that more leads produce more revenue. From the Architecting Demand playbook

M

Manual Sales Laboratory

A structured methodology for acquiring early customers (1-50) through direct, founder-led outreach. Emphasizes volume, documentation, and weekly iteration. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Marginal CAC

Cost of each additional customer (vs. blended average). From the Architecting Demand playbook

Message Architecture

Four-level structure: Core Narrative, Segment Variants, Channel Adaptations, Creative Variants. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Minimum Viable Price

The floor below which pricing signals that you are not a serious solution. Varies by market segment. From the $0 to $100k playbook

P

PACED

The five phases of a B2B revenue engine in fixed causal order: Position, Activate, Capture, Embed, Develop, with a measurable gate between each. The engine's output is the product of the five gate efficiencies, not their average, and founder-led sales is the condition where the first three gates run through the founder personally. ([Chapter 7](/insights/0-100k-playbook/founder-led-sales/)) From the $0 to $100k playbook

PACED Yield

PACED Yield is the Rolled Throughput Yield of a revenue engine: the product of its five gate efficiencies, Position × Activate × Capture × Embed × Develop. It measures how efficiently the engine converts reachable potential into compounding revenue, and because the gates multiply, five gates each at 70% run the engine at 17%. Full definition

PAIN Threshold

Qualification gate requiring Problem, Authority, Impact, and Need evidence. Minimum 6/8 for pipeline entry. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Painkiller Framework

Pain Articulation, Cost of Inaction, Solution Framing, Proof. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Painkiller Narrative

A messaging structure built around Diagnosis, Cost Calculation, Status Quo Risk, and Resolution - leading with pain rather than possibility. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Pipeline Physics

The governing laws that determine pipeline behavior and forecast accuracy. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Pipeline Review Protocol

Structured approach to inspection including Three-Question Framework. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Platform Defense Playbook

Default Distrust, Manual Control, Independent Measurement, Creative Velocity, Portfolio Diversification. From the Architecting Demand playbook

PMF Threshold Test

A four-part diagnostic for product-market fit: 40% Test, Repeatability Test, Stranger Test, and Retention Test. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Predictability Threshold

Metrics that must hold for forecasting to remain reliable. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Q

QAC Ratio

Quality-Adjusted Coverage divided by quota. 1.2-1.5 indicates healthy pipeline. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Qualification Debt

Accumulated cost of unqualified opportunities in pipeline. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Quality-Adjusted Coverage (QAC)

Pipeline coverage weighted by qualification, stage probability, and velocity. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

R

Repeatability Audit

A four-part diagnostic at $100k ARR: Acquisition Repeatability Score, ICP Consistency, Channel Concentration, and Retention Durability. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Retroactive Demotion

Moving deals to earlier stages when they don't meet exit criteria. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Revenue Debt

Revenue Debt is the output a company forgoes, every cycle, to its single weakest revenue gate. Because the five gates of a revenue engine multiply, a weak gate does not subtract from the total; it discounts everything downstream of it, and the cost compounds. Full definition

Revenue System Architecture

Four layers supporting predictable revenue: Data, Process, Enablement, Governance. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

S

Sales Extraction Audit

A five-component methodology for converting founder intuition into documented, transferable sales capability. ([Chapter 7](/insights/0-100k-playbook/founder-led-sales/)) From the $0 to $100k playbook

Sales-Informed Demand

Demand generation built by people who understand sales psychology. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Scaling Decision Framework

Five questions for profitable growth decisions. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Scaling Fracture

Systems that work at one scale break at larger scale. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Second-Degree Strategy

A warm outreach tactic that asks existing contacts for referrals rather than purchases. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Seller-Centric Stages

Stages based on seller activities. Measure effort, not progress. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Shadow Protocol

The four-phase, roughly eight-week handover in which a new sales hire moves from observing the founder, to leading with the founder present, to selling alone with recorded review, to full ownership. ([Chapter 7](/insights/0-100k-playbook/founder-led-sales/)) From the $0 to $100k playbook

Simultaneity Requirement

All four lenses must be in focus simultaneously. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Stability Principle

Conversion rates cluster around stable baseline when qualification and stages are rigorous. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Stall Signals

Observable behaviors that correlate with deal failure. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Stranger Test

A validation filter that excludes warm network contacts. True validation requires demand from buyers outside the founder's existing relationships. From the $0 to $100k playbook

T

The $10k MRR Trap

The phenomenon where startups stall between $5k-$15k MRR because they confuse early traction with product-market fit. From the $0 to $100k playbook

The 10x Threshold

The principle that your price must be less than 10% of the quantifiable value you create. From the $0 to $100k playbook

The 90-Day Rule

Deals older than 90 days have dramatically lower close rates. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

The Churn-Masking Illusion

The Churn-Masking Illusion is the failure mode where heavy logo churn hides behind one whale account's expansion, so aggregate revenue retention looks healthy while the customer base quietly erodes. It is the primary failure mode of the Develop gate, where expansion revenue can outgrow, and conceal, the churn beneath it. Full definition

The Ghost Champion

A Ghost Champion is an enthusiastic mid-level advocate who absorbs months of selling effort while the economic buyer who controls the budget is never activated. It is the primary failure mode of the Activate gate: the enthusiast is convinced, the buying committee is not, and the deal quietly dies. Full definition

The Three Lies

Foundational assumptions that guarantee forecast failure: deals belong there, stages indicate probability, close dates are real. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

The Three-Question Framework

What changed? What is the next buyer action? What is blocking? From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Time Tax

Hidden cost of unqualified pipeline in rep hours. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Transactional Validation Protocol

A methodology requiring that ideas be validated through actual financial transactions rather than surveys or signups. From the $0 to $100k playbook

Trigger Event

An observable occurrence that opens a buying window. Examples: funding round, leadership change, failed audit. From the $0 to $100k playbook

U

Upside (Forecast Category)

Deals that should close this period pending resolution of identified factors. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

V

Variant Pipeline

Creative development funnel: In-market, Ready, In Development, Concept. From the Architecting Demand playbook

Velocity Decay Rate

Rate at which probability decreases for each week over threshold. Typically 5-10%/week. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Velocity-Adjusted Forecasting

Methodology that modifies stage probability based on deal age. From the Pipeline Physics playbook

Z

Zombie Deals

Opportunities in pipeline far beyond reasonable close timelines. From the Pipeline Physics playbook