Channel

One specific route to customers — SEO, paid ads, outbound email, partnerships, communities, content.

Example

LinkedIn outbound to ops managers.

Important

Most startups win with one channel, not five. Trying all of them at once usually produces no signal from any of them.

Related terms

  • Distribution — How your product reaches customers — the channels through which people discover and adopt it.
  • CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) — The total sales and marketing spend to acquire one paying customer.
  • Growth loop — A cycle where the output of using the product feeds back into acquiring more users.

Lessons that explain it

  • Choosing a distribution channel — Most startups win with one channel, not five. Picking it is more important than executing it well. (12 min)

All 176 terms in the Founder glossary